2012

A New Year - 2012

Though the economy is low
And things are moving slow,
Be thankful if you are
Not sleeping in the snow.

And if you have some food to eat,
Plus if you're feeling not too beat,
Then you can rise
Above defeat.

If your family is nearby
Just let your spirits touch the sky
And keep on plugging
With each try.

When things are at their lowest low
There's only one place they can go
That's up, not down,
Though pacing's slow.

So let this new year be for you
All things you do wish to come true.
In 2012 a change can come
Pray God will bless us as we're due.

MSP
12/29/11

Christmas Poem

THE CHRISTMAS VISITOR

There are times in our lives
When we must take chances,
On people and on things.

A man came to my house
On Christmas Eve,
Asking to rake the leaves
To buy gifts for his children.

I offered a donation,
Handing him a ten-dollar bill.
"I'd rather work," he said,
Taking up his rake and
Moving sycamore leaves
To the center of the yard.

Who is this man? I wondered.
The beggar in the Bible
Came to mind, but I dismissed it.

When he was done,
I gave him half of my homemade fruitcake.
Eyes focused on the ground, he said,
"I hope the work I've done
Equals the love you've shown to me.

My "Merry Christmas" was a greeting
To the Jesus in all men.

Mary S. Palmer
12/22/11

Upcoming ebooks - Musa Publishing:
Time Will Tell (science fiction) March 9, 2012
To Catch a Fish (novel) April 9, 2012

Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast

The book, Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast, showcases short stories, essays and poems selected as winners in the 2011 Baldwin Writers Group Contest. My essay, Dimes and Quarters took 3rd place in the essay contest.
December 17, from 10 to noon, authors will be at the Daphne Library (AL) for a reading/signing. The public is welcome to attend. Hope to see you there.

Essay published

I'm excited because my essay Dimes and Quarters has just been published in Collected Words from Writers of the Southern Coast. It's available on Amazon.com.
Just wanted to share the good news.

Giving Thanks

We often give thanks for big things,
But tend to forget the small.
Yet they may turn out to be
The most significant of all.

So, thank you, Jesus, for all of these:
The neighbor who puts my paper at my door;
The speeding ticket I wasn't issued;
The compliment from a stranger at the grocery store.

The phone call from an old friend
Just when the day was going all wrong,
The car that barely missed hitting mine,
Cheery lyrics of a song.

The rain that didn't fall
When I had a picnic planned,
And the warm and happy feeling
When a child reached for my hand.

But most of all my gratitude
Should be the silent prayer:
I thank you, my dear Jesus,
For always being there.

Mary S. Palmer 11/6/11

About writing and writer's block

Through my many years of writing, I have found that if you treat it as any other job, a lot more gets done. I work best if I get fully dressed and schedule a block of time, maybe even 9 to 5, with breaks. It helps me stay focused. Because I plan to write a minimum of 2,000 words for each session, I can't allow myself the luxury of "writer's block." So, I just type away, determined to get words down on paper.

That doesn't mean I use all that I type. Later, I revise, and revise, and revise, and polish it all up.

I know this won't work for everybody--different folks have different strokes--but it's just a suggestion that works for me.

5 Published books - 2 soon to be released with MUSA--TIME WILL TELL (Sci-Fi) and TO CATCH A FISH (novel)

New books

I have two books that will soon be published as ebooks by Musa Publishing Company.

One is a science-fiction book entitled TIME WILL TELL, scheduled for release March 9, 2012.

The other, coauthored with David V. Wilton, is a novel entitled TO CATCH A fISH. It is scheduled for release April 6, 2012.

This is my first blog, so please respond so I'll know it's being read. Thanks.