Storyteller's Journey

An illustration by Michael Lindstrom from The Scandinavian Santa

When Fantasy Meets Reality

Last fall, my husband and I booked a trip to Scandinavia. We had hoped to take it in 2023 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, but cancer intervened.

So, we'll be visiting Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for fifteen days in late spring. We also want to research our ancestral roots - mine in Norway and Michael's in Sweden. A final reason for the trip is that the fourth book in my middle grade fantasy series takes place, at least in part, in Sweden. I look forward to researching Varnhem Abbey.

What began as an exciting adventure to anticipate, has now turned into a situation that we must monitor. The current state of affairs with Denmark, Greenland, and our other NATO Allies, has us cautious about visiting that extraordinary corner of the world. So far, I've been able to conduct research in the featured country for each of my books in The Time Travel Tales of Livvi Biddle. Seeing a sign on the news, "Yankee Go Home!" is quite disconcerting...but totally understandable.
 

Storyteller's Journey

A Bookworm from Way Back!

Over the winter holiday, I took a trip down memory lane. I finally went through all the photographs I obtained from my mother's estate after her death a year ago. This one pictures me at my maternal grandmother's home when I was five years old. It's the only childhood photo taken of me reading. (At least as far as I know.) Since my grandmother was the one who taught me to read at the age of four, this photo is precious to me.

Over the holiday I also caught up on my TBR list. This middle grade novel, The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen, is well worth your time. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 2014 and was written with a beautiful lyrical language that made it feel like listening to an older person telling a story fireside. A lovely, heartfelt tale.

I highly recommend The Winter Room to readers aged eight to eighty!

I also read The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, like so many other adults this winter! Many times, I'm disappointed when I read a popular novel, not this time. This fantastic book is written in epistolary style, which makes it even more intriguing to read. Learning about the characters, their history, and ultimately the plot of the novel through letters - by Sybil Van Antwerp - is a wonderful way to take in the story. It felt a bit like finding a bunch of my mother's old letters in her attic and piecing together her history. I highly recommend The Correspondent to readers 18 & up!

Wishing you a Happy New Year... of reading!

Storyteller's Journey

Honoring Renee Nicole Good

After the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good on Tuesday, it didn't take long for the narrative to become political. In the process, the life of Ms. Good was lost in the rhetoric. When I looked into who this woman was, I learned that she was a mother, a writer, and a graduate of Old Dominion University. After discovering that, I penned a simple poem in her honor. 
Photo: Renee Nicole Good/Public

Ode to Renee

She was a writer, a poet, a mother of three,

in that regard she was a lot like me.

But when Renee drove out on the street that day

she was shot in her car trying to drive away.

An American citizen who tried to do right, 

has now too soon entered the kingdom of light.

Godspeed to you, dear brave Renee, 

may Eternity allow us to meet one day.

V.L.

Rest in peace, Renee Nicole Good

Storyteller's Journey

Season's Greetings!

Once again, I'll be taking a winter break from my blog until sometime in January. We're looking forward to seeing our son Brian. Since he lives on the East Coast, it's always super special when he comes home.

(Last Light - 16 X 20 oil on panel - by Michael Lindstrom)

Click here to read my recent quarterly newsletter.

Wishing you and yours the joy, peace, and love of the season!

Storyteller's Journey

Light and Love of the Season

Each year, Michael, my husband, places white holiday lights upon our house and some of the nearby trees. I always tell him I consider that task he does so lovingly for me, a Christmas gift.

While he's busy decorating outside, I bustle about decorating the inside of our home. We have one family/memory tree upstairs near our guest bedrooms, and another, more formal tree, in our living room. Over the years, I've accumulated so many Christmas items, that we've had friends tell us our home looks like Santa's cottage and workshop!

One of my favorite childhood Christmastime memories is my parents loading me and my siblings into the family car and touring our town in search of homes lit lovingly with colorful holiday lights. 

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, or the Winter Solstice, the world seems to come alive with joy and laughter this time of year. Divine celebrations, feasts with family and friends, as well as songs and stories, all fill the air; they enrich our lives with the magic of the season: Light and Love. So, in the midst of buying your loved ones something special, take a deep breath and remember that this season should be about the heart. Savor your time with those you hold dear, thank the angels above for your blessings, and strive to show kindness and generosity this season. I know that's what I hope to do.

Storyteller's Journey

Winter Magic

While the calendar says it's still autumn, when December arrives, I always feel like winter is already here. (I took this photo out my kitchen window four years ago this month.)
 

As a writer, I'm inspired by Nature at all times of the year, but snowy days are the absolute best! That's the reason that I've written a collection of books with my artist husband, Michael Lindstrom, called The Lindstrom Wintertime Tales.

Since moving to a rural area over four years ago, my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed receiving more snow than we did when we lived in the city. However, so far there's no sign of any snowflakes.

Here's hoping for a lot of snow this winter - it's so magical!

Winter's Blanket 12 X 16 oil on panel - Michael Lindstrom

Storyteller's Journey

Thanksgiving Weekend

It's always fulfilling to take some time to blog about what I'm grateful for; Thanksgiving Weekend is always a good time to reflect on my blessings.

In the past few years, I've mentioned the big blessings of recovering from cancer, as well as the arrival of our first grandchild, Adeline Joy. Those events continue to bring me deep gratitude. Family and friends are always the biggest source of gratitude for me.

However, since our lives have settled into a new normal, I've had time to reflect on other things I'm grateful for...little things. Many years ago, I learned about the concept of hygge. A speaker at a writers' conference shared how it had impacted her life. I was intrigued. Then, a few years ago, my son Kevin gave me a little book about the Danish concept. If you're not familiar with the word, here is the definition:

Hygge: a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.

Since we moved out to our rural home four years ago, I've found that our lives have slowed down. It's been wonderful. We now watch less television, enjoy nature more, and have additional time to create our art. Then too, little things like enjoying a warm fire, wearing cozy socks, watching a candle burning, sipping a special coffee drink, or reading a good book, are activities that I appreciate much more than I once did. These are all things that for me bring a sense of hygge to my life. 

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Enjoy your blessings, both big and small.