Friday, December 31, 2010

AN IRISH BLESSING TO WISH YOU HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year! Here's an Irish blessing from my 2011 calendar:

Irish Shamrocks
May your Past be a pleasant memory,
Your Future filled with delights and mystery,
Your Now a glorious moment
That fills your life with deep contentment.

Ah, those Irish certainly have a way with words, don't they? Must come from living in the same country as the Blarney Stone.

Congratulations to Debbie! She is the winner of Sybil Baker's TALISMANS. Debbie, I'll get in touch with you and get your address so Sybil's publisher can send your copy of TALISMANS. Happy reading!



Did you make a list
of resolutions?
Are you one who makes resolutions at this time of year? I don’t write down a list of resolutions, but I mentally set a few goals for the future. Perhaps that amounts to the same thing. Whatever your choice, I wish you the best year ever in 2011. Did you choose to make several New Year's resolutions? Let me know what they are if you can share them. But here's what I hope you will do:

Rid your heart of hate, grudges, and bad memories. Ill will toward others seldom hurts them, but it festers inside us and can actually cause us to become ill. Pettiness dimishes the one displaying it. Let generosity and love fill your heart and soul.

Embrace your good qualities. Don't focus on bad hair, a few extra pounds, or whatever you dislike about yourself--and we all have things we'd like to change. If your weight is affecting your health, then that's not what I mean. Each of us has the responsibility to take care of his/herself physically and mentally. But think about your good qualities and accentuate them--caring, nurturing others, creating, smiling. Like the old song says, "You got accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and get rid of Mr. Inbetween."

Be positive I have an amazing friend who's 102-years-old. Her advice: WALK ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE! Don't give in; keep pushing forward. None of the "I can't because I have..." Obviously each of us has limitations, but don't use them as a crutch to excuse poor performance. Yes, the finger is pointing back at me. All too often, I'm ready to toss in the towel. No, not to quit writing, but quit expecting to sell to a major publisher, no longer hope for awards. Never let negativity kill your dreams! 

Here's to a great 2011 for each of us! Remember, walk on the sunny side of the year!


 
And if you are looking for a good book to curl up with in the chilly weather, please consider one of mine at www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html  or on Amazon and other online book stores. 

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2 comments:

Vince said...

Hi Caroline:

Happy New Year – 2011


I enjoyed your Irish quotes (being Irish).

I was happy to discover that “Out of the Blue” and “Texan’s Irish Bride” are both available for the Kindle. Are the two books related in their story line or can they be read in any order?

Thanks,

Vince

Caroline Clemmons said...

Vince, It's a coincidence the books both feature Irish heroines. OUT OF THE BLUE is contemporary except for a brief opening in 1845 Ireland before the heroine leaps off an Irish cliff to escape a mob and lands in a 2010 Texas lake. THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE is an histocial set in the Texas hill country and includes lots of blessings and superstitions. The heroine's dad has a toast or blessing for any occasion and the heroine follows many superstitions. Both were fun to write. Like you, I'm fascinated with Ireland because lots of my ancestors came from or through there.