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Well, it was bound to happen--my character has outshone me. Violet Raines is over at Joyce Anthony's blog today talking about her friends and what it was like to be in a book. I got in a few words edgewise.

Come on over!

This is a story posted by April Robins on Facebook. It is truly inspiring and I wanted to share it with you. I love the message: don't fret about yesterday, make today count - every little step brings you toward your goal. The idea is to be persistent, even if it's one little step at a time. While it's important to work toward your goals, remember to feel joy and satisfaction in the process of getting there. Try to see the vision of what each little bulb will eventually become if you persist in your efforts.

You Have to See the Daffodils

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say,
"Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead
"I will come next Tuesday",
I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy.
Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there.
When I finally walked into my daughter Carolyn's
house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children.
I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

I told my daughter, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn!
The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and
there is nothing in the world except you and my grandchildren
that I want to see right now. I don't want to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said,
"We drive in this weather all the time, mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears,
and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils.
It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly,

"It's all right, Mother, I promise.
You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

So we went!
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road
and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church,
I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read,

"Daffodil Garden ---->"

We got out of the car, each of us took a child's hand,
and I followed Carolyn down the path.
Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.
Before me lay the most glorious sight.
It looked as though someone had taken
a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak
and its surrounding slopes.

The flowers were planted in majestic,
swirling patterns, great ribbons
and swaths of deep orange,
creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink,
and saffron and butter yellow.
Each different-colored variety was planted
in large groups so that it swirled
and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

There were five acres of flowers!

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.
"Just one woman," Carolyn answered.
"She lives on the property. That's her home."
Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house,
small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster.

"Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking"
was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.

The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain."

The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience.
I thought of this woman whom I had never met,
who, more than forty years before, had begun,
one bulb at a time, to bring her vision
of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.

Planting one bulb at a time, year after year,
this unknown woman had forever changed
the world in which she lived.
One day at a time, she had created something
of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught me
is one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
"What might I have accomplished
if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five
or forty years ago and had worked away at it
'one bulb at a time' through all those years?

Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day
in her usual direct way.

"Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right.
It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays.
The way to make learning a lesson of celebration
instead of a cause for regret is to only ask,

"How can I put this to use today?"

The Daffodil Principle.

Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt,
and, Dance like no one's watching.

If you want to brighten someone's day,
pass this on to someone special (like I did to you!)

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.

- Author unknown

I have the pleasure of hosting the multi-faceted author, Joyce A. Anthony. Joyce will be featured here today and January 18th.

Joyce is the author of “Storm”, a spiritual fantasy. She also has two books to be released in 2009: Spirit of the Stallion and Shattered Rainbow. Joyce lives in PA with her teenaged son, good friend, and mini-zoo. She is a homeschooling mother, photographer, genealogist, animal advocate and psychologist, as well as a freelance writer and editor. In addition to all this, Joyce answers questions as an "expert" on bipolar disorder at AllExperts.com and is currently working on two additional blogs--one for bipolar disorder and one for Asperger's Syndrome.

Here is a blurb from “Storm” to wet your appetite:

Who he is and why he's here is a mystery even to Storm-a mystery that can only be answered within the whirling rainbow. His search puts him in touch with many of society's forgotten people; he changes their lives and heals their souls. When he finds the answer to his identity, the world is changed forever. You'll ask yourself: Is it only a fantasy--or is it real?

And if that isn't enough, here is a wonderful review:

What a breath of fresh air this book is! In an age when “God” has become a four letter word, and in a contemporary society that by and large considers all things Biblical to be babble, author Joyce Anthony brings us home to all things spiritual and meaningful with this charming and insightful story. Her boldness of faith is evident throughout and admirable. Also impressive as I read “Storm” was her depth of understanding of human nature, psychology and spiritual condition.

As a literary work “Storm” is well crafted; Anthony is definitely a gifted writer who can capture you and transport you into the sights, sounds, smells, feelings and aura of a different world and make you feel as if you really know the characters involved. I don’t want to spoil the fun for potential readers, so I will not divulge the plot. However, I will tease you with this: it is the greatest true story ever re-told before it comes true.

Plan on a few hours of uninterrupted trance-like reading, you won’t want to do anything else except keep turning the pages once you’ve started. Get ready to examine yourself, our society, and our world as it relates to its’ creator. There are many sad truths in this book. But in the end, the truth will set you free.

Review written by: Marvin D. Wilson, author of “I Romanced the Stone” http://www.rockofallages.com/

You can pick up your copy of “Storm” at:
Amazon Link: http://www.storm.2freedom.com/

And, you can visit Joyce at:
Website: http://joyceanthony.tripod.com
Blog: Books and Authors http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

Please be sure to come back on January 18th for questions and answers with Joyce A. Anthony.

Karen

Four friends set out on a year of dreams. Harper, after failing to get into the college of her dreams, is determined to write the next great American novel. Sophie, determined to pursue her dream of becoming a star, moves to L.A. to pursue an acting career. Kate abandons her Harvard acceptance and high school boyfriend to travel around Europe and find herself. Becca follows her original plans to attend Middlebury college but is determined to find love this year.
This story of friendship, self-discovery, and the road to adulthood will appeal to fans of Brashare's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. While the novel starts slowly, it picks up speed as readers learn more about the girls and their adventures. The alternating perspectives of the four girls is easy to follow and helps establish their individual characters. Crush-worthy, and no-so-crush-worthy guys, compromising situations, moments of self-growth and success engage the readers in stories of these girls. Readers will be curious about what the future has in store for them.