Tag Archives: amazon

Part 21 If Oak Trees Could Talk

22 Oct

Part 21 If Oak Trees Could Talk

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted a video of If Oak Trees Could Talk, so for those of you who have been faithful to follow my video blogs, I am grateful that you’re hanging in there with me.

My family and I had a wonderful vacation to Panama City, Florida and had lots of fun in the sun. The trip was a celebration of sorts as my husband’s and my 35th wedding Anniversary is in this month!

I am back home in Georgia and I once again am so glad that you are spending this time with me as I read the rest of Chapter 11 The Escapees and go right in to Chapter 12 There Is No Place Like Home!

Chapter 11

The Escapees

 

“Are you coming back to us Henry?” Helen shouted up.

Henry just continued to chuckle.

“Well Momma, how do you propose we get him down from there?” Amelia asked while trying not to look up at such a view.

“He’ll come down when he’s ready, dear! Don’t worry, he’s not ready yet!”

“Well thank God it’s not cold outside!” Amelia whispered. As both she and Helen began to chuckle to themselves.

“Okay Amelia, go inside the house and get me a blanket and dig in the pantry closet for that old picnic basket. I bet your Daddy is starved as it was probably early today when he left Glenview. I am sure he missed his wonderful bland meal that he was getting on a regular basis. Do me a favor and have Robert run and get us some hamburgers and fries from Speedy’s Grill and Shake. They’re your Daddy’s favorite. Make that onion rings as Henry loves him some onion rings. Also there is a radio in our room on the dresser, get it too. You might have to check if the batteries are good. If the batteries are dead, look in the drawer beside the refrigerator, there should be some good batteries in there.”

“Momma, are you serious? You seriously want Robert to go get food so that you can have a picnic out here under this old Oak tree with Daddy’s bare bottom shining brighter than the moon itself! What if he is more ill than we think? Momma, what if this little excursion of his has made him worse than before!” Amelia drilled.

“So what if it did, Amelia, what if it did?” Helen calmly said as she looked up with her tender smile and her eyes full of nothing but love for her husband.

 

Chapter 12

No Place like Home

Although Amelia did not always agree with her mother she knew that no one knew her Father like her mother did. So she immediately left her parents to tell Robert what her mother had ordered. Robert obeyed and backed the car out of the driveway and sped off to Speedy’s Grill and Shake.

Amelia then began to fulfill her orders that her Mom gave her as well. She walked up the side yard and stood in front of the huge Victorian house that was built by her great grandparents in the 1800’s. Since that time, her grandparents and now her parents lived in what was once her home. The home was beautifully designed with ornamental columns and cornice boards that had intricate scroll work that framed the home. It was always such a wonderful, safe and happy place. Memories flooded Amelia’s mind as she stood in front of the old house with its deep family history and its gorgeous exterior.   She sighed deeply as she felt the house was as lonely as she was for her parents to return home. Amelia felt homesick. She stepped onto the long winding porch that stretched the entire length of the front of the house and proceeded to wrap around to the side where there was a beautiful set of French doors. In that brief moment of hesitancy before opening the door to her parent’s house, Amelia remembered all of the grand parties that her mother and father threw every year in the summer. The French doors at the side of the house opened onto a beautiful patio and garden area where her parents practically lived. Gorgeous beds of roses and Camellias lined the ornamental rod iron fences and white wooden trellises were laden down with gorgeous green vines.  

Henry and Helen loved to entertain in the garden area. It was the perfect place. Henry, again being a Southerner took pride in himself at being a great Southern Chef. He knew how to smother ribs in some of his own famous Barbeque sauce that he made and sold in his Hardware store. Yes, her parents were quite the entertainers!   There were many times that Amelia would cuddle up in the hanging swing on the porch and fall sound asleep to the sounds of crickets, tree frogs, soft music and adults laughing and talking. Amelia smiled at such pleasant memories, but was saddened by the thoughts that she may never get to live any of them again.

 

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to “tune in” or read along today! I hope that you continue coming each week until you read or hear the entire romantic story!

If you are interested in obtaining your own copy of If Oak Trees Could Talk or any of my other books, please visit my Amazon Author Page here! Also If you are new to my Video Blogs and would like to catch up on the story from the beginning please check out the archives in this blog or simply subscribe to my Youtube Videos as they are numbered and in order! I am also a weekly contributor to The Lakeview Times.   All of my videos are published each week at http://www.lakeviewtimes.com

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Part 10 If Oak Trees Could Talk!

23 Jul

Part 10 If Oak Trees Could Talk!

“Inspiring one Dreamer at a time!”

Welcome back to my Video Blog If Oak Trees Could Talk.  I am so pleased that you chose to join me this week! 

As always, I want you to feel at home, so I hope you have gotten you a tall cold glass of sweet tea or your favorite drink and have gotten yourself all comfy as we continue reading today in Chapter 5 Gleaning Wisdom!

 

Chapter 5

Gleaning Wisdom

As Amelia and her parents sat outside on the warm terrace, Amelia became silent herself. She again thought of how her parents loved one another. She also thought of how much she loved her own husband, but wondered if what she had with Robert could possibly compare to the kind of love and passion that her parents shared over the years. One thing she did know for sure was that her life wasn’t full of adventure the way that her parent’s lives were. As Amelia continued to think upon her life and compare it to her parent’s she suddenly realized that she must glean from them. As the sun continued to shine on their whitening heads, Amelia felt urgency in her heart that she had to learn how they kept the passion and adventure in their marriage? She needed to know now! Just as she turned to ask her Mom a question, a nurse interrupted her.

“Ms. Amelia, it’s time for your Mother’s therapy now.”

Amelia disappointed, turned to her mother and kissed her.

“I’ll talk with you later okay Momma?”

“Yes dear, we’ll talk later. You had better take your father inside, the sun is becoming very warm and your Daddy’s fair skin will burn.” Helen suggested as she always had her husband’s wellbeing on her mind.

Amelia took her mother’s suggestion and before she barely had gotten Henry back inside, he made a suggestion of his own.

“Let’s go see your mother!” Henry said with a devilish grin.

“We will, Daddy, she should be out of physical therapy pretty soon!”

Amelia pushed her Daddy down the hallway and made several loops down and back as she stalled for time until she thought her mother would be back into her room.

“You know she spent the night with me, don’t you?” Henry said with a smile that told more than Amelia wanted to know.

“Daddy, you and Momma are going to get in trouble!”

“Ah, What can they do to us, kick us out? We only wish to be in such trouble as to receive that kind of punishment.” Henry stated with a defiant little chuckle.

“Daddy, I know you and Momma want to be home. It will happen, Daddy. It really will. I promise you Dad, I’m working on trying to get both of you back home.”

“I know dear, this has been as rough on you as it has been on us!”

“I’m fine Daddy, I’m just happy for our conversation today! I truly believe that you and Momma will be home again soon!”

With those words said, Amelia knocked on her mother’s door. She pushed her Dad inside and the room seemingly lit up as Helen smiled widely and so did Henry.

“You two act like teenagers!” Amelia said with a giggle.

“Nope, not really, your mother didn’t care that much for me when we were teenagers!”

“Now Henry, that’s not true! I just wanted to make for sure of my feelings before I agreed to go steady. My goodness, you kept me scared to death as all you talked about since we were kids was marriage!”

“I had to wear her down, Amelia!” Henry said with a giggle.

“Well, I’m glad she gave in!” Amelia replied as she shook her head and giggled as well.

“Tell me, how do I keep passion in my marriage the way that you two have?” Amelia asked.

“Why honey, that’s easy, we’ve always just put each other first. In doing that, we’ve never wanted for anything outside of what we have together!”

“Surely Mom, it’s not that simple!”

“Yes dear, it’s that simple.  It’s not always easy, but it’s that simple.”

“See your Daddy, wouldn’t even let me be sick first that he didn’t follow me right into this place!”  Helen stated with a chuckle of her own.

A knock on the door interrupted the laughter and the best conversation that the Tyler family had had in a long while.

“Hello Tyler family, I’m sorry to interrupt the party, but Mrs. Tyler has more therapy and Mr. Tyler is due for his meds!”  Nurse Wanda stated as she looked at Amelia.

“Okay, Momma, I love you, I will see you later.  I’m going to keep things simple,” Amelia said as she blew a kiss to her mother.

“Come on Daddy! Let me get you back to your room for your medicines.  I hope that you will have a whole book of memories written down for me the next time I see you.”

Thank you so much for “tuning in” or reading along with me today to If Oak Trees Could Talk! It is my pleasure to spend this time with you each week. Again I would love to hear from you. All of my videos are archived both on my Youtube channel if you would like to Subscribe, or on my Blogs! Feel free to comment on either site. Thanks again, “Tune in” next week!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Part 9 If Oak Trees Could Talk!

16 Jul

Part 9 If Oak Trees Could Talk

Wow!  I am so overwhelmed with the response that I’ve been getting to my Video Blogs of If Oak Trees Could Talk!  Truly it has been so encouraging to me.   Thank you to all who have taken the time to follow along!  I know that your time is valuable and the fact that you take the time to either listen or read along with me each week is so priceless to me.   As I’ve stated before I feel as though you could be sitting across from me at my kitchen table!  Once again I hope that you’re sipping your coffee or tea as I continue the story of If Oak Trees Could Talk!  We will continue in Chapter Four Daddy’s Little Girl! I will actually read the last paragraph from last week as I had ended in a middle of a conversation between Henry and Amelia.

Chapter Four

Daddy’s Little Girl!

“Daughter, when my time comes to leave this old earth, I want to be buried underneath those outstretched limbs that I remember so fondly. I want to be buried right beside my Dear Sweet Momma.  Do you understand me Amelia?  I want you to know also that as I remember bits and pieces of my life that I’ve been trying to write them down.  I know that it might sound crazy, but hey, I’ve been known to be a little crazy.  It’s ironic that I have what the doc calls “Amnesia that is making me even crazier huh. I guess the bright spot is that I don’t remember that I’m crazy most of the time” Henry said as he laughed out loud.

“Daddy, please don’t say stuff like that, you’re not crazy.  Your condition is only temporary.  I’m so glad that you’ve been able to talk with me today, it amazes me how there are times when nothing seems wrong at all, but then there are times, well…you know.”

“Daughter, do you know that I proposed to your sweet Momma right underneath that old tree?  Yep, I sure did!   I asked your Momma a hundred times to marry me, but she really never took me seriously until one evening when I told her that I had a big surprise for her.  I picked her up and asked her to please let me blind fold her.  She must have had quite a bit of trust in me because she let me do it!  Anyway, I blindfolded her and drove her around and around so that she wouldn’t know where we were.  When we stopped I lead her to the surprise.  I had a dinner prepared for us from Mrs. Dooley’s Restaurant. I put it all in a picnic basket, along with a lot of candles and a nice big blanket.  I had everything ready when I seated your dear Momma underneath that old Oak tree.  I had bought her the most expensive engagement ring that I could afford at the time and I prayed to the dear Lord that she would accept my proposal this time.  I wanted her to know without a doubt that she was the only woman for me.  Well, low and behold, when I took the blindfold off and she seen all that I had done for her, tears filled those brilliant blue eyes and she finally said yes!  We played the car radio until the battery went dead and danced underneath the starry sky until morning.  Here we are all these years later and I love her more today than I did back then!”

“Helen, honey, now pull you up a seat over there and quit coddling me.   Standing up over me like that must hurt your back!  It sure looks like a beautiful day, what do you want to do today?”

Before Amelia could answer Henry, there was a knock on the door.

“Excuse me, Ms. Amelia, but Mr. Tyler’s breakfast is here. He also needs his medicine as well” The nurse interrupted.  “Would you like to take him outside on the terrace? Maybe, Ms. Helen would like to go as well. She loves the gardens!” The nurse suggested with a wink.

“Yes Mam.”  Amelia said sadly.  For she really thought that today was going to be it.  Amelia knew that her Daddy was sick; however she never lost hope that one day as she visited him that he would just come to himself and never leave again.   She always believed that if there were anyone who ever came out of this dreadful captivity of the mind that it would be her Daddy.   She never knew anyone who was more passionate about life and living than her father was.

“He will come home to live again!” Amelia finally concluded.  “If anyone can beat this, it will be Daddy!”

“Do you want to go outside Daddy?  Come on let’s get you outside in that beautiful sunshine.”  Amelia cheered.  “The sunshine will do you some good!  How would you like to see Momma?”

“We can go outside if you want to Helen.  Why not?  All we do is stay inside these days.  It makes a body grow weary and it seems one day runs into another.”  Henry answered.

Amelia wheeled her Daddy down the hall to her mother’s room, where the nurse helped her get both of them outside into the beautiful sunshine.  She couldn’t help but notice that both of her parent’s heads were now much more gray and glistened in the brightness of the warm sun.  Amelia grieved the time that she felt her parents were losing.

Thank you so much for “tuning in” or reading along today! I hope that you will subscribe to my Youtube Channel as all of my videos are archived in order!

 It is my hope that you will keep the comments coming for not only are they encouraging me but I know that they are encouraging others who take the time to read them as well! 

 

If you are interested in purchasing If Oak Trees Could Talk or any of my other books please go my Author Page Christine Gilliam Hornback on Amazon 

Or my website http://www.covenantessentials.com

“Tune in” next week for Part 10 If Oak Trees Could Talk!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Building A Wall

16 Jul

Building a Wall

A Stone Wall

A Stone Wall

I have just recently been reading in the book of Nehemiah in the Bible about how he was to build a wall to fortify Israel from the enemies that had already burned cities, destroyed the previous walls as well as sepulchers.  Nehemiah found favor with the King and was permitted to go with all of the supplies he needed to go and build the wall.   He did not build it alone.   He directed many helpers from all of the regions that the wall would protect in order to help him build the wall.

Nehemiah 4: 6 (KJV) So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

I love this scripture! It really encourages me as I’ve been really feeling like I’ve put in a lot of work without seeing a whole lot of fruit of my labor! I am building a strong wall ! It is a structure that is long lasting, but most importantly it is what I am called to do! It is and will continue to be strong enough that when the winds come and the storms of life come, it will not fall or fail.

I believe that anything that a person is called to do, in order to do it, you to have to have a made up mind.  A mind and a heart to work!  Everything that is worth having we all know is worth the effort we put into it!   In the story of Nehemiah’s building of the wall, he did not just go and build without opposition!  Absolutely not, he had two that strongly opposed the building of the wall and so they would mock and taunt Nehemiah and the others for building the wall.  Their names were Sanballat and Tobiah.  These two would try to convince Nehemiah that he needed to come off of the wall and meet with them over this thing or that thing.  However, Nehemiah knew what he was called to do.

Nehemiah 6:3 (KJV) And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

When you know that you’re doing what you are purposed to do, you will have opposition, just like Sanballat and Tobiah.  Unfortunately, there will always be people who want to question your motives, or your reasoning as to why you are doing what you are doing. Some may even say that they “feel like you need to be doing something else.”  I will answer just like Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work!”  It may not be something they understand.   It may not be something that I always understand, but I am not quitting on my wall.  I have also found that I am not alone in my building.  The Lord always has people that are for us that will come along beside of us to help us build or show us favor by helping supply what we need to build!

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

I encourage you my friend, if you left building of your wall because of discouragement that it is never too late!  Get back up and start building again! God is for you!  He wants to help you get back up there! He wants you to have a made up mind to work at your dreams and your purpose. God has created you with an expected end.  He wants you to discover that the greatest joy in life is doing what you were created to do.   Build your wall, go and do a “great work” and let it be a great witness of what the Lord has co-labored with you to build!

Tags: , , , , , ,

Be Encouraged to Walk on!

11 Jul

Never apologize for who you are!

In the world that we now live in it is so easy to feel like we are running to keep up.  I am involved in a lot of activity, but really I have been stepping back and evaluating what I am actually doing and if I am accomplishing anything that will be lasting.  I wear a lot of hats, but I have been taking a few of them off that I have found unnecessary to wear.  The last thing I want at the end of the day is to have a day wasted doing something that I should not have been participating in and my energy all spent.  It is very easy to become discourage when what you are doing is much larger than what you perceived it would be when going into it.  Honestly, however,  that is usually how I know that I am on the right path.   I also know I am on the right path if I am actually enjoying my walk even though it may be difficult. Also I can feel confident about my path when I know that I am  being led and not driven.  A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. www.biblegateway.com  Life is challenging and the journey may be a little or even a lot difficult at times, but if everything was so easy that I could do it strictly on my own, then I personally believe that it may have just been a good idea and not a “God Idea!.” When you think of how we actually come into the world, it is with struggle, babies struggle to make their way out of the womb and that mother labors to bring that baby into the world! So as I journey, fall and get back up over and over again, I learn.   I am being changed into who I really am!    I have failed many times  when trying to accomplish these larger things of purpose, but  the most important thing is to “GET BACK UP!”  Regardless of how many times you feel like you have tried, if you know that the Lord is in it, just be encouraged to  Walk On!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Can Anybody Relate?

1 May

Can Anybody Relate?.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Can Anybody Relate?

1 May

Blossoms from the Same Garden 002Misty Morning 004Sunflower Galore 001

There’s nothing like being able to do what you love! 

I’m learning to do different kinds of Paintings with different painting techniques. I am stretching myself like one of these

painted canvases, I have painted all of these paintings this week! …Gotta get out of my comfortable place in order to grow as an Artist, but even more

importantly being stretched  to grow as a person!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Made Available in Paperback “Tell the Enemy to Scat!”

18 Apr

Made Available in Paperback "Tell the Enemy to Scat!".

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yay! Feeling like I’ve Got Somethings Accomplished!

5 Apr

Hello All,  It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged so I missed really taking the time and doing it!  I have been a little busy bee lately and it is wonderful but takes me away from my blog at times. 

This is my “Something” that I’ve  gotten accomplished!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Mrs.%20Christine%20Gilliam%20Hornback&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank

My New Paperback Book

My New Paperback Book

I have had  my latest Adult Ficion book, Tell the Enemy to Scat on an Ebook since July 2012, but I wanted to do a paperback version to take do booksignings with ! Which by the way I have a huge event coming up On April 13th as per the following:  Everyone is Invited! 

Neva Lomason Library Book Festival will be hosting local Author Christine Gilliam Hornback along with 30 plus other authors as she speaks and signs her Juvenile Fiction books entitled Jenny Lynn’s Secret Mission and Caleb’s Cereal. Christine will have her new book entitled Tell the Enemy to Scat as well! Come out and support local Authors and your local Library.  710 Rome Street Carrollton, Ga 30117, ph (770)836-6711

I also was able to finish all the edits on my Audio book from my latest Juvenile Fiction Caleb’s Cereal! Below is a sample of the audio from Amazon.com which I thought was so COOOOL!

http://www.amazon.com/Calebs-Cereal/dp/B00BWSL3IM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365181132&sr=1-1&keywords=Caleb%27s+Cereal

 

Juvenile Ficion released April 2012

Juvenile Ficion released April 2012

Finally I’ve been teaching painting lessons to a couple groups of children and adults.  I’ve been doing a Sip-N-Stroke painting class usually the 2nd Saturday of each month.  I also teach at the GMKS and Beyond Arts Center in Douglasville, Ga every Thursday, and then at a homeschool group on Monday’s so Yay! 

My normal days of course include taking care of my husband of 32 years, and  raising 2 boys ages 12 and 8 and getting them homeschooled.  Have you ever tried to feed two growing boys?????It is a full time job, believe me!   I love my life, GOD is so very good to me and my family….Looking forward to walking through some long awatied doors that he has just recently been opening!  So Yay!  Today is my celebration of getting somethings accomplished!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer Reads~Jenny Lynn’s Secret Mission and Caleb’s Cereal

13 Jun

Summer Reads~Jenny Lynn's Secret Mission and Caleb's Cereal.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

%d bloggers like this: