There are no pictures yet, because the books aren’t finished.  BUT, there are at least four books in process right now and a series in the idea stage.  I started a book in 1996 or ’97 while I was teaching at Harvest Christian School in Sandstone, MN.  It got saved on a floppy disk and not forgotten, but put away and then the floppy got outdated.  Now since I started writing in earnest I wanted to see that book again.  A few months back my tech savy son-in-law transfered the manuscript to a format I can work with and I revisited and kept writing that book I started over 20 years ago.  I might be calling it The Madisons but don’t hold me to that.

Several years ago, I wrote a series of vignettes (vignette:  a short piece of writing…that clearly expresses the typical characteristics of something or someone.  Cambridge English Dictionary) from the perspective of some of the people closest to Jesus when He walked the earth.  I want to get that book published this year.

Owen Hartmann and the Wild West Show is about half way done.

Gotta’ Laugh is a personal memoir of  some of the Funny, Embarrassing and Otherwise Awkward Moments of my life.  It is written, I just have to muster the courage to publish it.

A series for children with main characters Maya and Max is in the germ of an idea stage.

Those of you thinking about writing:  you, like me, might have more stories to tell than you realize.

 

So much fun at the Midwest Parent Educators Homeschool Conference in Kansas City.

My sidekick and I spent April 5 and 6 at the Expo Center at the Ardie’s Books table.  It was our second year to have a vendor’s table at the Conference.  We met lots of great people.  Also, I was able to have a workshop on writing and self-publishing.  My desire is to encourage and help people who are thinking about or ready to write and publish their own books.  Writing and self-publishing is truly a learn as you go process and if I can help others on their writing and publishing journey I am glad to do it.

Oh, and my sidekick is my publicist, agent, editor, tech specialist, etc.  I know it is not especially professional to have one person be all of that, but she is that and more.  She’s been with me for 29 years and I don’t know what I’d do without her.  Thanks, Sara!

Here’s the latest now available on Amazon.

Nelson’s Pond is three books in one.  Natalie, a Canada Goose, tells the first story about her family who called Nelson’s Pond home.  Daniel, a white tail deer, is the story-teller in the second book.  Kit, a red fox, is the hero of the third story.  Pook Kit had so many siblings his mother ran out of names, so he got stuck with “Kit.”  All these critters were born on or near Nelson’s Pond.  They tell about growing up watching a human family, the Nelsons.  They have adventures filled with fun and even some dangers.

Some of the stories in the book are actually true, for instance, the horse that got a muzzle full of porcupine quills and the fawn that got scared when Mrs. Nelson tried to take a picture of it.  And, there really was a Little Sara, a human child, who lived in the house at Nelson’s Pond.  In fact, she’s all grown up now and edited Nelson’s Pond for her mom.

Also, in honor of being at the Midwest Parent Educators Conference in Kansas City this coming weekend. My book, RJ’s Legacy, will be free on Kindle April 4-8.

Have a great week! If you haven’t seen the movie Unplanned, I highly recommend it!

Windmills, old barns, ancestors and history…

Spent the weekend on a trip with my daughter and two granddaughters to Nebraska.  It was my daughter’s trip and I was along for the ride.  I love going back to Nebraska.  It reminds me of my roots.  My grandparents were the children of pioneers.  Grandma was born in a sod house in Frontier County in 1894.  The barn shown above is on the place my mom was raised.  Windmills like the one above stand as a symbol of former times as well.  What are your roots?

Sara and I will be at the Midwest Parent Educatiors Convention again this year.  It is April 5 and 6 in Kansas City.  I am offering a workshop on independent/self-publishing.  Not that I’m an expert, but I can maybe help someone who is just beginning the process.  I will have the RJ series, the Pony Express story and the Hawk book at our booth.  Sara is tirelessly working on editing Nelson’s Pond so it will be available also.  The adventure of writing involves creativity, ability, determination, research and time…lots of all these and the help of a wonderful daughter who reads, edits, uploads to Kindle Direct Publishing and encourages me to keep going and get better and do more than I ever imagined I would do.

Enjoyed the fellowship at Howard UMC over the past weekend (March 9-10, 2019).  I presented a workshop on Matthew 24, the signs of Christ’s return.  Among other things in that chapter, Jesus said we are to be “alert,” to “watch” and “be ready” because we “do not know the day or the hour.”  It was  blessed time in the Lord with this faithful congregation.  The 40-Day Devotional/Journal I wrote as a supplement for this workshop is on amazon.com.  Put Ardith Nelson in the Amazon search box and it should come into view along with my other books on Amazon. The title of the devotional/journal is Jesus Said Signs of Christ’s Return.  Thank you to all who attended and participated in the workshop.  Thank you to Pastor Linda and Frank Hoover for the invitation and hospitality.

In the summer of 2018 my grandkids met an old friend of mine.  Lita Hottel and I had many horse-related adventures from the time we met in 1990.  My daughter was just an infant and her kids were young, but in the next few years we all became friends.  I started my daughter, Sara, in riding lessons with Lita. I think Sara was three at the time.  Lita trained several horses for me and let me learn from her about things related to training horses, teaching riders and even some judging.  We went to horse shows and did some horse shopping together.  She was and is an extraordinary horse trainer and teacher of riders.  She also is a horse show judge for 4-H and breed shows.  She has traveled the world with her judging.  The last time I saw her years ago was at a Miniature Horse Show in Houston, TX.  Her family was the first to move, then ours so we haven’t seen each other for a long time.  When I knew Sara and Jonathan and their four kids were going to be in MN near where Lita’s barn is, I suggested they go and have Lita put them on some lesson horses.  Sure enough they made the appointment and my four grandkids got the thrill of riding with Lita’s instruction.  Three generations of us have had the benefit of Lita’s patience and expertise with horses and their riders.  So much fun! Thank you, Lita Hottel! And thank you, God, for creating the horse!

Last summer my husband and I had a picnic at Brighten Beach near Duluth, Minnesota.  This winter on FaceBook, I have been seeing many beautiful photos taken of Brighten Beach and Duluth.  The lake is frozen and there are huge chunks of ice piled up on the shoreline.  Duluth is picturesque anytime of the year.  If you are on FaceBook, I urge you to search for Destination Duluth and see what I’m talking about.

A few days ago my latest book became available on Amazon.  Put Ardith Nelson in the search on Amazon.com and you should come to a page listing all my books.  The book is a devotional/journal on Matthew 24.  It is a look at what Jesus said about the signs of His coming again.  The above picture is on the cover of the book.  As you can see by the date stamp, it was taken 12 years ago when my husband and I traveled in Israel.  It features the Golden Gate across from the Mt. of Olives.

This is what being at 12,000 feet looks like in the Colorado Rockies.  I don’t plan to get to this elevation, but I am looking forward to being in Limon and Last Chance, Colorado in one month.  There is a small congregation of faithful followers of Jesus in Last Chance and I get to be with them on March 9 and 10 talking about what Jesus said in Matthew 24 regarding the signs of His return.