IWSG, Hurricane Update, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Beverly Stowe McClure,Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

This month's question is: What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?
Probably titles, though often I've come up with titles that have given me the story idea, as with A Piece of the Sky. But other stories have been more difficult to title, as with The Bowl and the Stone, which my sister suggested. As for names, I often research those, because I like the idea of having a hidden meaning that speaks to the character's character, and that process can take time.

Hurricane Update - Nine Months Out

Things are perking along. But all are a bit nervous as the 2018 hurricane season begins. So many homes still damaged, so many roofs in need of repair, including my sister's.

Speaking of which, she has adopted a new cat, her name is Calypso.

And here are a few links to some good and not so good news.

Arrangements are being made for all the plant debris to be turned into mulch and will be available for distribution. There were plans to burn all the brush debris, but people fought that proposal. Story HERE.

Here's a podcast, in English, about what's going on in Puerto Rico. My cousin, Frances Boulon, who has a doctorate in psychology and is a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, talks about the mental health of the people on the island. Story HERE.

St. Croix had it's annual Agrifest three months late, but it happened! Story HERE

The US Department of Education is sending $$ to help both public and private schools. Story HERE

The coral reefs are showing signs of recovery. Story HERE

Still in recovery mode, FEMA is only now looking at ways to help people repair their homes because, unlike Texas and Florida, there is no temporary housing available in the islands. Story HERE

The death toll in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria is at over 4,600. Story HERE

The Westin Hotel on St. John is working hard to be opened by January of 2019. Story Here

And lastly, the school libraries lost all their books and the shelves are empty. If you would like to help fill those shelves consider sending new and gently used books via media mail. Facebook post and information below.

As we slowly continue our journey of recover, we come across many disappointing discoveries.

Trying to bring back any sense of normalcy for the children on island continues to be a difficult task.

There are many things that would never even cross your mind.

If you were to tour the schools since the storms, one thing you would see is EMPTY LIBRARIES! Between the storms themselves & the mold to follow, every book in ever school has been destroyed!

Please join us in helping return the joy of reading to the children on island!

You can do so by sending them to:

The Office of Senator Janelle K. Sarauw at:
Legislature of the Virgin Islands Capital Building
Charlotte Amalie P.O. Box 1690 St. Thomas USVI 00804

The cheapest way to send mail like this is through Media mail (up to 70lbs) with USPS.

Please help us by SHARING this post & TAGGING your friends who are lovers of books and reading.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for flowers from our yard, gathered into bouquets.

What are you thankful for? Which do you find harder, coming up with a title or a character's name? Got a few books to spare to send to the children of the VI? Do you like to make bouquets from flowers you gather in your yard?

IWSG, Tick Tock... it's HERE, C. Lee McKenzie, Hurricane Update, and Being Thankkful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: E.M.A. Timar, J. Q. Rose,C.Lee McKenzie, and Raimey Gallant!

Got a lot going on here today. Forgive me for this being rather long. BUT, there are books and people to acknowledge!

***

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime

Dancing Lemur Press

Insecure writers take the leap and submit their stories to this newest anthology!

Authors risk rejection every time they write and submit their work for publication. It's the reality of this business. And with rejection comes that dreaded INSECURITY. "I wasn't good enough. " "My story sucked." "I wasted my time." But we have to let these self-doubts and negative thoughts go. Send them packing because if we don't we may as well take up a new career. 

Instead, put all of those nagging doubts into perspective: "My story might not have been a fit this time." "It didn't suck, but maybe I can make it better." "No writing is a waste of time. I'm chalking this up to practice and learning to be a better writer." 

Last year, a lot of us took a leap of faith and wrote stories to the theme of Tick Tock--that ticking clock that just might beat those characters who are racing it against it to survive or save others. This is an old theme, but one that never ceases to keep us reading. 

Here's some of those races against time that you'll find in this anthology: Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

Add it to your Goodreads TBR List, Preorder your copy today. Also available at B&N Enjoy the stories, and please leave us a REVIEW!

***

Some Very Messy Medieval Magic 

(Dancing Lemur Press, 5/15/2018)

Here's the wonderful C. Lee McKenzie to tell us a little about herself and her newest middle grade coming out this month!

Hi Bish,

Many many thanks for helping me tell people about my latest book. First, here’s just a tad about me, not enough to bore readers, I hope. 

Armed with a Masters of Arts in Linguistics I teach creative writing workshops, write my own books (I don’t have celebrity to interest a ghost writer), promote and market those books, all while trying to lead a semi-normal life, sans take-out.    

I love to read. I love to hike, and eating is right up there with everything that gives me joy. I’m a country girl at heart, and only venture into big cities when I have to. 

A question that people ask me a lot these days is how I juggle marketing and press of my books and still continue to find time to get the stories in my head down on paper.

This is the biggest challenge I face, actually. I find that as I network online, do workshops, read and edit manuscripts, and do presentations I have less and less time to write, which is what I got into this business to do. The only way I can do all of this and not become a permanent part of my computer chair is to have a system. Mine is to blog once a week, visit other blogs twice a week (becoming more difficult because of the numbers), go to all my social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram) at least once daily. I also try to visit my groups on FB, and if there's something going on, I like to poke my nose in or leave some information. I use the scheduling feature as much as I can. 

Because I'm the Social Media Liaison for The Insecure Writers Support Group, I try schedule all of the re-occurring things like FB and blog posts for the month. The rest of the time I give to IWSG is finding interesting partners or promotional opportunities to enhance our group.

People also ask me how I learned to market my books.

My answer is I realized I had to use the old Sink or Swim tactic. That's how I did it. I didn't know diddly-squat about promoting anything, let alone a book--my book! When my first book came out, I was invited to join a debuting writers group, and they helped a lot. So many of them were PR savvy and very willing to share. That probably saved my writerly butt. The rest has all been by trial and error--a lot of error. I’m still not good at branding. And part of that is because I write and read just about anything that interests me. It would be much easier if I only wrote Young Adult or Middle-Grade, but I can’t do that, so my branding is just ME. 

And now my promotional moment is here! My new book is called Some Very Messy Medieval Magic (Dancing Lemur Press, 5/15/2018). It’s the third book in The Adventures of Pete and Weasel series. The first two are Alligators Overhead and The Great Timelock Disaster. 

I do have one more stand alone called Sign of the Green Dragon. I think it will stay a single book. At least, that’s my plan at the moment.

If you'd like to see what else I've written my Amazon Author Page has all of that. I’d love people to visit my website http://cleemckenziebooks.com  When they do, they can take advantage of a gift. I offer one of my unpublished short stories to my visitors. 

Thanks again, Bish. 

Here's my review of Some Very Messy Medieval Magic.

This is the third of Ms. McKenzie's Time Lock series, and my favorite to date. Pete and Weasel have to go back in time to save the life of an important historical figure and keep history on it's correct course. Only trouble is, it's 1173 England and both boys (not to mention Pete's familiar Fanon the alligator) are totally out of their element. They don't know quite how to behave as medieval boys, or speak the same English. But they must succeed, or the world they know may well cease to exist! Some Very Messy Medieval Magic is fast-paced without being breathless. In this book the reader gets closer to Pete and Weasel and their relationship and sees it begin to become more personal. One understands them a bit better and how, even though they have opposite personalities, they have a few things in common which bring them closer together. There is magic and monsters, humor and bravery. And, there's a hint that Pete and Weasel may have another adventure in the future. ***

Hurricane Update - Eight Months Out

Carnival happened last week on St. Thomas! Despite the storms, people came out to celebrate. The crowds were thin. Certainly not as many tourists as there usually is. The Children's Parade and the Adult Parade (held on Friday and Saturday 4/27-28 respectively) had about half the number of entries as in former years. Still, it warmed my heart to see people were happy and having a good time. 

From the Adult Parade

A Moko Jumbie, in traditional garb. He symbolizes healing. 

Behind him is the Rising Stars Steel Pan Youth Orchestra

 From the Children's Parade

A splash of wonderful color.

 And... 

the stark reality that, at the end of the day, many people returned home to a blue FEMA roof.

This is just one residential area on St. Thomas. 

So much still to be done.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for Moko Jumbies in all their various guises and for all they represent: 

A Healing,  guiding, protecting spirit of love and celebration.

What are you thankful for? Have you read any of Lee's books (I've read them all). And how about Tick Tock? Congratulations to everyone!

IWSG, Hurricane Update, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

This month's question is:  When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

I'm in such a slump right now I don't know how to answer that question. I'm struggling to even get this post out! And by the way, I'm working today, so I won't be coming around to visit. And I'm working tomorrow (Thursday) too. I'm often so tired at the end of the day it's about all I can do to stay awake for a TV show! IF I do get around to visit your blogs, it'll be Friday or over the week-end. Notice that big IF.

Hurricane Update - Seven months out

Things are about the same in the islands. There's good, there's bad, and there's ugly. Like the rat infestation at my sister's house, which occurred after Hurricane Marilyn in 1989. It's something most everyone has to deal with. My sister, who has been bitten by just about everything, including a baby octopus and a ground spider (aka tarantula) can now add a rat to the list. It was "stuck in a glue trap. I'm whacking at it with a broom stick, and it's front legs are free so it manages to crawl, angrily, over my foot and bite my right 'ring' toe. No big deal. At least we have healthy rodents." She treated the bite with iodine and aloe and it's healing without a problem. That's life on a tropical island.

Thought I'd also share this drone video taken less than 2 weeks ago of the National Park Campground at Cinnamon Bay, St. John. The campground remains closed and I don't know when work will begin with clean-up and rebuilding or when it will reopen. The walls that remain of the building on the beach are all that's left of one of the oldest buildings on the island, over 300 years old. The huge rain tree in the opening shots is struggling to come back.

I won't lie, this make my heart ache. I have to keep reminding myself that nothing stays the same, that up and coming generations will have no memory of what it was like "before", and that nature has a miraculous way of returning, even if it's different from what sang in my heart as a child. What is gone, is gone. The beach and the ocean, however, remain beautiful as ever. And... there is still so much more work to be done.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for beautiful spring weather and flowers in our back yard. We even had some much needed rain. (Do you see the bee?

And feeding bees sugar water!
Since I kept bees for a while, I like giving them a little kick-start in the spring.
Plus, the hummingbirds are back in force!

What are you thankful for? How do you pull yourself out of a writing slump? Do you feed bees?

IWSG, Hurricane Update, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Mary Aalgaard, Bish Denham, Jennifer Hawes, Diane Burton, and Gwen Gardner!

Yes! That's me co-hosting! 

This month's question is:  How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal/ finish a story?

Hmm. How do I celebrate? I don't do anything special, I simply bask in the feeling of accomplishment. 

Of course first, I have to achieve something and so far this year I haven't done a thing. I need help getting motivated to get back into revising my novel. Any suggestions? 

Hurricane Update - IrMaria six months out

My sister's second car, named Yeknod (which translates to donkey backwards and is the work vehicle) is back on the road! The hood and windshield were smashed and have been repaired. Head lights, tail lights and mirrors all work and she proudly bares some good dents from the storm. 

The other big news is that our "anchor" renter, a restaurant named Morgan's Mango, on St. John reopened February 26th!

The restaurant before and after Hurrican Irma.

Light check the day before reopening.

The owners, Carlos and Maria, hanging the new sign

 Morgan's Mango 2.0.

The remains of my sister's meal on opening night.

Being Thankful

Today I'm not only thankful for the reopening of Morgan's Mango, 

I'm thankful for signs of spring here in the Texas Hill Country

 

Large flocks of laughing robins and whistling cedar waxwings
Pears and redbud trees in bloom

A sleepy lizard basking in the sun

Butterflies flitting by

A pink corn flower and blue iris
Budding agarita

Mocking birds singing in the spring 
Rain! with thunder and lightening 

Crickets chirping the world to sleep
For those of you still locked in winter, 
fear not, 
believe, and know,
Spring is on her way

What are you thankful for? How do you celebrate achievements? Got any suggestions for me on how to get motivated to finish edits/revisions/corrects on my novel?

IWSG, Hurricane Update, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

This month's question is: What do you love about the genre you write in most often?

I write mostly for children, and mostly for middle grade, those 10 to 12 year-old tweeners who are still (hopefully) wide-eyed innocent kids. They are curious explorers, they still (hopefully) like their parents, they may even still (hopefully) believe in things like Santa Claus, magic, elves and fairies. They can be stubborn and sometimes rebellious, but are generally not deliberately angry and hostile. They are growing their flight feathers and making a ruckus in the nest by flapping their wings to make them strong for the day they fledge. They are my favorite age group and I can trace this love back to my own life. It's the magic and wonder I experienced that I want to pass on. And so, my stories have a little magic and wonder woven into them. 

IrMaria Update

It's been five (5!) months since the worst storms in VI history hit the islands and devastated them. But Mother Nature, who can be so destructive, is also a most forgiving goddess. Here is a picture of Magens Bay, on St. Thomas. Miraculously, trees stripped bare of leaves and beaches stripped bare of trees, have returned in emerald splendor.

Things continue to move forward. No, my sister still doesn't have electricity but the reason for that is because she lost part of her roof and she'll need to hire an electrician to inspect and hook her up. In the mean time she is preparing for the day when she'll actually be able to begin repairs on the house by packing up what can be salvaged and putting it into storage. It's a mourning process as she says good-bye to most of her books and electronics and her craft projects. The whole third floor needs to be cleared out so that the old floor can be pulled up, a new floor laid down and a new porch roof installed. All of this will take time and it may be a long while before it all happens.

That said, she is in excellent health and good spirits. The feral hens that skulk about her yard are giving her eggs. Plant life has returned and everything is green and blooming. The beaches are open and tourists are slowly making a comeback. The end of January she went out fishing with a friend and sent me this beautiful picture taken at the end of the day. No fish were caught, but she had a good time.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for my strong and resilient sister. 

What are you thankful for? What do you love about the genre you write in? Ever raised or dealt with feral chickens? 

IWSG, Flaming Crimbes Blogfest, Hurricane Update, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

This month's question is: What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

As a Christmas/New Years present to myself, I cleaned and straightened up my writing area which was a mess and an indication of my mental and emotional state. Below are before and after shots. There's still work to be done, cleaning and organizing, but it's not overwhelming. My intention this year is to get back into revisions and edits on my Tibetan novel, A Piece of the Sky, and find some BETA readers.  And, I feel hopeful that I'll soon get back to work on my novel. That doesn't really answer this month's question, but it's the best I can do.

 Before

After

***

Today I'm taking part in Chrys Fey's 

Flaming Crimes Blogfest

Prompt: What is something ridiculous you would save if there was a fire?

What I would save is not ridiculous to me, though it might seem so others. But it would be this, my red elephant, Ellie, that I've had since I was 6 months old, and FuFu the stuffed puppy my husband's had since he was 2 years old.

Check out other participants below!

Series: Disaster Crimes #4

Page Count: 304 

Digital Price: 4.99 

Print Price: 16.99

Rating: Spicy (PG13) 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The Wild Rose Press

BLURB: Beth and Donovan are now happily married, and what Beth wants more than anything is a baby. Her dream of starting a family is put on hold as fires burn dangerously close and Donovan becomes a victim of sabotage.

Donovan escapes what could've been a deadly wreck. Their past enemies have been eliminated, so who is cutting brake lines and leaving bloody messages? He vows to find out, for the sake of the woman he loves and the life they're trying to build.

Amidst a criminal mind game, a fire ignites next to their home. They battle the flames and fight to keep their house safe from the blaze pressing in on all sides, but neither of them expects to confront a psychotic adversary in the middle of the inferno.

Their lives may just go up in flames…

About the Author: Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.

Author Links:

Website / Blog / Goodreads

Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

***

Hurricane Irma Update

My sister is doing well although, four months later, she still has no electricity. However, she was given a generator, is shopping for a refrigerator, and looking forward to the day when she can make ice-cubes, freeze some chicken, and keep a few fresh vegetables. All  my cousins in Puerto Rico have electricity though for many, many people outside of San Juan, day to day living is still a huge struggle.

St. John is coming along nicely. The National Park and  all the beaches are open, thanks to many people coming from parks all across the U.S., who have cleared away debris not only from the beaches but from all the many wonderful walking trails the island has. It is a wonderful time to visit the islands. The weather is perfect and the beaches are empty, very like it was in the 60s early 70s. It won't be like this forever. Many B and Bs, villas and small hotels are open, as are restaurants and retail shops. However, if one is looking for luxury, few of the big hotels are open and most won't be until 2019.

Trunk Bay, St. John. The ruffled effect of the waves on the sand is new. 

(photo by my friend Radha Speer)

Yes, there are still problems. Yes, electricity, cell phone service and internet is mostly spotty. Yes, rebuilding things like the hospitals hasn't started yet. Yes, some roads are still in need of repair. Yes building supplies are in such high demand they are hard to come by. Yes there are problems with local and federal government help being haphazard at best, nonexistent at worst.

Yes, there's more... AND

***

Being Thankful

I'm thankful for every inch of recovery,

for every giving and compassionate person who has worked or is working towards wholeness, particularly the hundreds of linemen who have worked and are continuing to work 7 days a week,

and,

for every beautiful rainbow that's posted on Facebook.

(photo by my friend, Eleanor Gibney)

What are you thankful for? Have a New Years Resolution or goal? Are you going to hop around and see what other ridiculous things people would save from a fire?

IWSG, an UPDATE, and BEING THANKFUL

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner!

This month's question is: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?
I think I would have worked more diligently on the revising/editing of my novel during the first half of the year, which got set aside once the hurricanes hit the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. But I won't beat myself up about it. Some things are just more important, like being a link to family in the VI with the "outside" world.

For the time being, I've decided to post once a month on IWSG Wednesdays. It's one small way for me to keep in touch with this wonderful blogging community. 

Post Hurricane Irma/Maria Update

It's been three months, today, since Irma slammed into the Virgin Islands. To say I've been on an emotional roller coaster ride is an understatement. It's been hard to wrap my head around 185 to 200 mph sustained wind with gusts of up to 250 mph. Nothing is quite like it was. The beach landscapes have completely changed with the loss of palm trees and ancient seagrape trees. 300 and 400 year-old trees are gone as are some 300+ year-old Danish buildings.  If that weren't enough, just two weeks later, the VI and Puerto Rico were smacked by Maria. What wasn't damaged by Irma was certainly tested by the terrible flooding. And Puerto Rico... There are still many people in the mountains who have not yet been reached... We will never know the true death toll.

I am reminded daily that NOTHING stays the same.

The most unsettling experience for me was watching a video taken on St. John a week or so after the horrendous flooding of Maria. As a kid I had the the whole island as my playground, I know this place. I know the roads, the landmarks, the trees... and yet, as I watched the video I couldn't tell where it was taken. I was completely disoriented and it was disconcerting to not recognize my beautiful island. The trees were blasted, not a leaf left anywhere. Barren twisted sticks stuck out of the hillsides looking for all the world like they had been consumed by massive fires or been flattened by bombs. Debris was everywhere piled 6 and 8 feet deep.

I confess, I've become a little obsessed wanting to find out what trees survived. The lignum vitae in Miss Meada's yard and the "plum" tree across the street, the tyre palms on Trunk Cay, the ancient tamarinds at East End and Lameshur, the mahoganys in Cruz Bay, the kapok at Caneel, the rain tree and bay trees at Cinnamon. On St. Thomas the baobabs and mamee apples , the tamarind at Nisky, the guavaberry tree, tyre palm and bay trees at my sister's house. I have wept as I learned the fate of each, whether it survived, was damaged, or is gone... Some I have yet to hear about.

I didn't realize how attached I was to the trees, how much each and every one meant to me. Landmarks in my life, landmarks pointing the way... "turn left at the tamarind and at the first flamboyant turn right." Landmarks imprinted on my soul, beating in my heart, swimming in my blood.

The Raintree at Cinnamon.

Scarred, but alive.

Photo by Radha Speer

 The lignum vitae in Miss Meada's yard 
featured in my novel, The Bowl and the Stone
Lost limbs but has put on new leaves.

photo by Radha Speer

But some things will take generations to return to some semblance of what they were before.

(Pictures courtesy of Radha Speer, a friend of mine on St. John)

Before Irma, Gibney Beach, St. John.

After. 

And yet, life goes on. Some people, whether they have lost everything or not, stay and rebuild. Some people, who have have lost everything and have the means, have left. And life goes on. And nothing stays the same, everything changes. 

As my sister and I have, for the time being, lost our income source (like just about everyone else) I now have a part time job...

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful that my family and friends in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are safe, though day to day living is still difficult. I'm thankful that plant life is returning, that the hills are turning green, though the ecology may well be forever changed. I'm thankful that beaches are opening and the water is as beautiful as ever, though the shorelines have a totally different look. I'm thankful for the over 700 linemen who have come down from the states to replace power poles and string new line, though Puerto Rico is still struggling to get electricity to the city of San Juan. I'm thankful to the cruise lines who were the first to arrive with supplies and to help evacuate people and are now returning, a few ships at a time, bringing tourists, though their experience of the islands will be different than what it was pre-Irma. I'm thankful that my sister finally got her car out of her carport and is now able to drive herself around to run errands, though it took two months to clear the six foot wall of debris off her driveway and she is still without power. Daily I'm thankful for a myriad of small and large things and, as Christmas and the New Year approaches, will be thankful for many, many more.

And so, my new header picture is of a sunrise over St. John, taken from St. Thomas. Sunrise, because there is hope, because it is a new day. Because the people are VI STRONG, and like the Phoenix will rise again.

What are you thankful for?