A Robotic Manicure? Never Say Never.
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thought provoking
Did Someone Hear A Bell
I lived in Southern Pennsylvania for most of my life. Winter memories are stored in my heart like scenes out of a Currier and Ives postcard. We lived down a winding lane where my house was tucked away next to my only neighbors, my dear parents.
Those winters were filled with shoveling and plowing amid snowball fights, building snowmen, and carving toboggan runs, as exhilarating as the Indy 500. The crisp snow would sting our skin as it slipped into our boots, and inside our gloves with frozen mini-crystal balls. No one complained, we had the time of our lives. Of course, the magic always faded when it was time to head off to work the next day.
Snowcrete on Kent Island
As I sit in my new home on Kent Island in Maryland, I find myself encountering a new experience.
Snowcrete.
Unlike the powdery snow of my childhood, this storm delivered a solid sheet of ice at least six inches, as unyielding as concrete. The snowcrete, as the locals call it, could be used as a foundation for the next Empire State Building! There is no hope of shoveling or plowing, making a snowman or having snowball fights, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle doesnβt make a difference in the unmovable cement. The only hope of getting a daily fix outside is a possible skate to the mailbox at the end of the lane, which is quite a distance and, at my age, rather treacherous. The talk on the island, βIt hasnβt been this way since 1970.β
And now…
The Bay today!
As I am imprisoned at my keyboard, this snowcrete has caused me to reflect on those winter childhood memories. What I miss most is my doorbell. In my youth, the doorbell inside most every home consisted of long hollow tubes hanging from either a plastic or metal box. Most played the same traditional βWestminster Chimes.βΒ Β Β According to the Carroll County Comet article by Susan Holsinger, this sequence of notes makes up the fifth and sixth bars of βI Know My Redeemer Livethβ from Handelβs βMessiah.β
The Old Fashion Door Bell
The doorbell symbolized home and family, who in our house were usually congregated in the kitchen. At the first note of melody, everyone raced toward the front door. My mother or grandmother usually in the lead after shoving us kids aside. We stampeded in a train down a long narrow hallway from the kitchen. Grandma wringing her hands in her apron preparing to greet whoever with eager expectation.
The Ring of Fairy Dust
In my daily routine, writing is solitary. I spend hours waiting for responses from editors and publishers, which test my patienceβnever my strong suit. The ring doorbell is plugged in unnoticed somewhere in the house and breaks the monotony with a sweet sound as if from Tinkerbell herself is zipping around the room sprinkling her magic dust. I rush toward the door, leaping over my dog Scarlett, who bulldozes her way to greet the arrival with the same enthusiasm as my grandmother decades ago. We are in search of presents; the delivery of packages from Amazon or a new blouse from Macyβsβsmall presents that I hide before hubby gets home!
Getting ready for the big show!
I must admit the snowcrete here is just as beautiful as bygone days and is ringing the bells of inspiration to create more surprises for 2026! It is locking me in to prepare for my next big event where I hope to see you!
Come see me at The Horse World Expo, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex with special guest authors, Montie Eagle and Maria Hilagras! This show will kick off my new writing adventure for 2026!
Fingers-crossed that my non-fiction, The Garden of Horses Between Us, and my fictions, Private Mom II and The Last Butterfly will be headed to the publisher later this year!
Happy Reading!
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Who Rescued You?
Have you ever been so nervous that you feared freezing mid-sentence or blurting out the wrong word? My recent TV interview with Amy Khem was indeed a privilege but, I almost cancelled because I was overwhelmed with apprehension.
Everyone at Good Day PA on ABC27 was professional and inviting. However, my insides were electrified with terror. I feared becoming star-struck, staring into space, consumed in a complete daze the moment the director announce,”on the air in five, four, three, two, one…” I imagined being frozen in a hypnotic trance, mumbling the words, βWhere was I going with this?β
At my age, this phenomenon of brain relapsing can happen several times a day, only this time I would be in front of thousands of viewers. Amy Kehm the host, proved to be an expert.
She promised to pull me through the interview, and rescue she did!
Amy saved the moment like many others in my life; my publisher, my editor, my grammar guru, and the one beta-reader I distressed over more than any other reader. The thought of this particular reader reviewing my literary labors of love sends daggers into the pit of my stomach!
Fear coerces us to say no to new adventures. Fear makes copping out easy. Ultimately, this creates feelings of regret. So it is a blessing when there is an Amy Kehm or a beta-reader who can restore your morale to new heights. I remember, (as a teenager who worried too much about what others thought,) when another living
creature rescued me from a dark abyss.
It was a beautiful day for a riding lesson on my heart horse. A thoroughbred named Joe. At the time, I did not own a horse of my own, but the instructor graciously offered Joe for me to ride or simply groom whenever I wanted. What a gift. We developed as quite a team, Joe and I, after one moment when I learned that Joe always had my back.
It was the final show of the year. The worse kind. A jump off with other students at the farm. Students my age that I wanted to impress with my style. Instead of the typical riding jodhpurs, I foolishly attired myself in my favorite over-worn bell bottom jeans, which were getting weak at the seams. What was I thinking? Who worried about red-carpet style at the barn? I wasnβt thinking about anything but me,
certainly not Joe.
I canβt really remember how many students were present. Nor the course or how many jumps. There was a small audience of parents and friends. Upon seeing the crowd and the three-foot jumps ( a first for me), my entire body stung with fear.
It was merely the first jump when the dreadful incident occurred. We were mid-air, Joe soaring over the first set of three-foot rails as I heard the horrid ripping sound. As soon as I felt the wind on my tush, I knew exactly what happened.
My bell bottom jeans split up the back seam revealing my psychedelic neon, lime bikini underwear. My mind raced with only one thought, flee! I wanted to leap off, and quit. Not Joe. He thought of us.
Joe cleared the first jump without any help from me. I wasnβt sitting in position, my heels werenβt down, and I gripped the reins too tightly, which forced the metal bit to see-saw in his mouth. How completely wrong as a rider, but I was wallowing in humiliation as my body banged my faithful steed from all angles. Joe should have been angry, but instead reached new heights in everyoneβs heart.
My honorable steed cleared each fence in perfect pattern and form, even with my sideshow underwear peeking out through my flapping jeans. Beneath the snickers,
Joe impressed onlookers with his style.
Joe pulled me through like my most dreaded beta-reader whom I will forever miss…
My Mom.
My mom was the essence of a rarely pleased critic; a Goldilocks in search of perfection. Perhaps it was her own dread of failure or her phobia of MY failure.
But on the day she received her diagnosis of a brain tumor while we sat in the reception area of the doctor’s office, she told me she read my first book, Spurred to Justice, in two days and loved it.
Trust me, my mom wasnβt afraid to burden me with an honest review. After her acknowledgment, we sat before her scheduled appointment, editing the first chapter, unsuspecting the outcome of her brain scan. This moment I will hold ever so close in my heart. Thank you to all the Moms, Amysβ, and Joesβ in our lives.
The rescuers.
There would be no sanity to life without them. Who rescued you? The concept of others ( including furry friends supporting your back,) is the theme of The Silver Cowgirls series. I felt the story in my heart. I hope you do too.
Order your copy today:
TabortonBooks
Amazon
Scarlett Swims and Other Amazing First-Time Adventures!
The first time for anything is usually both a rush of anxiety and exhilaration. This past month I was blessed with many first adventures!
First, I had the privilege to meet and study under Hank Phillippi Ryan, A USA Today best-selling author, multiple Emmy winner, and most recently author of πΆππ πΎππππ πΎπππ – if you enjoy a heart-pounding thriller this book should be your next escape!
Also, this past June, I had the opportunity to debut in two publications. First, as a guest blogger with The Plaid Horse, a premier North American equestrian magazine both in print and on-line. The article called, Just say, Yes! Click to Read, is a story with a message to inspire others; take a chance at any age!
My article, The Nightmare Beach Ride, appeared in On the Bit magazine, The article is a true story about an overzealous equestrian (me) on a dream-beach-vacation ride turned almost disaster. Although humorous, the underlying message is to educate those seeking an adventuresome horsey-vacation.
To add to the excitement, Misty Adamson, editor and innovator of On the Bit, published an extensive bio/review on my novel Spurred to Justice, followed with a YouTube discussion. We would love readers to follow the link and join in! Thank you, Adamson Equestrian. Click on any underlined item to Link!
And if you love horses or need a gift for an equine lover consider a subscription to either of these publications.
On a personal note, June was fulfilled with a surprise visit from my daughter at the bay! And Scarlett, her four legged pal was in heaven. With my daughter’s coaching – Scarlett SWIMS for the very first-time!
I am ready for a revolutionary July! Wishing you a month filled with family, fun and some adventures of your own!
Try something for the first time: a new haircut at Rubee Z Salon, a new hobby or anything you have dreamed of but been afraid to try!
Alicia
If you haven’t read one of my books or articles dive in for the FIRST TIME and write a review! I would love to hear from you. aliciastephensmartin.com
An adventure of four women who reunite in friendship through their love of horses. Look for the coming sequel soon!
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