Celebrating My Talented Friends

I love to celebrate the good in life, and I especially love to celebrate those who shine light into my life. I have been incredibly blessed with friends who are wise, gifted, talented and courageous enough to share their gifts and talents with the world. My life has been enriched by these friendships, and so I want to take a few moments to celebrate their accomplishments and share their richness with everyone else.

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Lynn C. Tolson: Lynn is the author of Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor’s Story. Lynn’s story begins with her suicide attempt at the age of twenty-five. In the aftermath, she commits to counseling to recover from anxiety and depression. We accompany Lynn through her therapy sessions, where she reveals dysfunctional family relationships, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, and mental illness. She learns from her counselor that she’d been suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which was the underlying cause of self-destructive behaviors, such as addictions and alcoholism. Through the therapeutic process, Lynn discovers the value of life. Her courageous story illustrates physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation. In sharing her inspirational journey, Lynn provides readers with a message of hope.

Now, Lynn works tirelessly through various media opportunities to confront violence against women and children. Lynn is the founder of the Project for TEARS: Telling Everyone About Rape & Suicide whose mission is to comfort victims by sharing her story, to confront violence by breaking the silence, and to challenge society via information and action. I have long been awed by Lynn’s courage in sharing her story. Her writing is captivating and inspirational. I have been personally richly blessed by Lynn’s presence and inspiration in my own life. For more about Lynn, visit her blog at Beyond the Tears Blog;

Other links: Beyond the Tears Facebook page;

Lynn’s book on Amazon.com

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Meredith designed and created this amazing necklace and matching bracelet for me!

Meredith Laskow: Meredith handcrafts one-of-a-kind and/or limited edition jewelry using unique crystals, beads, and gemstones  from around the world. Several years ago I was having difficulty finding a piece of jewelry to match an outfit I’d bought for a trip to Morocco. I wrote to Meredith, and she worked with my quirky tastes to custom-create the perfect matching set. I ended up not only with an magnificent work of art, I also own a cherished work of love. Whenever I wear it, I feel the aura of Meredith’s loving care within every bead and stone. These pieces are amongst my most treasured possessions, not only because they are so beautiful, but because I know Meredith and know how lovingly she crafted this jewelry for me. For a look at more of Meredith’s artistry, (like the beautiful earrings below, crafted from New Mexico turquoise, amber and sterling silver), browse through her gallery of jewelry at Meredith’s Original Handcrafts Website.

Meredith also has a Facebook page at Meredithbead Facebook page
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Ruth Rainwater: Ruth and I “met” many years ago in a wonderful online website for boomer women. Ruth is one of that community of wise women who helped me find my way through a very long and dark patch of road to this life that I enjoy so much now. Our paths continue to cross and intertwine and Ruth’s friendship continues to nourish and enrich my life. But it’s only recently that I discovered what a gifted writer Ruth is. Ruth has been sharing her wonderful stories on her new blog “Sablewings”. Ruth’s stories are gripping, capturing me from the first words – and always leaving me wanting more. See for yourself! Read through Ruth’s writings here at Sablewings. And browse through some of her amazing desert photography at her other blog, A New Beginning.

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Peter Allan Rice

Peter Allan Rice: Peter and I met way back in the early 1970’s when we both worked at the same children’s summer camp for many years. Even then, Peter was clearly an exceptional artist. I used to love to sit beside him on the cabin steps and watch him pick an ordinary piece of wood off the ground, then whittle and carve it into beautiful crosses (I still have mine!) or, my favourite, one of those balls-within-the-box (very intricate work!).  If you read my previous post on Autumn Artistry, you’ll see Peter’s Rutabega Race Car that he carved out of various veggies, and his amazing intricate pumpkin carvings as well. Peter’s primary passion these days is his stained glass sculptures. All of Peter’s works are one-of-a-kind, and many are custom-created to the personal needs of each recipient. Peter takes great care in his selection of glass and gives his attention to the smallest detail.

This is the beautiful “sun catcher” that Peter created in memory of my brother Gary. It hangs in our living room window where it catches the sun’s rays and reminds me of Peter’s inscription for my piece: “Like cascading water, we sometimes fall with no idea of the destination ahead of us. In harmony with that waterfall we have to trust that the path we take is the one that God has chosen especially for us. The twists and turns in the river of life all teach us important lessons in self-awareness and personal relationships. Don’t be afraid to branch out, feel the textures of life, and explore the world’s cascading pathways.”

For more about Peter and his work, check out his site here.

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Marc Beaudin

Marc Beaudin is our nephew, but is better known as a brilliant jazz musician who has been creating and playing music for as long as he and we can remember. Marc is a composer, songwriter and gifted bass and guitar player whose musical arrangements and compositions have been recorded by numerous other Canadian musicians. You can hear samples from Marc’s latest CD, An Evening At Sabor here.

You can also hear a few of Marc’s compositions and covers on You Tube. Just type “hoodoosmusik” into You Tube’s search engine and then click “uploads”.

Here’s his Rose Sauvage (Wild Rose):