J. Kelland Perry

Where The Heart Is

Published on June 11, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry43 Comments

***

I can hardly believe it. It’s been nearly five years since my husband and I went through with our plan to trade in our old lives and move out of the city.

In August of 2010, we threw caution to the wind and put our home of ten years on the market. Paul kissed me goodbye, drove to his hometown, and began overseeing the gargantuan job of renovating his grandfather’s old two-storey in Bonavista North. When the sale of our house closed near the end of September, Maisie, Vivian and I joined him. We stayed nearby in a friend’s vacant summer home until the bulk of the work was completed.

During the first week of December that year, we finally had enough upgrades done to buy our new appliances, unpack the boxes, and begin to set up house.

Do I have any regrets? Not many. That first winter, I missed living close to my family, and I still wish I could see my children and grandchildren more often than I do. But other than that, I am happy to have relocated here to our home by the sea. Somehow, I don’t think I would have taken up writing the way I have if I’d stayed in the city, so taking this journey to fulfill my lifelong dream has certainly made it all worthwhile.

Besides that, Paul’s dream to return to his boyhood home has come true too. ❤

Looking back now, I think we can both vouch for the old saying: the best journey is the one that takes you home.

***

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Have you lived to see a dream come to fruition?
Or are you working on one for the future?

Friday Bouquet #23

Published on June 5, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

Val Boyko of Find Your Middle Ground is a professional life/career coach and a yoga teacher whose posts I’ve enjoyed for some time now.

In her own words:

I believe that we can all contribute to world peace. It starts with being kind to ourselves and finding peace within ourselves. Helping others is a good place to start, but the real work is ours to do for ourselves. We must find that peaceful, nourishing and inspiring place…

One morning I woke up with these words in my mind:

“Life is a series of highs and lows

Be grateful for the highs

Be graceful in the lows

And find contentment in your middle ground.”

I am highlighting the following post because I love the idea of receiving a lesson from dogs on how to overcome the ego.

Stop Trying to Let it Go

I’ve disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Val’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

❤

Berg Watching

Published on June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry57 Comments

Iceberg Alley is what we call the area stretching from the coast of Labrador to the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland, and the best time for viewing bergs is late May and early June.

Saturday was beautiful and sunny, so Paul and I decided to drive to Greenspond to see if there were any icebergs close enough for good snaps. Before we entered the town, we were delighted to meet a few of them next to Greenspond’s causeway.

may 2015 178 (1280x741) — **I can’t remember ever getting this close to a berg so huge!**

**This group climbed down on the rocks to get a closer look.**

may 2015 040 (1280x1180) — **Close-up of a tiny waterfall on the iceberg.**

may 2015 183 (1280x776) — **Loving Nature’s sculptures**

We drove on into Greenspond to discover even more of the frozen beauties from the North.

may 2015 111 (1280x383) — **Well, hello there, giant hunk of glacier!**

may 2015 090 (1280x578) — **Such a pretty backdrop**

**This one makes me think of a flying saucer. Notice the deep blue middle.**

may 2015 070 (1280x518) — **A splendid view from this property.**

One more look from the causeway on our way back — **One last look from the causeway on our way back**

Have you ever gotten up close and personal with an iceberg?

Friday Bouquet #22

Published on May 29, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

Karen at Healing Your Grief knows all about the enormous shock of suddenly losing a precious child. She lost her nine-year-old son to a car accident, and found a way to journey through the pain by writing about it in her blog.

In her own words:

When we tragically lose one of our children, our entire world comes to a grinding stop and everything we have ever believed is questioned.
Through understanding this journey you have been given, my wish for you is to connect to a new hope and to a process of complete healing.
You may at first not understand how you could ever survive this loss, that there can be no way out of this pain, yet over time, I promise, there is a way through.”

I have chosen to share her first post because it explains how she is courageously surviving such a profound tragedy.

My Journey – Walking Through Grief

Comments are closed here in the hope you will visit Karen’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

❤

In Praise of Young Adult Fiction

Published on May 26, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

I used to think I was a bit of a dork for liking Young Adult literature, even though my years as a young adult are long gone.

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Not so anymore. Although some may be too shy to admit to it or call it a guilty pleasure, YA fiction has a huge fan base among grownups; in fact, a recent study states that 55% of its readers are actually adults. And while I also choose from a variety of other genres and often crave the more literary and classic offerings as well, I particularly enjoy writing Young Adult fiction, as two of my upcoming novels will attest.

Why do I and so many others love reading YA novels? I don’t believe it implies immaturity, but rather suggests a more “young at heart” sensibility of the reader. And I am careful about not lumping all of them together; as in every genre there is great writing and not-so-great writing. With that in mind, here is what I find appealing about most of the YA and coming-of-age literature I have read:

It draws you in and hooks you on the first page.
It is usually light on the exposition and heavy on the action and dialogue.
The drama isn’t contrived. The teenage years, with all of its growing pains, can be filled with turmoil. Ordinary situations often feel emotional, and even catastrophic.
Teens are well-known to be impetuous and curious, therefore their actions are often unexpected. This opens up all sorts of drama which may include acting on violence, sexuality, and other previously uncharacteristic behaviours.
We’ve all been there, so we can identify with many of the common conflicts that arise. Other times, we might enjoy reading YA as an escape into wish-fulfillment: a way of righting the wrongs in our own experience.

Still not convinced to give Young Adult a try? Peruse these quotes taken from bestselling YA fiction:

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What do you think of the Young Adult genre?
Do you have any favourite YA quotes to share?

Friday Bouquet #21

Published on May 22, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

Carrie Rubin is a pediatrician who also happens to be the author of an award-winning medical thriller I recently enjoyed. Besides that, she is a blogger with a fine sense of humour. I follow her blog, The Write Transition, and she keeps me smiling over on Twitter as well.

From her About Page:

“Physician, public health advocate, writer. I believe every experience is worthwhile, even if our paths deviate from where we started.

I am the author of The Seneca Scourge, a medical thriller. This blog chronicles my transition into the writing world, all with a dose of humor, because to me laughter is one of life’s necessities.”

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Have a look at this recent post of Carrie’s, especially if you are guilty of using, ahem, big words:

Careful, Your Frasier Crane is Showing: Using Big Words In Writing When Smaller Ones Will Do

Comments are closed here in the hope you will visit Carrie Rubin’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

Have a great weekend, everyone ❤

Forces of Nature

Published on May 14, 2015June 20, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry32 Comments

Once again, iceberg season has arrived in Newfoundland.

Icebergs are beautiful to photograph and are a huge Force of Nature ( we only have to think of the Titanic disaster ) but the pack ice that often accompanies them can wreak their own special havoc. In our part of the world, these masses of moving ice interfere with fishing and sometimes even trap whales and dolphins.

In the area of Bonavista Bay North where I live, the water is too shallow to allow the big icebergs to get very close, but we do see plenty of pack ice and bergy bits.

Enter the seagulls. These hardy scavenger birds are so well-adapted to this rugged environment, I am in awe. Their ability to not only survive, but to thrive here, may well be called another force of nature.

Like all of our feathered friends in the northern hemisphere, seagulls mate in spring. This is the time of year in Newfoundland we see them answer to their instinct and pair off to procreate. They are monogamous, usually with one mate for life.

On the evening I took these photos, the setting sun cast interesting shadows and hues upon the ice and the water.

Of course, speaking of a force of nature, our Vivian needed to be a part of it all.

What Forces of Nature do you have in your backyard?

Friday Bouquet #20

Published on May 8, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

I only found A Novel Journey recently and am just beginning to explore this beautiful blog. Rhonda is a writer, a published author, and an avid reader who “live(s) in Colorado, but was born in northern Minnesota. My husband likes to say you can take the girl out of the woods but you can’t take the woods out of the girl. Though Colorado is now my home and it surrounds me with majestic beauty, my heart will always belong to the lakes and forests of Minnesota.”

Ten Things My Grandchildren Taught Me

Published on May 5, 2015July 19, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

When most adults spend quality time with youngsters, they usually think of what they can share with them and teach them about life and the world around them.

While I spent a sizable chunk of April taking care of my two grandchildren, I did plenty of that, but – surprise, surprise – I also learned a few things about myself.

1. My addiction to jigsaw puzzles is alive and well. I had thought my love for putting them together (and the harder the better) had faded over the years, but helping and then pretty much taking over our grandson’s Skylander collection of puzzles turned out to be fun and surprisingly absorbing.

Screen+Shot+2015-01-07+at+10.28.45+AM — google.ca

2. It is actually possible for me to like a Justin Bieber song without being fond of the Biebs himself. My granddaughter feels the same way, so I know it’s entirely acceptable.

3. I’ve taken a shine to the Wii Just Dance video games. Great uptempo music, effective aerobic exercise, having fun like a kid with the kids – what’s not to love? And who cares what I look like bopping around with them?

4. I always thought I didn’t like Brussels sprouts, but turns out I do! They can be delicious when you don’t boil the sh*t out of them (sorry, Mom). Five to ten minutes with a dash of salt: perfection. Thanks for the tip, granddaughter! Would you believe she was the one who wanted me to buy them?

5. Apparently and according to my granddaughter, I smile whenever I check my appearance in the mirror. I had no idea, and she finds it “creepy”.

6. I believe five bucks is too generous a gift from the tooth fairy. I don’t care if she is an Immortal Guardian.

7. I no longer think there is anything wrong with wearing your pyjamas around the house all day – my grandson totally encourages it. I still draw the line at wearing them out in public. That’s a trend I will never embrace.

8. According to this little fellow, the skin on my neck is very soft and “crinkly”, and he won’t let me forget it…well, I am his grandma, after all.

9. I adore having the opportunity to indulge them. And such fun to live in the moment with them!
10. I am profoundly grateful for having these little people in my life to love.

What have children taught you about yourself?

Friday Bouquet #19

Published on May 1, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

The World According to Dina is a photographer’s dream. Her blog includes a breathtakingly lovely collection of images from Norway, though she and her helpers “blog about everything that we connect with the North (Scandinavia)– from nature to culture.”

In her own words:

I am Dina. Actually, my name is Hanne and some even call me TofFeeFee. I come from Fredrikstad in Norway, the most beautiful land of the trolls, the fjords and midnightsun. If you take a closer at my blog, the natural beauty of Norway will present itself.”

I have chosen to highlight the following post because I am longing for summer here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I was struck by the similarities of many of the scenes to my home province.

A True Summer Dream – Hvaler, Norway

I have disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Dina’s blog.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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