inspiration – Page 4 – Jennifer's Journal

Five-Year Reflection

Published on December 29, 2016March 13, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

I received this notification today:

“Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 5 years ago.

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.”

***

My blog turns five years old on New Year’s Eve. When I look back on that first post, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, I wonder: how on earth did I make it this far?

Before I started blogging, I wondered what the point would be in it. I used to liken it to shouting into a void, and where was the fun in that? And at first, that’s exactly what it was. With only a handful of followers, getting a like or two – or, wow, is that a comment??? – was all the encouragement I needed to post another photo, or a poem, or a thought about something.

Photo from: Travel Theme: Oceans – June 2012

Consistency is everything, as many of my blogger friends will tell you. Showing up and putting in the time and energy is what draws more followers, likes and comments. It is what brings the lovely reward of connection with other like-minded people, as well as with those who walk an entirely different path.

So much can happen in the span of five years. When I reflect on my life as shared through this blog, certain events stand out. I remember the highs – cherished moments with friends and loved ones (which strengthened those relationships), travel to new destinations near and far, and the fulfillment of two novels written; and the lows – first and foremost, the loss of my beloved mother to Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other sad good-byes, personal disappointments and health afflictions. For me, keeping a blog is also a form of testimonial to my ongoing gratitude, as a way to pay homage to the priceless gifts that life has granted me.

Today, I can’t picture my life without blogging. I know I’ve said this on earlier blog anniversaries, but it still holds true. When life gets hectic or throws me a curveball, I admit to moments that hint of burnout, but those times have thankfully been few.

I hope Jennifer’s Journal lives on for a few years yet. Why? Because, as an introvert, I have been enriched and inspired by all the incredible people I’ve met here. You’ve added another meaningful dimension to my days, and I want to keep you around, in 2017 and beyond!

Bloggers:

How long have you been blogging?
Have you found the connections you’ve made rewarding?

Daily Post D.C.: Retrospective

Great Gift Ideas on a Small Budget

Published on December 6, 2016June 20, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

There is satisfaction in settling on the perfect gift – something that shows how well you know the recipient and how much you care about your relationship with them. And contrary to what advertisers will tell you, you don’t have to drop loads of cash to find the right present. In fact, the most meaningful gifts are often the ones that cost less money, but take a little more thought, time, and creativity.

Check out this list of gift ideas that tug at the heartstrings while giving your wallet a much-needed rest.

Poetic License

Express how you feel about the recipient with a poem or quote (you can use someone else’s, but please give them credit). Write it on heavy cardstock in your prettiest handwriting and frame it. Even if you’ve never crafted before, there’s lots of inspiration to be found online.

Dinner Party for Two (or More)

You don’t have to be a master chef to make a delicious, inexpensive meal. Look up some recipes and whip up a loved one’s favorite meal and dessert. For an extra festive touch, deck the table with Christmas decor items from your local thrift store.

Personalized Playlist or “Mixtape”

Burn a CD of songs that mean something to you and the recipient, make nifty cover art with an easy-to-use template, and print out a track listing.

Movie Night – Their Choice

Invite that special someone over for a movie marathon – they get to choose the flicks. Make awesome snacks, munch, laugh, discuss, enjoy, repeat.

Say That Again?

Choose a quotation that means something to your friend or loved one, or is significant to your relationship, and get it lettered on a cool print.

Make It Snappy

Print photos from a trip or an event, or order pictures of you and the gang, or the family. In a world of online selfies and digital photo albums, a tangible memento has special cachet.

Bargain Bag

Searching Amazon for “cheap stuff” returns a treasure trove of fun gifts. Do your part to help a loved one get goofy and playful with a bundle of goodies they might not buy themselves! Need some ideas? A vintage owl pendant, ‘80’s Style Wayfarer Sunglasses, The New York Times Light & Easy Crossword Puzzles, and the game Set totals less than $19.

Selecting the perfect gifts for your loved ones is often tough, we all know that firsthand. But if you can come up with heartfelt presents, they will earn you mistletoe merriment and possibly save you money in the bargain!

Do you have any clever and inexpensive gift ideas or online gift sites to share?

Making Memories That Will Last Forever

Published on November 11, 2016June 20, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

Google Image

Have you ever looked at your children when they are teenagers – or beyond – and wished you could go back in time to enjoy a day when they were little? I certainly have.

Children grow up so incredibly fast! It’s almost like you blink and they are grown. All the way through childhood they are making firsts: Their first word, their first steps, their first day of school. There is so much to relish and celebrate about these milestones that you almost forget about the time whizzing past.

Kids need a solid grounding and good examples to learn from, therefore conscientious parents want their kids to remember their childhood fondly, and with love. Their formative years are important because they’re going to remember certain things forever, so if you do fun things together as a family, they will remember these events fondly for the rest of their days. Here are some ideas on how to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Play with paint

It’s a great idea to teach a child creativity from a very young age. If they learn not to be afraid of a blank page, they will probably go on to create great things. (As a writer, I have faced that blank page many times.) One of the most imaginative and artistic things you can do with your children is to create and paint together. Let them go wild with crayons, colouring pencils, acrylic and water paint, and glue. They will feel proud of their results in the moment, and it will be fun to look back on their creations together in the future.

Pose for a picture

The wonderful thing about smartphones is that you have a camera almost always at hand. This give you the chance to capture as many candid photos of your children as possible. And don’t forget taking videos of them. If you would like something a bit more professional, a photographer can give you great results. A professional family photo is something that everyone loves to look back on because it perfectly captures a moment in time you can cherish forever. Not only will you have the physical photos, but you’ll have great memories of the actual day as well.

Read stories together

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My girl’s favourite: The Owl & The Pussycat

This was a big one for me when I raised my kids. When your children are little, it’s a great idea to get into the habit of reading them a book every evening. This not only calms them before they sleep, but it also helps them learn. The stories that you first read them will probably stay with them forever. Almost everyone can remember the first book that they loved to have read to them. It’s a child’s way of really using their imagination to form the pictures in their mind. Keep a couple of their favorite books for you to show them when they are grown up.

Cook together

If you can teach your children a family recipe that has been passed down through the ages, they’ll remember it forever. A cherished recipe can be pulled out and enjoyed again and again, and it will strengthen the memory for your child of when you first made it together.

Our boy making muffins!

Notice the recurring theme here? Creative endeavors seem to be the best way to make memories for you and your family!

What do you and your children do to make memories that will last a lifetime?

Blogger Bouquet #40

Published on September 16, 2016March 1, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring Andy1076 over at The Wandering Poet is a prolific blogger, poet, and photographer, and one of my first mutual follows on WordPress ever since 2011. I’ve enjoyed many of his posts as a single dad living in Vancouver. I have no idea why I haven’t thrown him a bouquet sooner. My sincerest apologies, Andy!

Andy speaks of the beauty of nature and finding love – two of my favourite topics – and he captures both exceptionally well in his pictures and in his writing.

From his About page:

Who am I? I am a wandering soul who has finally found his answer after so long. I dedicate all my poetry to the one I deeply love, Glaiza. She has given me more joy and warmth than I have ever known. I hope you will share our journey together.🙂

I chose to share his About page with its short video, The origin of my blog, because it perfectly illustrates what a sweet guy Andy is. Yes, he found his true love through WordPress! How cool is that? Give it a watch, and you just might decide to hit the follow button as well.

A Little About Me

Comments are closed here but you can leave one on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone! ❤

Weekend Walk Part II – Lovely Greenspond

Published on July 19, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

There is something about the town of Greenspond in Bonavista North that consistently captures my imagination. Yes, it is known for its wonderful walking trail and its majestic icebergs in spring, but it is magical to me because of much more than that.

No matter how many times I visit, take pictures, or blog about it, this historic community with its many mansard roofs, saltbox homes, and idyllic scenery harkens me back to imaginings of yesteryear when English settlers first came here from Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Hampshire centuries ago.

These first inhabitants grew Greenspond into a major economic enterprise through fishing and trading, yet today it stands preserved in an “olden day” atmosphere, giving this visitor storybook inspiration of how Newfoundlanders lived before life became modern and fast-paced.

Take a little tour with me through the following photos. The first one is from Facebook but the rest are from our visit there in May.

facebook

195 — Lobster traps seen along the Causeway

105 099 may 2015 100 103 107 110 birds

Greenspond - Part II — Last but not least: one of my favourites from two years ago

Author Interview with Lisa Montanino

Published on July 15, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry4 Comments

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Hello, Lisa! So happy to have this opportunity to interview you.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Born and raised on Long Island, NY to two extraordinary parents. The rest is your typical… boring history.

Were you good at English?
I was a great English student, honors classes and even minored in English Literature at University.

Which writers inspire you?
I could shoot off some of the great novelists of our time but lately I’m super impressed with English and American opinion journalists that can make me laugh and I can agree with, like The Independent’s Grace Dent, Evening Standard’s Faye Maschler, Time Out NY’s Jillian Anthony, and Robert Levin of AM NY to name some.

Give us a blurb for your latest book.
Feedback, a novel by Lisa Montanino, takes you on a yearlong journey in the life of Claire Convenzionale—a prominent radio deejay in New York City who breaks off an engagement with her fiancé and feels like her world has fallen apart. Little do her fans know of the turmoil behind Claire’s voice as she bravely broadcasts Monday through Friday. With the arrival of two interns—Shane Salinger and Jared Parker, Claire finds that they are surprisingly funny and inspiring forces that will help her regain her optimist spirit. As time goes on, Claire faces serious issues, requiring her to make difficult choices. All these trials help her build the self-awareness and the courage she will need to silence the sabotaging Feedback she hears in her head.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special? Despite all her sub-conscience and conscience faults, she’s got a lot of heart and she is excellent at her job despite the hell she’s under.

What are you working on at the moment?
Oh, let me think about this. 1. keeping up with my blog. 2. writing a novella and sequel to my first novel, Feedback (this technically counts as 2, right?). 3. working hard at my day job and 4. contributing as a writer for The Revew Review Magazine. And 5. trying to have fun with life as well. Safe to say the books will be out no time soon and there just isn’t enough time in a day!

Which actress would you like to see playing the lead character from Feedback?
Two actresses come to mind, either Michelle Pfeiffer in her heyday – she’d play Claire brilliantly or second choice, Scarlett Johansson though Claire is way taller than this petite chick.

Ooh, I love Scarlett Johansson!
How much research do you do?
Oh loads, I love researching. Guess you could call it an occupational hazard.

Do you write full-time or part-time?
Currently part-time but planning on being a full-time writer when I retire from my day gig.

What is the hardest thing about writing?
I wish I could say anything other than editing.

Do you read much, and if so, who are your favourite authors?
I do, especially daily periodicals like the New York Times, Time Out NY, and countless others. I also love reading anything nutritional or medical as well (I studied these subjects at University). As far as prose writers go, I’m always impressed reading noteworthy ones like John Irving, Chuck Klosterman, Stephen King, Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger, and Agatha Christie.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I like them both, but I’m more partial to a paperback or hardcover book because no matter how savvy we are in this tech age, nothing beats old school tangibility.

I fully agree!
Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
Wish I had done that, but no… I was on a tough time crunch to release it so everyday editing agony for roughly a year.

Which social network worked best for you?
As for marketing and book exposure, definitely Twitter and Facebook. Anything related to writing on the internet can help fellow writers as well.

How do you relax?
When weather permits, one of my ideal ways of chilling out is in front of a fire pit filled with music and laughs with loved ones.

What is your favourite quote?
One of my favorites… “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” J.D. Salinger

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Great question, Jennifer. A few things. 1. Love yourself more. 2. You should’ve believed that rockin’ friend of yours was being sincere when he asked you out to date. 3. Savor today instead of wishing for tomorrow. 4. You’ll thank your younger self for taking care of your health and wearing sunscreen – and I do!

Special thanks to Jennifer for interviewing me, she’s an amazing talent and I’m very grateful.
You are more than welcome, Lisa! It was a pleasure; thanks again.

Check out this charming and talented writer through the links below:

Blog: https://ldmountain.wordpress.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Feedback-Lisa-Montanino/dp/0615972500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466096867&sr=8-1&keywords=lisa+montanino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilmountain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LDMontanino

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8081517.Lisa_Montanino

Blogger Bouquet #38

Published on July 13, 2016March 1, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Tara of Tara Sparling writes is an established writer and award-winning blogger from Ireland.

From her About pages:

Tara writes fiction and screenplays. Originally from the west of Ireland, she now lives in Dublin. She spends all of her spare time with words. The writing of them and the reading of them…
…This blog offers a reader’s perspective on traditional and indie/self-publishing, book sales and genre trends, writing and publishing follies, marketing tips, author success stories and spectacular failures.

Tara raises an excellent point in this post from June, a topic I have also blogged about. Check it out:

We Were All Young Adults Once: Why Are We Not All Reading Young Adult Fiction?

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

I hope your week is going well, everyone!
❤

Blogger Bouquet #36

Published on April 11, 2016March 1, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry

blogger bouquet spring

Barbara Vitelli is a book reviewer and blogger at Book Club Mom here on WordPress. She also shares author interviews, indie author profiles and blogging advice.

In addition to all of that, Barbara is a book-clubber, an avid reviewer on GoodReads, and she has over five thousand followers on Twitter.

I chose the following post from her lovely blog, not because it is her most recent, but because I appreciate that she reviews the well-loved classics by famous authors as well as newer selections by current and lesser-known authors.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring week, everyone!

❤

Sweet Ride

Published on April 4, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

66 Thunderbird Convertible — ’66 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

This gorgeous convertible is the vintage car 18-year-old Ben Swift drives in my YA novel, Calmer Girls. It belongs to his dad but he gets to borrow it often.

Interesting trivia: Out of 69,176 T-Birds built in 1966, 5049 were convertibles. This generation of the Thunderbird played a starring role in the TV series Highlander and was also in the 1991 movie Thelma and Louise.

By the way…good news! Calmer Girls is now available in paperback, as well as e-book, on Amazon.

Have a great week, everyone! ❤

Abstracts in Seasonal Photography

Published on February 24, 2016February 25, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry32 Comments

Designing abstract images from nature photography can be creative fun. When you play around with your photos to highlight shape, colour, texture, etc., you can come up with some interesting captures.

In this post, I share images from the four seasons.
All but one were taken here in Newfoundland.

Winter in Newtown