Inspiration Never Gets Old

June 21, 2018June 17, 2018 Lynette M Burrows

For this week’s post, I want to introduce you to a website full of inspiration. I’m talking about LaterBloomer.com by Debra Eve. Its tagline is “Creativity never gets old.” That’s true, but it’s also a site where Inspiration never gets old. Debra calls herself a proud later bloomer and possessor of many passions. On her website, she profiles a later bloomer once a month. According to Debra, “Being a Later Bloomer has nothing to do with being late. Like the pomegranate tree that fruits in fall, we all bloom in our own time.” The folks she profiles are sometimes famous, sometimes not. All her profiles are about people who find their creative path after 35 years of age, many were older than 50 when they found their life’s work. Her profiles include artists, athletes, explorers, and writers. And while the stories of artists and writers are among my favorites, the category near and dear to my heart is titled, “Women.” Athletes I love her profile on Olga Kotelko, an athletic prodigy who at age 77 hired a coach then went on to set records and win medals. Olga was one determined lady! Debra’s blog posts cover her own journey and […]

Remembering American Women in Military Service

May 28, 2018May 24, 2018 Lynette M Burrows

It’s Memorial Day. It’s a day set aside to remember those who died in active military service to our country. Today we remember and honor the men who served and died. Those men deserve remembrances, but some of us forget that there were many women who served and died. This Memorial Day is also a time to be remembering American women in military service who died for our country. Women in military service is not a new concept. Some women hid their gender to fight alongside their brothers. Other women chose to serve as nurses or support personnel. Today, women can choose to serve in combat situations and in all branches of U.S. Military Service. So let’s remember the women who died for our country in addition to the men. And let’s not honor only those who died in recent service, but remember from the first war in our fledgling nation to the most recent war. Lest you forget one of them, THE WARS • The Revolutionary War (1775-1783) • War of 1812 (1812-1815) • Mexican – American War (1846-1848) • American Civil War (1861–1865) • […]

7 People Who Changed My Writing Life

November 27, 2017February 14, 2018 Lynette M Burrows

In this month of Thanksgiving, I have reflected on some of the things for which I am thankful. Today, I recognize the seven people who changed my writing life. These people were generous with their time, their knowledge, and their encouragement. I hope this chronological list expresses at least a small portion of my gratitude for their gifts to me. 1. Madeline L’Engle. Shortly after it won the 1963 Newberry award, I read A Wrinkle in Time. I fell in love with Meg, the witches, and their world. Fast forward to the early 80’s. I was an aspiring writer and the mom of a three-year-old. I had the opportunity to go to a writer’s conference out-of-state. Ms. L’Engle was a presenter at that conference. I submitted one of my manuscripts for her critique. The appointed hour came and I was sick with nervousness. Ms. L’Engle was gracious, and kind, and talked about my manuscript for thirty minutes. She told me I should expand my story into a novel. What a shining moment! I thought my heart would explode! I hope Ms. L’Engle knew how grateful I was for her encouragement. 2. Warren Norwood. Warren Norwood is the second of the […]