November/December 2022 Newsletter Reprint – Ho Ho Ho HOT NEWS!
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Helloooooooooo and a hearty welcome back to my camo jeep!
Ho-Ho-Ho it’s nearly Christmastime! And 2023! Time surely flies…
which brings me to my HOT news!
I’ve just had my cover design completed for Book 1 of my series which will launch in 2023. It’s soooo exciting.
I’m swooning and I’m dizzy with vibrant color and pretty words.
Series name is: Time Flies and Book 1 is Timeless Pirouette.
Can’t wait to share it with you…
but I must, because I’m planning something pretty cool!
But our safari is not about me today (ha!) but about you.
Our camo jeep is heading north into the excessive heat of summer in the Republic of Congo, just to give you a glimpse into an UNTAMED UNEXPECTED UNFORGETTABLE world, all wrapped in one very interesting package!
You see, there’s an animal I want to share with you, native only to this area. One I never knew existed.
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Now, here is a leopard’s perspective as he gazes at the black and white striped legs of the okapi as she grazes, while lowering his massive frame to become one with the tall grass. Powerful. Invisible. Hungry.
Leopard’s mouth is watering. “Oh, yummmmm! A zebra all on its own. Just what I was hoping to dine on this Tuesday”
And the still-oblivious Okapi changes direction to find greener leaves.
The leopard jumps back. “What the fanciful fairies…it’s a short giraffe!”
He shakes his head and considers: “I must have eaten too many of those magic mushrooms this morning.”
The flies of the deep Congo are worse than ever this year.
Momentarily distracted, Leopard flicks his ears and gives a silent snarl revealing teeth as long as shongololos*. Good enough to warn the flies of their fate should they come too close.
Still shaking his head in confusion, he watches Okapi’s eyes dance as she puts up her head and opens her mouth.
Leopard’s truly confused because no sound comes out of Okapi’s mouth. He scolds himself softly: “Note to self. Do not eat mushrooms before sunset.”
Little does Leopard know Okapi used her infrasonic calls to communicate with the herd.
And when the okapi pack come thundering down in all their ungainly gait and multi-colored glory to join their lone Okapi, Leopard shrugs his massive shoulders and skulks backwards through the tall wheat-colored grass. He settles far enough away not to be consumed by fae and illusions, and lies on a bank of rocks to observe these supernatural beasts.
When the flies get too much for them, seven okapi flick out their 18 inch tongues at different intervals to wash their eyes and ears which send the flies…well, flying!
Leopard closes his eyes for a long beat, then opens them again hoping to see either a giraffe or a zebra. “Dinner, whichever way you look at it.”
No luck!
He hoists his bulk up with powerful shoulders, turns his back on the okapi and swears off mushrooms for good.
“Did you see the leopard slinking off?” Okapi asks her clan.
They chuckle between chomps of the sparse green foliage Okapi has discovered.
“He won’t be back, but we will,” she smiles down at her calf. “I’ve used my scent glands in my feet to mark this territory so we can find this superb cuisine tomorrow.”
And the Okapi and her clan live another day in the jungle.
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The moral of the story?
Your perspective is something you CAN change. And if you do, your life will be fuller…and so might your belly.
(Lucky for Okapi, Leopard was incapable of changing his perspective!)
* Archispirostreptus gigas, known as the giant African millipede or SHONGOLOLO, is the largest extant species of millipede, growing up to 13.2 inches in length, and 2.6 inches in circumference
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So here is a remedy to get you through the stressful Christmas Season using perspective:
Broke?
Teach a new perspective:
Remind your family members that it’s the thought that counts, and instead of a Christmas present, give them a heart-felt letter you’ve written by hand to tell them how much you love them. (OK, this may not work on kids…but it should on anyone who’s not a kid and has a heart.)
Sitting next to smelly uncle Fred at the lavish Christmas Table and you’re pissed your day will be ruined and you might go off the delicious smorgasbord of delights before you?
Use a different perspective:
Consider Uncle Fred doesn’t have a wife to tell him to comb his hair as she’s done for forty years; and she can’t remind him to change his shirt. Aunty Faye is baking koeksisters in the sky and nobody has even acknowledged poor Uncle Fred’s existence for months and months since her funeral.
Your kindness and genuine attention are probably the only Christmas gift he’ll get this year. Your gentle interest may make him feel alive again and may even sustain him till you see him next Christmas.
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Here’s a little Christmas gift for you
With today’s technology, they brought Elvis and Martina McBride together to sing this song!
Elvis sang this song in 1968 and Martina in 2008!!
It’s the only thing on my Christmas list.
Till next we meet, here’s wishing you and yours a safe, gentle, warm and wonderful Christmas, Hannukah or whatever occasion is important to YOU.
Cheers, Cheers!
P.S. In the spirit of Christmas, if you know anyone who would enjoy an e-book of either War Serenade (A WWII love story for the ages) or Zebra (A story of a beautiful friendship) please email me jillwallaceauthor@gmail.com with the recipient’s email address.
I will send a book to them with your love for Christmas.
P.P.S. Though you may have missed Black Friday discounts, LUCKY PACKETS are still available. Check them out in my store at www.jillwallace.com.
Get yours today
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An Extra Bit of Holiday Joy
Kerry Evelyn has created a collection of her Christmas stories
including a NEW story, A Night in the Garden.
If you love Small-Town Sweet Holiday stories, you’ll love this set.