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This is The Big Month! Don't Miss Your Life!: An Uncommon Guide to Living With Freedom, Laughter and Grace has at long-last arrived in book stores and mail boxes, and in e-book format and audio and .... Hip-hip HUUUUURAY! Coincidentally, my life is crazed at the moment. <sigh> In fact, I need to read my own book, since it's chock full of great ways for me to STOP, CROP and ROLL. (A brilliant chapter.)
But enough about me. (Well, until Today's Message, which will be about me.) Let's talk about you. (Who will hopefully relate to me in Today's Message. Ah, the circle of life!) How does June strike you? If you're a teacher, I hear the collective thud as you knock back in your recliners. If you're a mom, I hear ... lots of things, like the relief of "no homework," but the issue of "they are here every single minute." Or, if you are a mom working outside the home, I hear "No changes, aside from daycare." If you are retired, I hear, YAY! If you are working, I hear, "Wish I was off today. It's beautiful." If you are unemployed but searching (I know many people in this predicament), I hear, "Please, God," and I herewith AMEN! your prayer.
We all have our things. We all ride up and down the busy, too-busy, not busy enough arcs. No matter where your life finds you, take a moment to appreciate the fact that we TwinkleGrammers are in this life together. We are here to laugh, to think, and to reinvigorate our hope that we are normal. WA-HOO!
And now, let us get to Today's Message. If that is all you are interested in, read and be done. But if you'd like to learn more about what's going on with my books etc., poke around a bit more. Whichever course you choose, remember, YOU CHOSE IT!
HAPPY SUMMER (especially to those of you who love it),
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BUT FIRST, some quick HAPPY NEWS!
 DRAWING WINNERS from my last contest, which regarded my new website!
www.charleneannbaumbich.com
Fun, fun, FUN!
The FIVE WINNERS of an autographed copy of Don't Miss Your Life!: An Uncommon Guide to Living with Freedom, Laughter and Grace are:
Effie from Colorado
Sandy from Oshkosh
Elaine from Wichita
Jane from Kentucky
Martha from Minnesota
They have each been notified, and know who they are. Although that contest is over, watch for a new contest in the next TwinkleGram. Thanks to everyone who participated! I hope you enjoy your books. Please feel free to tell everyone you know about Don't Miss Your Life!--and everyone you do not know. All review posts to book blogs and Amazon etc. really do help spread the word, and warm my heart. GO FOR IT!
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Today's Message
Gizmos and Gadgets. Nanoseconds
and the internet. Time and a life spam. Necessities and needless. Updates and downloads. Sanity and hysteria.
The past several months, my dial-up internet connection at The
Farm, where I go "hide" to write, tortures me. As in, t o o o o o o o o o r t u r e s /m e /w
i t h /s l l l l o o o o o o o o o ow n
e s s. One day, I yelled so loudly and
so long at every single molasses-moving kb (whatever a kb is!) of transfer ("Come
ON, already!"), that I actually made myself hoarse.
Guess what? My
computer did not care. Dribble. Dribble.
Slug. A kb here. A kb there.
Yawn. A kb.
"Page load error."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I shall spare you the first
actual words.)
"I can't take it anymore!
I CANNOT TAKE IT ANY MORE!"
I wrote about the many (and often boring, but still, there is a perky picture of my set-up) technical aspects of this saga on my
TravelingLaughs blog site . (May post, Here We Go 'Round the Roaming Ring.) So I won't go into them again here. The end of that long saga and decision is that I did commit to
a two-year deal with the Sprint broadband card because it actually pulled in enough signal to
continuously work! Can you say HAPPY DANCE?!
But then, "suddenly," I could not connect when I got home to Illinois and tried it in a few local areas. The software came up okay. The card "lit up," meaning it was in the
USB slot where it belonged. But ... IT DID
NOT WORK! (Seriously, if I could have spit
without spewing all over myself, which I can't, I would have.) I plugged and unplugged. Rebooted.
Checked settings. I thought, How JUST LIKE a
company to yank me around like this, but not until after my two-year
commitment!
Then, just before I loaded up my computer and the broadband
and my verbal ammunition to go give "those people!" a piece of my mind, I
noticed something. Yes, the card was
attached and lit up. Yes, the software
was found, as well as the signal.
However, somewhere in my travels, I had forgotten there was one final step: I had not actually pushed the "Connect" icon. DOINK!
One click. I was one observation
and click (and brain cell) away from my goal, and yet, I was ready to submit to defeat and give an earful to "those people!"
One more click, and all was well.
It got me to thinking about how often we give up, or place
blame, before reaching our goals. "Doesn't
work!" "Too much hassle." "They are so dumb!" When in actuality, we might be only "one
click away" from success. One forgotten or gutless step.
If you feel today that you are ready to throw in the towel or storm into action, STOP. Take a
break. Pray. Observe.
Suspend blame. Open to the
possibility that you might be only "one click" away from what you need. Might that be peace? Forgiveness? Success, as
defined by perseverance? Insight? Connection to the internet?
Anyone who meets a
testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For
such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
--James 1:12 The Message
 If you're the friend who received the forward, SUBSCRIBE! |
IT'S HERE!
AVAILABLE FOR ORDER NOW!
DON'T MISS YOUR LIFE!: An Uncommon Guide to Living with Freedom, Laughter and Grace
"Baumbich's text is just what the doctor ordered for a time such as this."
Publisher's Weekly, 4/13/09
Full Review and more information
---MORE EXCITEMENT: I recorded the audio version (I FELT VERY VULNERABLE, hearing all my stories OUT LOUD!), which is available now too, as well as ebook format and ... Any way you want it, it's out there, including for Kindle. You can even listen to an audio clip by finding the cover at that link (cover is second row, second from the left) and clicking the button.
---The week ending June 7, DMYL came in #5 on the Chicagoland Indie Bestellers list for paperback nonfiction! YAY!
---This week (week of the June 15), I am in the AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT on Deena Peterson's magnificent book blog. Something new from me every day this week, including an interview and a blog post--and a giveaway at the end of the week! You'll want to toodle all around Deena's blog, then bookmark it. So many wonderful authors!
---Diane Eble, a super book publishing coach, and master of many other publishing areans--including being a multi-time author--conducted an hour-long interview with me. We chatted about the industry and hopefully gave aspiring writers a few things to think about. You can listen here.
---PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT: TwinkleGrammer and HUGE-O-RAMA encourager Linda Toft started a Don't Miss Your Life! CLUB with some neighborhood ladies! Get a load of the package she presented them with: welcome letter, book, highligher pen, journal, bookmark and CHOCOLATE ! What a great idea! BLESS YOU, LINDA!
What an awesome idea. I wish I lived closer. Honestly, I WOULD JOIN! I hope to one day be able to come visit your group. Blessings on your heads!
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COMING September 15 
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!
Stray Affections
NOTE THE NEW COVER!
Encounter a flurrious experience with God. Think desires of the heart, dogs, snowglobes, laughter, small-town life, second chances, Love and redemption. But most of all, think, WOW!
I have received AWESOME endorsements, and will post them on my website soon. Endorsers with wonderful words for Stray Affections include writers such as Cassandra King, Joan Medlicott and Gail Fraser.
More Information
Taped a video promotional for Stray Affections. Hoped to have a link for you this TwinkleGram, but ... not yet! Stay tuned. Or, follow me on Facebook or Twitter--or something.
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 TwinkleGrammer
Survey Says RESULTS
about COMFORT FOOD and
COOKING (or not)
TwinkleGrammers have spoken.
See survey results. I'll keep the results "live" for at least three weeks.
You can see percentages at the above link. (Sweet beats salty. I am in the minority. Nothing new, there.) I only left a few questions open for specific answers (which you cannot see) so I'll line a few of my favorite answers here (could be several reason for that) and note my most relatable with an *.
TURNS OUT THESE THINGS makes some of us feel "SO much better."
--fried chicken*
--chocolate with nuts
--fruit
--peanut butter, bologna, mayonnaise on white breat (for depression days)
--doughnut
--mashed potatoes WITH GRAVY*
--homemac mac & cheese*
--popcorn*
--Dr. Pepper
--chicken salad sandwich on a butter cresent
--GOOD AND PLENTY*
FAVORITE PLACE TO LOOK FOR RECIPES
--hate it
--YUCK!!!
--Taste of Home magazine
--I love reading
recipes for entertainment. Not that I
make anything with them.
MY FAVORITE THING TO MAKE IS
--turkey dinners
--homemade brownies
--pot roast, mashed potatoes, flower shaped carrots
--strawberry rhubarb pie
--absolutely nothing
--country ham and white gravy (yes, I'm from the South) [CB says YUM!)
--Papa John's pizza
--something I've never made before
--chili*
--Tater Tot Casserole in the crock pot
--Toffee Nut Bars
--Gin & tonic w/lime
--I like grilling
--Reservations!
--Grandma's brownies
--salmon pie
--meat manicotti & layered brownie trutle trifle [CB says YUM!]
Thanks to everyone for participating. We only had half as much to say about Comfort Foods as we did about Toilet Paper. File that where you will.
[NOTE TO THOSE WHO WILL ASK FOR RECIPES: Sorry! Wrong newsletter.]
Due to time constraints, I will not offer a new survey this month, but stay tuned. I feel a good topic coming on.
If this TwinkleGram was forwarded by a friend, SUBSCRIBE! |
| An IMPORTANT REMINDER . . .
"Forward email," "SafeUnsubscribe," "Update Profile/Email Address," etc. links are available at the bottom of this e-mail. Those are all hyperlinks for YOU (not me) to do those things. So, please keep a TwinkleGram in your email files so you can handily make changes, like, say, you get a new email address. Please do not e-mail me your new address and think I will get around to changing it. Odds are, I won't--or, due to some settings, can't. Thanks! | |
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