The Storyteller | Mary Vee

My daughter saw a poster at her work: Lithuanian festival. She took a pic with her cell phone with all the details and told us as soon as she walked in the door. "Yah wanna go?" Hah. Did we want to go. Let me tell you about Lithuanians, they know how to have fun! Nestled in a community where the houses are only inches away from each other was the building where the festival took place.  A team of dancers, ranging from the little ones in this photo to adults standing behind the curtain, performed ethnic dances. The audience clapped to the beat and cheered the dancers on. Lithuanians who ran the kitchen had no idea such a crowd would come. It seemed every Lithuanian from hundreds of miles heard the news. They ran out of food hours before the festival was over! Our favorite Lithuanian dish: Kugelis, Cepelinai, sausage, and sauerkraut My son and I went to one line and told the worker what we wanted. We knew how to say the words and apparently convi...

Today we welcome author:  John Sheppard To win a copy of John's releases: Ten Days or   Seeds of the Bitter Harvest  Scroll to the end of the post  to see how to get your copy. Two winners will be chosen! Mary Vee here. John and his wife, Connie are great friends of mine from Bible college days. That was such a fun time. John was the editor for the yearbook and allowed me to come alongside to work on one section. I was delighted to hear he found time to write books with his busy job and even more happy when he agreed to come visit us here on Let's Talk. I asked John to join us and share  how God has led him on his writing journey. Here is what he said: My Faith Has Validity Even in the Worst Times I am not one of those who have had a driving desire to write since childhood, or even through most of my adult life. It’s just not an area that was even on my radar screen until a few years ago. I hav...

Clancy is a service dog. He visited a hotel with his family. One member was in need of his services. The others simply loved him. They weren't the only ones to love Clancy. This sweet dog sat just on the other side of the barrier to the eating room and happily watched hotel guests walk by him.  He didn't leap up. Sniff anyone. Beg. Chase after anyone. He simply laid there and happily watched the guests walk by. Nearly every guest stopped to talk to Clancy. Some petted him. This surprised me because most service dog owners won't allow strangers to pet the dog. Consequently, the guests kept their visits with Clancy short. As the families and businesspersons ate, or milled about, they all kept an eye on Clancy. They'd lean over the barrier and check on him. He never left his assigned post. The owners told me Clancy was a therapy dog. One woman at the table had a cane and sat the entire time.  To me one of the most attractive characteristic...

Today we welcome author:  Stephanie Landsem To win a copy of Stephanie's new release: The Tomb Scroll to the end of the post  to see how to get your copy.     I asked Stephanie to join us and share  how God has led her on her writing journey. Here is what she said: God's Plans Can Be Much More Than We Imagine For Ourselves I never expected to write biblical fiction. In fact, the idea never even crossed my mind, which proves once again that God’s plans can be so much more than we can imagine for ourselves. I knew I wanted to write historical fiction — as a history major in college, I’ve always been fascinated by the many untold stories throughout history, especially in ancient Greece and Rome. So when my youngest child went into kindergarten, I started writing. But I didn’t find my story. No matter what historical era I tried, no character came to me and said, “Tell my story”. I thought maybe I w...

Mary Vee and friend Pepper Basham Ready for some fun? Tomorrow is April Fools' Day. This is not a national holiday but is celebrated in Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the United States. My dad loved April Fools' Day. Actually, he pretty much let any day be a joking day. He had so many creative ideas. Each night at supper time, he'd tell us stories from work. Usually all centered around jokes he had spearheaded. The other stories? Well, the ones someone successfully pulled off on my dad, of course! My dad didn't like birthday cakes. Usually we ordered pizza for his birthday cake. He loved it. One year, Mom brought out a traditional cake with tons of lit candles dotting the top. We sang happy birthday and he made a sour face. "Now, Bill," Mom said. "Let the kids celebrate your birthday." Mary Vee's photo He reeled in his disappointment and blew out the candles. Mom handed him the cake cutting knife and grabbed plates. He pressed ...