Paleo Pancakes

Sunday morning I got up earlier than usual to make a special breakfast before church. Scott is home for the summer and often eats a Poptart on his way to church because it's one morning he can sleep a little longer. I had to do some talking to convince him it'd be worth getting up a little earlier to eat breakfast.

The recipe is simple. Mash a banana and mix well with two eggs. I sprayed the pan with Pam, but a friend later suggested cooking them in coconut oil which I think would have made them even better.

The pancakes turned out light and delicious. If you like crepes, this would also work by making them a tad thinner when you pour.

This recipe will definitely go on my keeper list. Let me know how you like them if you try this recipe. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Small Town Life

One of the great things about living in a small town is the 4th of July parade. You know many of the people in the parade and most of the spectators are your friends.

This year Wesley Village decorated at our home and stored the golf carts in our garage. Bill, Brooke, and Allie came by to check them out before the parade. (No minors drove the carts. I promise.)




Wilmore is patriotic. We appreciate those who serve our country. We also appreciate our veterans, police officers, and firemen.

The parade has creative entries such as the swim team who shoots water guns at the crowd. Tractors, fire trucks, horses and bicycles are part of the parade. We even have a lawn mower brigade. Not only do they decorate their lawn mowers, they take time to play music and perform. Many people throw out candy, and if your kids don't get some, the people next to you usually share.

Uncle Sam and Abe Lincoln joined the parade.







Besides passing out candy, Wesley Village passed out fans. After all, it is July.






The 2014 parade did not disappoint. A good time was had by all.

Flags of Summer

There's something about seeing the United States flag flying that touches my heart. It gives me hope that people still believe in America. Land of the free. Home of the brave.

I want to share a few flags I've seen recently with you.

Deadly Communications

I'm so excited to have Lillian Duncan visit us on my back porch. Lillian is a writing friend, and she has a new book releasing on July 18.

Lillian is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband, two parrots, one Jack Russell, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel she’s thinking of renaming Clifford since he keeps growing and growing and….
As a speech pathologist in the public schools for over thirty years, she worked with students of all ages with a wide variety of conditions, but especially with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives. especially God’s Word.
Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced mystery and suspense with a touch of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. To learn more about Lillian and her books, you may visit her at www.lillianduncan.net or www.lillian-duncan.com. She also has a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com.

Lillian agreed to answer a few questions today.


Tell us about DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS.
Deadly Communications features Maven Morris, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who gets a little too involved with her clients. Okay, a lot too involved. When a client she’s working with leaves abruptly, Maven is suspicious and she won’t rest until she finds her.

What’s the setting for DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS?
It takes place in the city of Wooster, Ohio. Coincidently, it’s a city I’ve lived near most of my life. But, of course, the story is fictional and not based on reality!

How did you come up with the title for DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS?
How could that not be the title? When a speech-language pathologist (SLP) gets involved in a murder mystery, what else could you name it?

Is DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS the first book you published?
No, I’ve been blessed to have several books published in the past few years. My last release was BETRAYED in January of this year. It was the second in my Sisters By Choice series. The third, REDEMPTION, will be released in September.

Why did you write DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS?

Three things happened within a few days of each other to inspire DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS.
First, my brother asked why I didn’t write a story featuring a speech-language pathologist. To which my answer was that it would be difficult to come up with a suspense story and an SLP.
Secondly, a few days later I was talking with someone whose daughter had been involved in an accident and was now experiencing communication difficulties.
Thirdly, as writers are prone to do, I was sitting daydreaming and had a vision of a young woman running through the woods and into ongoing traffic.
That’s all it took! My writer mind took over from there and DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS was born.

So, then it sounds as if you were a speech-language pathologist. Tell us a little about that job.
I retired as an SLP from a large city school district in Ohio, then spent several more years working part-time in smaller, rural districts near where I live. Between the two jobs, I don’t think there is any type of child I haven’t worked with at least once.
I loved my job and still miss it. Mostly I miss the children, not the paper work involved. If it weren’t for serious health issues, I would still be working.

What do you want readers to take away from DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS?
Before the story starts Maven has experienced a series of life-changing events that have led to depression. Maven chooses to get out of bed and keep moving. It’s not easy when life throws us a curve ball or two. It may not seem fair, but how we react to those things will determine the quality of our future.
As the story moves forward we see Maven struggle with her spirituality as she faces some difficult circumstances in her life. I want readers to know they can do the same.

Was it difficult to write a character with communication problems?
Not at all. In fact, that was part of the fun of writing DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS. In the scenes where Maven is working with her client, all I had to do was close my eyes, imagine the interaction, then open my eyes, and write it.

What is your writing process?
I am not an outliner. I wish I were—it seems easier to me. But my mind doesn’t work that way. I never know what is going to happen in my story on any given writing day. It’s as if my mind is a movie screen and I watch that day’s events and then I write it.
When I start a new story I usually have a clear picture of the main character in mind and what obstacle he/she will face, but anything goes after that. If I’m writing and start to feel bored—then I kill someone or blow something up. And that way it’s a surprise to me and to my readers.

Do you know who the bad guy is when you begin your story?
Not usually. Most of the time I have several characters who it might be and as the story comes to a conclusion, I’m surprised right along with my readers. DEADLY COMMUNICATIONS was no exception. I wasn’t sure who the culprit was until the very end. Maven and I suspected one person, but we were wrong!

Most people don’t think of murder mysteries and suspense novels as Christian Fiction. What do you say to them?
I can certainly understand their point of view. And for some readers my stories might be a bit too graphic or edgy and that’s okay, I would say my readers are those who like traditional suspense and mystery novels but are tired of all the explicit language and sex scenes that aren’t necessary to a good story.
I don’t promote or glorify violence in my stories and show characters experiencing the natural consequences of their bad choices and bad actions. My characters are usually on a spiritual journey as well—but some are further along than others.

Then what makes your stories Christian Fiction?
I don’t promote or glorify violence in my stories in any way. My characters experience the natural consequences of their bad choices and bad actions.
My stories always have an element of faith in them. How that plays out depends on the individual plots of each specific story. My main characters are always on a spiritual journey, though some may be further along than others.
One more word about Christian Fiction, it has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Other than erotica, readers can find their favorite genre as Christian Fiction as well as mainstream fiction. There are Christian Fiction books out there for every book lover—historical; romance; regency; science fiction; even horror novels.

What are you working on now?
I have a devotional blog POWER UP WITH GOD’S WORD: Secrets For a Better Life at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com. I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors two years ago and so many of the devotions focus help others who are facing a crisis—physical or spiritual.
The third book in The Sisters By Choice series (REDEMPTION) will be released in September. Along with that that I’m working on the second in the Deadly Communications series. As of now, its title is Nowhere to Belong.

HOW CAN READERS FIND YOU ON THE INTERNET?
My website is www.lillianduncan.net and I have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com My blog is TIARAS & TENNIS SHOES at www.lillian-duncan.com. I’m also on Twitter as @LillianDuncan and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lillian.k.duncan

Let me share the blurb from the back cover:
Improving communication skills is never easy. In this case, it could be murder!
Maven Morris is a speech-language pathologist on medical leave–or as she likes to put it: out to pasture.
When she’s offered a lucrative position by one of the community’s most powerful men to help his traumatic-brain-injured daughter improve her communication skills, Maven discovers deadly secrets behind the iron gates of the mansion.
Now, she must find the courage to seek justice no matter who gets hurt–even if it’s her.


Lillian, thanks for visiting with us today. I pray for your healing. You know my husband, Tim, had an accoustic neuroma, so your situation hit home with us. I hope you have great success with Deadly Communications.

What's your motto?

Many of you know my day job is working as a pharmacist at Drug Mart Pharmacy. There is never a dull moment working there. We have great customers and many have become our friends.

Over the weekend I had an interesting experience. Because of HIPPA laws, I can't lay the groundwork as well as I'd like, but here goes.

One of my customers came through the drive-thru yesterday. I've known him and his family for years. I know him, his wife, kids, his daddy, and grandchildren. They are always nice to me.
In case you don't know, Jessamine County is more countrified than citified. That's okay by me.

Whenever this man calls the store and I answer the phone he says, "This is your worst nightmare." And then he laughs. He's got a great sense of humor.

So yesterday this customer and his wife came through our drive through. They called me over to talk to me. Nothing new, that happens often.

He says, "You're a UK fan, ain't ya?"

I live in Big Blue Country, so of course I replied, "I sure am."

He says, "You want to see what I got my wife for our anniversary? It was last week."

Now they're riding in a big old pick-up truck. So it's not like I'm looking down into their vehicle. Pretty much eye-to-eye. I told him that I would like to see what he got his wife. I was interested. This man seems to be fiercely loyal to his wife and loves her like crazy. I didn't think it'd be flowers or a book. So I'm thinking maybe jewelry.

He reaches down into the seat between them and pulls up a gun! A GUN!!! Are you with me?

My eyes are now fixated on this gun.

His wife said three times before it registered with me, "It's not loaded." And she's giggling.

The gun is some kind of revolver with a pink handle and a round blue and white UK emblem.

I didn't think he'd fire on me, but that thing might be loaded and it could accidentally fire.

When I'm at work I never want to see a gun. EVER!

I broke out into almost hysterical laughing. I think everybody in the store stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was. Okay, so maybe it was hysterical laughing.

This is where I came up with my new motto.

Never pull a gun out on your pharmacist. That's my new motto!

First Star Wars Quote of July

I was about to start counting down the days until the new Star Wars movie in December, and then Bill reminded me it comes out in December 2015.
And then he said that's if Harrison Ford recovers from his fall quickly.

I'd heard Harrison Ford fell on the set but I didn't know how. So I asked Bill who said, "He tripped on the Millennium Falcon."

I'm sorry, but I laughed. Bill wasn't being funny. He was serious, and I'm sorry Mr. Ford was injured, but it just sounded funny for some reason. Maybe because one of my sons had a two foot Millennium Falcon I tripped over more than once.


In honor of Mr. Ford, today's quote come from Han Solo in Episode VI:Return of the Jedi.


I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.

Get well soon, Mr. Ford!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Do you have a special way you spend this day? When I was growing up my great Aunt Judy held a 4th of July celebration at her house every year. I'll never have a party of her caliber, but it's a great holiday to celebrate with family and friends.

We'll go to the Wilmore Parade where there will be firetrucks, horses, tractors, and the lawn mower brigade in addition to Wesley Village residents and all kinds of interesting people. It's small town America at it's best.

After the parade we'll walk home and prepare for our party. The first year was amazing and good weather. Last year was fun but rainy. I hope we'll have better weather this year.

We'll eat and play games like Rook, basketball, and corn hole. At the end of the night we'll watch fireworks. From my back porch we can see firework shows from as far away as Versailles, KY and as close as the street at the end of the neighborhood. It's a great show without the traffic problems.

However you spend the day I hope you take a moment to thank God for this great country. Happy 4th!