Only You Can Change Your Life

You Have the Power

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

– Carol Burnett

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeatsseries and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Love’s Thrill

The Thrill of Love

lovers-thrill

“The real lover is the man who can thrill you just by touching your head or smiling into your eyes – or just by staring into space.” – Marilyn Monroe

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Happiness is the Key to Success

Love What You Do

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“Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Love Sees ALL People

Love Sees All of Us

love-sees-all-people

“The power of love is that it sees all people.” – DaShanne Stokes

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Make Your Own Opportunities

Build Your Door

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”.png

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Divine Love

“I am in you, and you in me..”

divine-love

“I am in you and you in me, mutual in divine love.” – William Blake

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Fresh Memories

Showing versus Telling Wins Again

One of the most beautiful things about having a little person in your life is the fact that EVERYTHING is new to them. Late Sunday afternoon, my preschooler noticed a spatula that I’d placed on the counter after pulling it from the dishwasher and asked, “What’s that for?”

Nevermind the fact that he’s seen it before, or even plays with one of his own in his kid’s kitchen. His natural curiosity and desire for an explaination warmed my “tell me about everything under the sun” heart. I took the time to lean down, give him a hug (becuase how could I resist?), and explained what the instrument is typically used for. He listened to me politely when I explained, but honestly, what’s the fun in that? It dawned on me that this moment could be so much more.

The Best Pancakes EVER

So, I pulled out the gridle – my old-fashined one that your grandma probably has – gathered a few ingredients, and whipped out a couple of mixing bowls. In just a few minutes, he and I were contentedly making 100% whole-wheat buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes!

The entire experience was precious, and we had so much fun. The end result was actually INCREDIBLY delicious, and I promise you, even the most skeptical person would enjoy the taste of these whole-wheat pancakes. Let me know if you’d like the recipie. I’m posting a picture here – and although it’s far from fancy food-blog-worthy, it’s a photo capturing a moment in time where my only child and I made a beutiful memory.

No wonder the pancakes tasted so good.

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Thank You to All of Our Veterans

We See You

Today is Veterans Day here in the United States, and I’m happy to be one of many extending my thanks to those who have served. I want to use this opportunity to share a link to Charity Navigator.org that’s devoted to helping our veterans and their families: Highly-Rated Military and Veterans Organizations. This is simply a reminder that we can help in many ways, both nationally and locally.  A thank you to our veterans is great, but getting them food, a place to stay, and consistent medical attention is even better.

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“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

Atina Atwood, AuthorLeave a comment

One Soul, Two Bodies

One Soul, Two Bodies

love-is-two-bodies-one-soul

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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The Art of Falling in Love by Haleigh Wenger #AtinaReads

The Art of Falling in Love by Haleigh Wenger

(This is a modified reposting from July 2019.) Just in case you haven’t had a chance to check out this amazing book, add Haleigh Wenger’s The Art of Falling In Love to your Fall reading list to keep you warm while the temperatures plummet!

If you’ve had a chance to read this coming of age, please consider leaving a review so that others have a chance to find out more about this lovely author!

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The Art of Falling in Love by Haleigh Wenger.

This YA book goes beyond “sweet” romance by incorporating social commentary about a topic that many authors are afraid to touch.
It’s hard enough falling in love while you’re a teenager – imagine navigating those treacherous waters while being homeless:

Seventeen-year-old Claire Haynes always spends summer vacation at her family’s beach house in Florida, sketching and dreaming of art school with her biggest fan–her Opa. But when Opa dies right before summer break, all Claire has left besides her memories is a sand-sculpting contest application with her name on it and the lingering question of why Opa filled it out in the first place. Claire has never even made a decent sandcastle, but she reluctantly turns in the entry forms, hoping the contest will help her navigate the grieving process by honoring one of Opa’s last wishes.

When she meets Foster, a teenage boy with a talent for turning recyclables into abstract sculptures, the two join forces to win the contest and salvage the Summer of Art. They spend the humid summer days shoveling sand, devouring ice cream, and exploring Florida’s art scene. Just like Opa, Foster understands Claire and her overwhelming need to create, but he has a secret that threatens to ruin everything: he’s homeless and hiding from an abusive brother who would have him believe family trumps all.

When Claire’s parents find out about Foster’s homelessness, they offer him a home along with their hearts. But even picture-perfect families like Claire’s can harbor an ugly side, especially in the aftermath of Opa’s death. When someone close to Claire spills Foster’s secret, they’re both forced to choose between love and familial obligation. If Claire can’t break through long-held beliefs and prove family is more than shared DNA, she could permanently lose Foster and a chance at the sand contest to honor Opa.

– The Art of Falling in Love, back cover exerpt

Far too often, trends in Romance focus on “The Billionaire” this and that. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, kudos to Haleigh Wenger for providing us readers with a hero who forces the reader to explore the novel with both heart and reflection. I especially appreciated her vivid, descriptive writing, empathetic character development, and a great story that didn’t shy away from uncomfortable subjects – juvenile homelessness, sibling rivalry/betrayal, and coping with life after a devastating event. (On a personal note, it was also wonderful to reconnect with familiar areas in Florida.)

Order The Art of Falling in Love and add it to your TBR pile in time for the Holidays!

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series and a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

 

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