Read The Face In The Mirror Online
Authors: Barbara Stewart
The Face In The Mirror (35 page)
Not long ago, I was sitting on the porch swing at Granny’s. It was after
everyone had left and I was there alone. It was quiet. Traffic had seemed to
stop. There was no breeze. It was just peaceful, quiet. As I sat there, I saw a
yellow butterfly float past my field of vision. I thought of Midgey always calling
my mom her ‘special little butterfly’. A sense of contentment washed over me.
I still see my mom in the mirror. I hear her voice in my head in the way of
guidance, encouragement, and comfort. I hope this happens throughout the
remainder of my life. I miss her.
This morning, I was brushing my teeth, getting ready to head to town with
Mitchell. I wiped my mouth with a hand towel and looked in the mirror. That
damn dimple winked back at me, and I saw love, and smiled. Mitchell slipped
his arms around my waist and I turned to face him.
“I love mirrors. I see so much when I look in them.”
“What did you see today, Renie?” he asked nuzzling my neck.
“The love of my life.”
Another piece of my heart…
As I was writing, Gene asked me where I got the idea for this one. I didn’t
have to think about it. “I saw my mom in the mirror when I was brushing my
teeth.”
I lost my mom in 2006. I think about her everyday. She would have loved
this journey that I’m on.
Alis loved to read.
She would ready ANYTHING. I remember a time that I came in the living
room to find her with her nose stuck in a book. This happened frequently, but
this one sticks in my mind.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
She held it so that I could see the cover.
Big A: The Story of Lew Alcindor
“Who?” I asked.
(Must type this out spelled the way she said it.) “You know, that basket ball
player who changed his name to Karum Abdula Jabber (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
I miss her.
One of the first books I remember her giving me was
Little Women
by
Louisa May Alcott. I loved the story of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. And then she
gave me the
Nancy Drew Series
. I remember that my bedroom at the time had a
cedar closet. I can see the bare light bulb with the white string pull that hung
from the ceiling, and sitting on the floor in that closet engrossed in Nancy’s
adventures. And then she gave me
Christy
by Catherine Marshall.
We didn’t have a lot of money, but her love of reading opened a whole
new world of adventures for me to explore.
I miss her.
Thank you to every one of you who take a chance on these pieces of my
heart and share them with your friends. I took a different direction on this
journey. I needed to. It’s all part of growth. I needed to “take it to the next
level.” I’m not sure I made it all the way, but I definitely kicked it up a notch
higher than my previous endeavors.
My friends who are The Red Pen Mafia and Babs’ Beta Readers bless me –
you are gifts beyond measure. Your honest input on the original story was a
means - a wonderful step – to make it better. You won’t recognize some of this
but I hope you’ll see your thoughts and ideas in the changes. You were the
PUSHERS. Thank you!
Thank you to Vixen Editing for adding the POLISH. Trish, you were the
ULTIMATE CHALLENGER! I loved your comments and side notes (You
can do it!). Thanks for making me rethink some things and eliminate others in
order to make this the best story I can share. This was new to me, and just the
shove I needed. I can’t wait for the next journey we share together!
As part of this new path I reached out to readers who have let me know
they liked my work, and Barbara’s Bitzes Street Team was formed. You ladies
that PIMP me are the best! Because you believe in me and share me, I have
found many new readers who gave me a chance. Thank you for sharing my
work with blogs that you follow, and to the bloggers who then share me with
their followers. Special thanks to The Book Avenue for believing in
this
book
and taking me in yet another direction.
Thank you to Covers by Design for helping me ‘see’ a gorgeous cover! All
my covers have been a growing process and I’ve been blessed with their beauty.
Thanks for helping me find my way with this one.
Thank you to my family for the fodder to build this story. Thank you for
giggles and laughs that somehow turn up on the pages of my work. Thank you
for memories that I try to weave into each story so that all of them live on.
Swept by the breeze of kindness. ~Author Unknown
Lastly, thank you to Gene, the other half of my reflection. Thank you for
believing in me, and going along for the ride. I love you…
After the Betas and Vixen kept seeing the Picante Chicken in the story, they
suggested that I share the recipe. It’s something that I got from a Pace Picante
Sauce advertisement, but just like Renie, I always have my own spin. To me, a
recipe is a map – I like to take detours.
4-6 – 4oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar Pace Picante Sauce (I use the mild)
¼ C Dijon Mustard
¼ C Honey
2 TBSP brown sugar
If you like the breasts in tact do this is a skillet. Brown chicken about 5 minutes
on each side and then cover with the sauce. Cook covered about 40 minutes.
Serve over yellow rice with sautéed green pepper and onion (black beans are
good too!)
If you like it shredded do it in a crockpot. I cook it all day on low.
Barbara Stewart (7/13/1959) was born in Havre de Grace, MD, and grew up in
southeastern Pennsylvania, and the central east coast of Florida. She resides in
Middleburg, FL with her husband Gene.
Barbara has worked in the electronics industry, and most recently in healthcare.
She's a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, and won the Hope Award
for volunteerism in 2009.
She writes love stories that usually evolve from music - a song she hears that
paints a picture, and refers to her writing as 'the sound-track of her life.'
Sprinkled through her stories are humor and sadness based on experiences
shared with family and friends.
(readingmaven)
"As a new writer. I hope you will continue my journey, travel with me, see what
song inspires me next, and I hope that you see more growth with each page you
turn."
She finds great enjoyment in reading - it's an escape, a journey into new and
different places - but her favorite genre is romance. She loves to explore and
support other self-published authors.
Her next book is still in dream-phase and will be titled Tate.
You can reach Barbara by email [email protected]
http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-S
Stewart/e/B0076J5RHE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
http://barbarastewartwrites.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Stewart-Author/352239824808537