Julie Saffrin | Julie Saffrin

A VISIT WITH FOUND ART SCULPTOR KAREN O’KANE

September 7, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 2 Comments

Today’s guest is Karen O’Kane, a writing friend of mine who had her art exhibit featured in the Fine Arts building at the 2016 Minnesota State Fair. More than 2,600 people entered their artwork into this year’s juried competition. Karen’s artwork was one of the 300 accepted into the exhibit. Here’s her story. Thanks for joining me on the blog today, Karen. I’m so happy that your piece was selected for the Fine Arts Exhibit! Congratulations. You and I met in July 2014 in your driveway on our way with two others to Montana for a writing retreat. I remember well the…

GOOD-BYE LANDLINE, SNIFF-SNIFF

August 26, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 8 Comments

tip·ping point noun the point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change. The fourteenth political call of the day on Tuesday, August 22, 2016, was the tipping point that gave me permission to cancel my landline. For three years, my husband has tried to persuade me to “cut the cord” on our landlines and just live in a world of communicating with our cell phones. I was hesitant. “What if someone needs to reach us but doesn’t have our cell phone numbers?” “What if a storm…

A CARPENTER WHO TAUGHT A GIRL HOW TO WRITE

July 22, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 5 Comments

For those of you following this blog, you know that July 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of my father’s entering into eternity. Earlier this month, in Summertime Blues in July, I wrote about seeing my father be ushered into glory in 2001 as well as his and my favorite color, blue. Thanks to so many of you who sent me your encouraging words as to that blog. I am profoundly grateful to you, my readers, for your choosing to read this blog and for your kind words. For today’s blog, I’d like to thank Southern Writers Magazine and especially Annette Cole…

NICE, FRANCE AND THE WINNER OF EBOOK GIVEAWAY

July 15, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 2 Comments

Thinking about Nice, France today and the horribleness of the terrorist attack along the Promenade Des Anglais. Eighty-four people were killed by a madman, at least 10 of them children, on Bastille Day 2016. This image is a symbol of my heart going out to France and those who grieving. Hard to announce the winner of the ebook giveaway in light of France’s tragedy. But I do want to thank of you who who left comments for a chance to win Sue Russell’s latest release, An Iron Yoke. It was meaningful that so many people read this blog post. Sue…

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRITISH AUTHOR SUE RUSSELL OF KENT COUNTY, UK

July 11, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 12 Comments

In the course of doing research on British novelist Sue Russell, I learned of her having played the piano for a ballet school, scrubbed steps in hospitals, volunteered as a Samaritan for 17 years, and taught English in Indonesia. But what fascinated me most, from a writer’s viewpoint, was discovering Sue knew she wanted to be a writer when she was a young girl. I couldn’t help but smile when I read that by 12 she had a handful of rejection slips. Ahh, to quote another British writer, Jane Austen, the half agonies and half hopes of a writer. Decades later, Sue’s friends put up a challenge.…

SUMMERTIME BLUES IN JULY

July 3, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 8 Comments

Today my father, Donald Trewartha, has been gone for 15 years. So this blog post will be a little bit nostalgic and blue. Blue because of Dad’s and my mutual love of our favorite fruit, blueberries, our favorite color, blue, and because of a little wonder that I was a witness to, both on the day my father died and today. My dad was 73 when he passed away. While all who knew him were sad to see him go, all of us hated to see him suffering from Alzheimer’s and knew he was going to Heaven. His last days…

A VISIT TO CANNON FALLS

July 2, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 8 Comments

If you’re a reader of my blog, you’ll know I love to go adventuring on a my Townie bike. (If you want to, you can read about another bike ride, the Central Lakes bike trail, my husband and I took in September 2013.) Last week, I had some time to gallivant with my husband, Rick, so we drove to Cannon Falls to bike part of the Cannon Valley Trail. I’ve been many times to the Country Kitchen in Cannon Falls to meet my writing friend, Joy DeKok there for our brainstorming sessions, but I never knew there were falls in the…

FOURTH OF JULY SALE! FREE SHIPPING IN THE SHOP

June 30, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • Leave a Comment

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite times of year. It’s a time to celebrate all that we Americans cherish. So, I’m having a little fireworks happening in my website’s store. From July 1 through 11:59 p.m. on July 5th, everything in the shop will ship to you for free! And yes, there are items as well on sale! Hope wherever you celebrate Independence Day, you have a wonderful time basking in summer’s favorite holiday celebration!

A SUMMER EVENING ON DEAD LAKE

June 14, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 4 Comments

2016 marks the tenth year we have owned our cabin on Dead Lake in Ottertail County, Minnesota. When we first bought the place, our three sons, Sam, Joe, and Jake, joked that the reason the lake was called Dead was “because there were no girls on it.” I, too, was surprised the first time we circled the lake. With the exception of a handful of resorts, very little noise or activity was to be seen or heard. Notta one ice cream shop or restaurant to motor up to on this 7,500-acre lake was to be found. The lake, it turns…

A BRIDE GIVES A BLESSBACK® TO HER PARENTS

June 3, 2016 • Julie Saffrin • 1 Comment

To all of you who bought my book, thank you so much! I’m deeply touched. My heart, like the picture above, is full. Like Celia Thaxter’s saying, I’m having an eternal summer, thanks to your kindness. Just a small heads-up for others thinking about buying the book. Today, June 4th is the last morning BlessBack: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life is on sale for $1.99. At 10 a.m. CST, the book will be full price at $3.99. As my blog post earlier this week explained (read about it here and here), there are many ways to express thanks back to…

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