Soft Music and Ambiance

 

"The Coffee Shop" by Christine Graves via Leonardo AI

It's amazing what a little soft music and ambiance can do for the soul. I was sitting here trying to come up with something to write about and decided to jump onto YouTube for some soft music. I love videos that are just images with soft, instrumental music. I find it very relaxing.

I found one that showed an image of a cute little coffee shop (not the one pictured above) and some soft jazz. I love soft jazz. I thought, "Yep, this is the one". Little did I know I'd get swept up in the image itself and my mind would wander off into another dimension. 

As I stared at the picture, with what appeared to be a sweeping rain outside the windows, I got lost in a never-before-written story. In my mind, I ran that coffee shop and it was a cold and rainy night. A homeless gentleman entered the shop, simply to get out of the rain. There was something about him that told me he wasn't looking for a handout or was there to hurt me. He just wanted to get warm.

I offered him a cup of coffee and a muffin. Though at first, he declined, I convinced him to accept my offer. I told him to remove his wet coat and I'd throw it in the dryer (I'd, of course, live above the shop). I had some old clothes in the back room and found him a dry pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. 

I handed him the clothes, an old towel, and a bottle of hand soap. I showed him where the men's room was and let him go in and wash up. He explained that he couldn't pay me for the kindness, but I didn't care. I wasn't looking for any money, I just knew he needed someone to give him a chance.

When he came out of the restroom, he sat down and enjoyed his coffee and muffin. I poured him another cup and joined him. He told me his story. A veteran down on his luck, trying to find his way in society. I could hear the sadness in his voice.

I asked him what he did in the military and was surprised by his answer. He'd been a culinary specialist in the Navy. Then he told me what it was like cooking for hundreds of his fellow crewmen. I saw the gleam in his eye and the pride in his soul. 

He finished his coffee and thanked me for the muffin. I asked him where he'd be staying for the night and he said he was hoping I'd let him sleep in his car in my parking lot. I told him no. Instantly, his eyes dimmed and his shoulders dropped. 

He said he understood and thanked me for the coffee and muffin once again. As he stood to leave, I asked him to follow me out the back door. Out behind the coffee shop was a small building that had been converted into an apartment many years before. I'd often used it when family came to stay or if a friend just needed a place to sleep.

I let the gentleman know that there were pillows and blankets in the closet and the stuff to make coffee in the morning. He couldn't hide the shocked look on his face. He said he couldn't accept it as it was too much. I just smiled and reminded him that it was too wet and cold to sleep in a car. 

He finally accepted my offer and made his way to the apartment. I told him good night and locked up the shop. 

As I opened the next morning, the gentleman greeted me as he walked back from his car. He entered the shop and I poured him a cup of coffee. He smiled and thanked me, then asked me a curious question. He wanted to know what the pie of the day was. I'd never had a pie-of-the-day, but the idea sparked my attention. When I shared this piece of news with him, he offered to bake a couple of pies as payment for the room. I agreed.

The gentleman grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the kitchen area. As he rounded the corner...my cat jumped up on the desk and broke me out of my little trance. It was gone. The gentleman, the coffee shop, the pies...all gone. 

Oh well. It was all nothing more than a dream. Not a dream from sleep. Not a dream of success. Just a few moments in an image of a coffee shop filled with soft music and ambiance.

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Christine is an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

Be sure to sign up for the Graves Publications newsletter to stay up with all the latest news. 

If You Believe, Anything is Possible

 

"Endless Possibilities" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

I did a post a few weeks ago about the feeling I've been getting about writing more about God. Though I'm not a very religious person, I do believe in God and I do see myself as a very spiritual person. 

Anyway, I keep getting a message telling me I need to bring Him into more of my writing and look to Him for more guidance. Then, something happened that brought it all together. 

Let me give you a little backstory. My great-niece, (she's 19), found out she was going to have a baby. Though the father isn't in the picture, her parents, (my nephew and niece-in-law) were ready to help her out any way they could. 

The baby's due date was late February/early March. We had planned on having the baby shower today, (January 26), but the Universe had other plans. Baby boy showed up on January 19th, a month and a half early. 

As you may expect, he's been in NICU since his birth. He's having issues breathing and he's still in critical condition. His mama has been discharged, but this poor girl is just numb. She's trying to put on a brave face, but you can tell all she wants to do is sit down and cry.

The family decided to go ahead with the baby shower. They felt it would be a nice distraction for the mama and help get her out of her funk. Then, my niece-in-law called me last night, crying. She asked me if I'd be willing to deliver the prayer at the beginning of the shower. The baby is struggling and it's almost more than either she or the mama can take. I didn't even hesitate before saying yes.

I woke up thinking about it. I wanted to make sure to say all the right things and not accidentally say something that would hurt someone's feelings. Without thinking, I was scrolling through social media and something popped up I wasn't expecting. It was a post about a Bible quote. Mark 9:23 says, "Everything is possible for he who believes".

Now, keep in mind, I'm not normally the kind of person who stops to watch these types of reels. However, something told me to watch this one. It hit me...hard. I started crying myself. Then, I knew I had the message I needed to pass along.

I went to the baby shower and gave the opening prayer. I made sure to bring up the verse and how I believed that all would be well. I must have hit the mark as I turned around and my niece-in-law was bawling her eyes out and little mama ran up to give me a hug. Auntie loves all her babies. 

Now, here's the kicker. It hit me that this verse doesn't just pertain to a tiny baby and my family members. It pertains to EVERYTHING!!!

I've been working hard to bring my dream to fruition. I'm not making a ton of money with my writing, but for some reason, I'm not sweating over it. In fact, I'm enjoying myself. Maybe it's because I've moved more into the old-school blogging thing, instead of the "writing for the masses" thing. I just feel better about it. And I believe in it. 

I wholeheartedly believe that I will make this happen. I may not make this happen in a couple of weeks, but I will make this happen. I've taken on the mantra, "I'm the only person who can stand in my way". And this is also something I truly believe.

Even if you're not a religious or spiritual person, most people believe that a positive attitude is key to making it in this world. If you don't believe in yourself, why would anyone else? If you believe you can achieve something, you can. However, it may not be exactly what you were expecting. Remember, even a little win is still a win.

If you believe in your own abilities, you will succeed. That doesn't mean it will be handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work hard and find your path. You have to set small goals in order to reach the big one. And you have to see your failures as learning curves. 

Yes, everything IS possible for those who believe. Do you believe?

Until next time,
Miss Chris!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Christine is an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

Be sure to sign up for the Graves Publications newsletter to stay up with all the latest news. 

Creating a Newsletter I Can Be Proud Of

 

Hey Y'all!!! 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope the new year is being good to you all. I'm having a blast right now. 

I've been in the process of revamping my Substack newsletter and it's coming together. I have a real plan in place, though I do still have a few kinks to work out.

I'm planning on doing both a free and a paid subscription. For the free subscription, I'm going to do two issues per month. Each issue will have links for any new posts I've added to each of my blogs (including my Medium.com account). I will also have links to any new items listed at my online shops and links to any new literary releases I might have.

Another thing I'm planning on adding to the free issues are links to other creatives around the web and reviews of sites I think y'all might like. I don't want the free issue to simply be about my stuff. I still want you all to find something of use to you.

As for the paid subscription, I have quite a bit planned. I'm going to open an artists' chat for all paid subscribers, as well as working on doing a few podcasts and/or videos. I'm planning on having a few writing contests and possibly some artistic contests. 

I won't lie. I'm still working out all the details, but I am working on it. By this time next year, I'd really like to see this become a wonderful resource for creatives of all types. There are a lot of sites out there geared toward creative writers, as well as several places made especially for artists. I want to bring all those sites together in one place. 

Though I've been writing for more than 30 years, I'd never thought of myself as an artist. One of my best friends in high school was an amazing artist. She could sit down and draw just about anything and it was just gorgeous. I was so jealous. It wasn't until here just recently that I began to understand that my crafty side was a form of artistry. I may not be able to draw or paint beautiful images, but I create unique gift tags and greeting cards that are all one-of-a-kind items. I built a miniature diorama of an old saloon. It was really cool.

I was pretty proud of this one. It took me like three months to put it together. It was 10"x10"x12", and made mostly of balsa wood, popsicle sticks, leather, and cardstock. 

This was the piece that made me believe that some of the stuff I created could be considered art. And if it took me that long to figure out that what I did was art, how many others out there feel the same? My goal is to find a way to bring some of those quiet voices to the forefront. 

Though I have a lot of plans, I also know I have to take a step back and do this the right way. I don't want to overwhelm myself and burnout before I even get started. I want to make this newsletter something that everyone looks forward to receiving. 

I've already sent out Issue 1, and Issue 2 should come out around the 15th. I don't want to overwhelm my subscribers and I really don't have enough stuff to send out to warrant sending more than 2 issues a month. 

If you're a writer or an artist and would like to see this journey come to light, I invite you to become a subscriber. I won't lie, as of right now, I don't have a lot put together for the paid subscriptions, but I will have something put together by the next issue. And if you'd rather opt for the free subscription, just to see how things roll for a while, I totally get it. I don't blame you either. 

Thank you for stopping by. I very much appreciate it. 

Until next time,
Stay Creative!!!

~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Christine is an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

Be sure to sign up for the Graves Publications newsletter to stay up with all the latest news.