Amy M. Schaefer
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From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor.  It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone!  (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)
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Mother Nature Bites Back

5/26/2015

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Picture
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"That's the thing about Mother Nature, she really doesn't care what economic bracket you're in." ~Whoopi Goldberg

If you've ever had any type of condition that constantly itches, then you'll probably be able to relate to this. A week ago Saturday I was weeding my flowerbed wearing shorts, flip flops, a tank top and gardening gloves. I got knee-deep into some Poison Ivy and let me tell ya, this is NOT a good thing. I didn't know I'd had my skin infested with the oils from the leaves until it was too late. Spots started showing up on Wednesday and by Friday night, the itching was almost unbearable! I couldn't sleep, I couldn't sit still, and the only thing that constantly occupied my mind was, "I want to scratch and make it stop!" It's strange to me how something as simple as an itch could drive you mad, but it totally can. You can't think through it, distract yourself from it, or force it out of your head. Hearing, "...it will stop in a couple of weeks" was not comforting at all! In fact, at one point it crossed my mind that if I burned my flesh with, say, a flame-thrower, the itching would go away and I'd actually get some relief (See? I told you it was making me nutso!).

When I was a child, Aunt Mattie used to tell me various places in the yard to avoid while playing due to nefarious plant life. She also never allowed me to play in the woods unless I had long pants and tennis shoes on. Once I was old enough to have my own yard, she taught me to never dig through brush without first protecting your skin, which I totally didn't do on that Saturday that Mother Nature decided to teach my butt a lesson. I have always had a healthy respect for the wondrous and sometimes deadly things she is capable of. And even though I'm still itchin', I am in awe of her constant beauty! The growing season has begun and so far the score is weeds = 1, Amy = zero! And contrary to the picture above, Poison Ivy is not a sexy look...at least not for me, unless you find oozing sores all over my body and hairy legs due to my inability to shave them per avoiding infection in the "Smokin' Hot" category!
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    About The Author

    I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

    Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

    What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

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  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
    • Children's Books
  • About the Author
  • Contact
  • Photo & Art Gallery