Our Journey Continues.....

Niagara Falls, Canada

and a

Very Special Person

Signs the Traveling Book

After our wonderful visit in Peterborough for the 2010 International Dragon Boat Festival solely for Breast Cancer Survivors, my friend Barb and I decided to take a couple extra days and head to Niagara Falls.  As you can see from the picture above, it was spectacular!  Very beautiful and wet!

It was amazing!  The picture above is from the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and below is a picture of the American Falls on the New York side.  Both just breath taking and something I have wanted to see since I was a kid, I can take that off my life list now (all the things I want to do while I am living, truly living).

Barb and I had a wonderful time doing all the tourist stuff that Niagara has to offer, we went to the Butterfly Conservatory, Niagara's Fury, Journey Behind the Falls and of course, Maid of the Mist!  I think we covered everything!  We even stayed and watched the Falls as they change colors at night, which was suppose to take place at 9pm, but really took place at almost 10pm, but like good tourist we hung in there and it was totally worth it.  I don't think we missed a thing, including all the Fudge stops! 

But as wonderful and fun as all this was, even all this pales in comparison to the next event because this was just so special to me.......

Meet...

Darren Cranford

Illustrator of Mirror Makeovers & Savvy Insights

I was so excited about this stop and about having Darren sign the Traveling Book!    Darren and I  have been working together mostly via email for a little over a year.  He is the illustrator of my book and I could not be happier.  But believe it or not,  this is the first time that Darren and I have ever met! It amazes me, when I look at the illustrations and how I have had them in my head for years, only to be so blessed to have someone come along who could take what I saw in my minds eye and put it down on paper so perfectly!  I thank my lucky stars everyday!  And besides being an incredibly talented illustrator, he is very kind, patient, and generous!  Even though we had never met, I felt like I have known him for years, even from the beginning.  Even though we work together I have felt as though he has stood by me like a true friend, full on encouragement, inspiration, with a great ear, a good heart and a very kin sense of figuring out what I want when I get overly excited with a new idea and thought!  Somehow he manages to put it down on paper just like it is scrambled in my head!!  For that he deserves a medal because... I can get very excited!!   

When we started out and I had the book written, I would describe to him what I wanted for the illustration, I would say "You know, you have really bad days, like Medusa and I use to draw snakes on the mirror" and this is what I got.....Perfect!!  Just perfect, even down to the robe and of course the cup!

Then I would say; "when I was bald I use to wear really big earrings so I wouldn't look like one of the boys!" Again, exactly what I had in my head!  I even think I have a pair of earrings like that.

While we were working on the eyebrows gal, I would tell him that you have so many emotions that there where days that I just thought..."Beam me up Betty"..just get me out of here. I always figure "Betty" would work better then "Scotty" because "Betty" would totally understand!  And again, perfect eyebrows and just how I felt on those "Beam me up days"...

So now you have an idea of how Mirror Makeovers & Savvy Insights came to life and who the wonderful person is that helped me accomplish this.  It was so much fun and I am positive that that fun came from being able to work with someone so professional, kind and understanding.

All of you know that the name of my publishing company is Quiet Angel Publishing, but you might not know the reason behind it.  Since I was a kid, my mom has told me to say my "Angel Prayer" a prayer to our Guardian Angel so they will watch over us and she tells me this to this day.  Now everyone has their own beliefs and I will always be the first to respect that, but for me, I believe that I have someone watching over me.  And this is the reason why, now it could be that my Mom says the heck out of that Angel Prayer 100 times over, when I am on one of my adventures, traveling, riding the Harley to Laughlin, paddling in open water, etc.  But the reason I believe it, is because for one... I am still standing.  I have made it through my adventures, through tragedies in my life, and through cancer, but it goes beyond that.  I have met and have some wonderful people in my life.  My family, who watches over me constantly never tiring and seems to like the job.  My true friends who have stuck by me, encouraged me, and helped me every step of the way (like Barb above) and the wonderful people I have met that help, not because they need to or have to, but because they want to with kindness and support and Darren will always be one of those to me.  I consider myself truly blessed every day!

This is why I honor Angels....because I have so many in my life!

My logo another beautiful illustration by

DARREN CRANFORD

Even though this is your work, I owe you a debt of gratitude for helping to make my dream come true!