It’s a beautiful Friday morning here in the Midwest and I just wanted to share the good news!
I received my books yesterday – Sunset Beach Dances – The Infinite Rhythms of a North Carolina Seashore, a poetry and photography about a special place that I adore!
The book is so beautiful with poems and photographs that will transport the wanderer in you back to the beach, on a journey of self-discovery and renewal of the soul, and hopefully make you want to dance.
I always dance on the beach the last night of vacation with my fur babies, while hubby watches on. Some people laugh, some people snap their fingers, some people give me crazy looks. I don’t care! In the photo below, which I titled “Free Dance” in the book, my long time friend, Tina, and I, share some crazy moves on the beach, while friend Frankie snaps our photo!
I wanted to connect Sunset Beach Dances to my very first book which won the Da Vinci Eye Award and a gold medal – Folly Beach Dances (which are still available through me). The font and format is the same, and so is the message — relax, find serenity in the simple things in life, slow down, and enjoy long meandering walks on the beach.
So I hope you find your inspiration in the hypnotic trance of the beach, and the ebb and flow of the tides!
I wish you Peace, Love, Seashells and Sandy Toes,
Sheree
You can find Sunset Beach Dances at bookstores, through Shanti Arts Publishing, and online.
Find out how I find the best coffeehouses locally, and when traveling, on Kristin Sharp’s blog Travel Artist Hub!
You can also listen to an audio recording of my poem “The Drift” from my Coffee Coma book. The poem is dedicated to my two dog children who passed away recently – Bordeaux and Sabrina.
It was first celebrated in Japan in 1983, and is now known globally. Its original purpose was to raise awareness for coffee farmers and promote fair trade, but it also celebrates the yummy bean that prompts our day.
With National Coffee Day coming up, I can’t help but think of my beautiful relationship with coffee.
I love coffee so much, I penned a book, Coffee Coma – poems and photos about our love affair and life with coffee. This book will take you on a journey through life with coffee.
You see, I might be considered a caffeine addict. I seem to plan events, activities, and vacations around preferred coffee house locations. I celebrate my addiction in Coffee Coma.
I suppose my love of coffee began at seventeen. On a camping trip, I rummaged through the RV’s kitchen cabinets, searching for tea bags. Unable to see them, I just about lost my mind.
“Where’s the tea?” I yelled.
“All we have is coffee,” my friend replied.
In the company of kindred spirits, we gathered around a blazing fire. I sipped coffee from an indigo blue enamelware mug…and it tasted good.
Fast forward to my second husband who could easily consume four to five cups of coffee within a couple hours. He even taught me how to make yummy Cappucinnos with our espresso machine.
At this minute, I’m sipping a decaf vanilla latte from my favorite mug – a cat playing a guitar. The back of the mug reads, ‘I’m with the band’.
Yes, I’m so addicted to coffee, I’ll drive at least fifteen to twenty minutes out of the way for a velvety latte when traveling, or at our vacation destination. And at home….chuckle.
I love sipping a latte while enjoying a cool breeze on our deck, with friends at a café, on a rainy day relaxing on the porch, huddled around a fire, or at a favorite breakfast spot.
It’s not that I drink a lot of coffee. I just try to figure out how to include at least one specialty coffee a day.
Coffee is unlike pizza in the respect that if the pizza is bad, it’s still good. If you drink a bad coffee, you have this bitter taste in your mouth. Yuk!
That’s why I try to drink great coffee. Why not treat yourself every day to a great coffee? Life is too short.
So on National Coffee Day, treat yourself. Go have coffee with a friend, get your French press out that’s hidden away in the closet, or stop by a local café and grab a hot one to go.
In the meantime, here’s a poem that just happens to be the title of the book – Coffee Coma
Coffee Coma
(life after coronavirus)
After this social distancing
‘thing’
is over –
an unavoidable journey
of wanderlust
to best-loved cafes,
with kindred spirits
and coffee afficionados.
Friend,
we’ll sip
frothy lattes,
iced cappuccinos,
pretentious Americanos,
savor sumptuous espresso
martini’s
and indulge in creamy
Affogatos,
until night falls
an autumnal cornucopia
of Mocha,
Café Au Lait,
and
Caramel Macchiatos.
We’ll be as high
as a harvest moon
rising.
**********
Also, stop by one of my many favorite coffeehouses I’ve listed in the index. Here are a few:
California
Caffee Luxxe, 22333 CA-1, Suite 160, Malibu, CA
Missouri
Course Coffee Roasters, 1218 N 2nd Street, St. Charles, MO
Picasso’s, 101 N. Main St., St. Charles, MO
Maypop Coffee and Garden Shop, 803 Marshall Avenue, Webster Groves, MO 63119
North Carolina
Drift, 20 E. Second Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
I want to thank my publisher Christine Cote for this beautiful press release for my new book Coffee Coma. She did a wonderful job on the book and I’m grateful it’s out in the world.
In visiting coffee houses around the country for inspiration for my new book, Coffee Coma – poems & photos about our love affair & life with coffee, I discovered that the baristas experiment with many flavors whether spicy, nutty, sweet or citrusy.
Brown sugar vanilla is one of my favorites, but channel orange is running a close second. As a matter of fact, I’m drinking an iced brown sugar orange latte right now.
The baristas use powdered orange peels that are dried and ground in a process, to add flavor to the lattes and cappuccino.
The recipe for powdered orange peels, and an orange latte is listed below —
Peel two oranges with a potato peeler trying not to include the pith (the stringy white part of the peel).
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Lay peels on a baking sheet lined with two layers of parchment paper.
Place peels on baking tray.
Place tray in oven for 15 minutes. Remove tray and check to see if the peel cracks when you bend it in half with your hand. If it doesn’t, place the tray back in over for another 15 minutes.
It took me three tries or 45 minutes for my peels to crack.
Let cool for an hour or longer.
Place a small amount of peel in a pestle and grind to a powder consistency.
Store in a glass container.
I like to add about ½ teaspoon powdered peel to my hot or cold espresso drinks.
You can add the peel to the portafilter with the ground coffee if you have an espresso machine. This way the orange flavor mixes with the coffee.
Another option – add peel to the bottom of the shot glass so the orange powder mixes the espresso as it pulls and drips into the glass.
I add about 1 teaspoon brown sugar to sweeten.
Pour over foamed milk for a hot drink, or pour over foamed milk and add ice for a cold drink.
Next project – candied orange peels. This will eliminate having to add sugar.
Peace, Love and Coffee,
Sheree
P.S. Coffee Coma releases August 3. More information here
I read something given to me by an outpatient therapist after I was hospitalized for depression this winter that developed after eye surgery. (Needless to say, I felt down and sorry for myself, and wondered if I’d ever get out of this dark hole…wondered if my eye would heal properly.)
It was a document published by The Tapping Solution written by Nick Ortner. The document told a story about a blind boy sitting on the steps of a building with a hat on the ground near his feet. A sign read, “I am blind, please help.”
Only a few coins were in the hat – spare change from folks who hurried past the man. A man walking by dropped some coins in the hat, then took the boy’s sign, turned it around, and penned some words. He placed the sign back in the boy’s hand so all those strolling by could see what was written.
The hat began to fill up. The man left and stopped by later that afternoon to see how the boy was doing. His hat was full of coins.
“Were you the one that changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
“I only wrote the truth.” “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it. “
Both signs spoke the truth, but the second sign conveyed to everyone walking buy how grateful they should be.
What is gratitude:
Gratitude is a habit. It’s a way of looking at the world and all the good things in it with a feeling of appreciation, regardless whether your current situation is great or bleak. It’s a heart-centered approach to being at peace with yourself and all you have. I think Nick Ortner’s words really got through to me.
I decided instead of being depressed, I was going to start looking at things in a different light. The right medicines helped as well. I got my joy back. I’m happy about that.
Last week I breathed in, and breathed out, fresh salty sea air at my favorite beach – Sunset Beach, North Carolina. I shared this experience with the doggos and my hubby. It was a magnificent week of relaxation.
I have ‘tons’ to be grateful for – nature, the birds, the trees, a roof over my head, financial security, great friends and family, a church family that cares beyond belief, remission from lymphoma, and my partner in life – my husband, Russell.
Like Nick Ortner says, “When you practice gratitude, you attract more things in life for which to be grateful.”
What do you have in your life to be thankful for?
Peace, love, and sand dollars,
Sheree K. Nielsen
Sheree is the author of four books –
– 2019 Royal Dragonfly First Place for Poetry, First Place for Fine Art/Photography, Honorable Mention for Coffee Table Books Mondays in October
IF YOU’RE A NEW AUTHOR, WANTING TO PUBLISH A BOOK, PLEASE READ THIS!
Monday, I felt motivated to clean out the file cabinet in my office.
I ran across this document from a publisher from 2013. I have removed any information that identifies them.
If you’re thinking about PAYING a publisher to publish your new book – DON’T.
Luckily, I didn’t fall for this trap and relied on the wisdom of my author friend Sandra Carrington-Smith. She mentioned this correspondence threw up red flags and suggested I ask them a series of questions. They never responded to ANY of my questions.
This publisher wanted me to PAY them half of their cost (or so they say) or $5,000 to publish my essay collection with photos, Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits, and store the books in THEIR warehouse.
I’d have to pay them another $5 per book to get them out of the publisher’s inventory. WHAT? I’m suppose to do all this, and sell retail on my website. RIGHT!!
Look at the font in the first paragraph. It’s totally different than the font in the rest of the email.
This tells you I WAS NOT special. This publisher cut and pasted the body of the letter after the first paragraph.
Please, new writers, I implore you, don’t fall into this trap. Do research before signing any contracts.
You shouldn’t have to pay a publisher to release your book into the world.
With that said, in 2014, I released Folly Beach Dances to the world. It went on to win a 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award and Art Category Finalist from the Eric Hoffer Foundation.
After receiving print samples from printers all over the country, I used a wonderful printer in Chicago (Publishers Graphics), a kickbutt designer (Kristy Makansi), and even planned an AWESOME LAUNCH PARTY at a really cool venue in historic St. Charles.
In less than 5 months, I recouped ALL the printing costs ON THIS BIG BEAUTIFUL coffee table book, designer, marketing and launch party fees and had turned a profit. And…it was my first book!
I relied on my network of smart, wise and creative people along the way to nudge me forward.
Looking back over the last six years, I can’t believe I’ve published four books!
You can do this! Just don’t fall prey to people that are just out to make a buck, and have no interest in investing in your welfare!
Any questions, feel free to connect with me at oceanspiritpublishing at gmail.com. Feel free to share this post.
As my eyelids became heavy, visions of sugar plum fairies danced in my head. Within minutes I was lulled into dreamland, and into magical thoughts of Christmas.
What if you could collect all the good things about Christmas and capture them in a bottle?
Sort of like a ship in a bottle, or seashells and sand in a bottle…
But this bottle would capture the night baby Jesus was born, the smell of pine trees, Christmas carols, the way snow feels when it touches your face, kittens’ whiskers, Christmas lights…the feeling of Christmas in your heart.
And whenever you’re having a bad day, you could just open the bottle and sprinkle Kindness, Love, and Hope on yourself, or on all the Bob Cratchit’s of the world.
I thought to myself as I awoke from slumber, ‘Christmas in a Bottle’ is just a dream.
We need to remember to be kind, helpful and loving to others on a daily basis, especially to those we meet on the street.
It doesn’t take much effort or money to open a door, buy a coffee, start a conversation, give a smile or a hug to those you know, or even a perfect stranger.
So this Christmas, I’m challenging you to pay it forward every day.
Once you get in the routine, you’ll do it without thinking.
Merry Christmas!
“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Romans 2:10
“Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.”
~ Eric Hoffer
“Keep your Christmas-heart open all the year round.”
~J. L. W. Brooks
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”
~ Roy L. Smith
Sheree K. Nielsen is the award-winning author of four books –
Her newest poetry and photography collection, Mondays in October, recently won the Royal Dragonfly Book Award: First Place – Poetry, First Place – Fine Art/Photography, and Honorable Mention – Coffee Table Books. Mondays in October is Sheree’s love song for the beach, and her eternal companion water. She’s dedicated the book to the Siteman Cancer Center Nurses who helped her make chemotherapy more bearable.
Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits – An Emerson-Inspired Essay Collection on Travel, Nature, Family and Pets, based on her adventures (Chanticleer Semi-Finalist for Nonfiction Guides – Insight and Instruction)
Folly Beach Dances is her 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner, a healing coffee table book inspired by her lymphoma journey
and coauthor of, Midnight the One-Eyed Cat, 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Review Finalist
Today, I’d like to share a poem I wrote, dedicated to women.
It’s titled, “My Sea Shell Life”, from my poetry and photography collection Mondays in October.
It’s about the changes that we, as women, go through in life whether it’s health issues, a loss of a loved one, a divorce, unfairness in the workplace, bullying at school, etc.
We begin our life innocent and wide-eyed. As we age, we gather wisdom and experience along the way, and hopefully we get better at weathering life’s storms. We appreciate the little things in life – a soft brush of whiskers from our feline friends, a hug from little children, a dragonfly that lights on our hand, or walks on the beach.
This poem is for women everywhere – please feel free to share.
(My husband captured this photo of me on Sunset Beach, Eleuthera in 2012, shortly before I was diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s lymphoma. I’m happy to say I’m in remission.)
Without further hesitation – My Sea Shell Life
Once,
strong, unblemished
like an
Angel Wing.
Then,
sandy,
gritty,
broken,
discolored,
stepped on,
crushed underfoot.
Now,
A mature conch –
seasoned,
weathered,
but not worse
for the wear.
Sheree K. Nielsen is the award-winning author of four books –
Her newest poetry and photography collection, Mondays in October, is her love song for the beach, and her eternal companion water. She’s dedicated the book to the Siteman Cancer Center Nurses who helped her make chemotherapy more bearable.
Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits – An Emerson-Inspired Essay Collection on Travel, Nature, Family and Pets, based on her adventures (Chanticleer Semi-Finalist for Nonfiction Guides – Insight and Instruction)
Folly Beach Dances is her 2015 Da Vinci Eye Award Winner, a healing coffee table book inspired by her lymphoma journey
and coauthor of, Midnight the One-Eyed Cat, 2019 Chanticleer Little Peeps First Place Winner for Early Readers, Montaigne Medal Finalist, and Foreword Indies Review Finalist
For me, this collection is about time, nature, art, movement, and learning to slow down. During the creation of this book, I was forced to take a step back and look at life differently. In November 2018, I began chemotherapy for Waldenstrom’s lymphoma.
At the end of April 2019, chemotherapy was finally over. As for life, well, I imagine things in a simpler light. I’m in remission. I’m grateful for a publisher like Christine of Shanti Arts who was both patient, understanding, and kind, throughout the book’s journey.
I’ve dedicated Mondays in October to my husband, my fur babies, the tango dancers Elise and Marco who I met on the beach that Monday in October, and the St. Louis Siteman Cancer Center nurses who aided in my longest days of treatment with a smile, a kind word, and even a joke.
The photographs and poems are places, people, animals…and nature….that I hold most dear. They are my gift to you…..my love songs for life.
“Like the cricket’s song serenading a marsh at sunset, the wind’s harmonies causing waves to lap to shore, or two lovers dancing the tango in the sand, Sheree K. Nielsen’sMondays in October’s collection of poems and photographs suggests easy movements in nature, and a time for us to slow down… like October…and imagine a simpler life.
Mondays in October are Sheree’s unmistakable love songs for the beach and all things water – vulnerable, blissful, and sensual.”
Here’s a page from the book titled Red Dog’s Observations at the bottom of my blog page.
Red Dog was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his heart on Monday. We are cherishing our days with him….however many sunsets he still has….
In September 2018, I was advised by my oncologist, chemotherapy would begin in November. Diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia in 2012, this would be the first time I needed treatment for my lymphoma. I wanted a diversion from life.
Last October, my husband surprised me with a trip to Blue Springs Ranch, a rustic retreat sprawling over acres of picturesque property in Bourbon, Missouri. Those golden autumn days were peaceful and serene…just the dogs and hubby in a tiny one-room cabin set atop a hilly, wooded piece of land. The only other souls at the resort were the ones that checked us in.
In the cool evening, we’d huddle around a crackling fire, barbeque burgers and brats on the grill, and listen to the sounds of the sleepy forest – saw whet owls, coyotes, song birds and crickets.
Days were spent exploring shorelines, clear creek beds, roaring streams, and meandering trails blanketed with leaves. The trees embraced us with their maizy yellows, burnt sienna, and caramels, while the menthol blue hue of the springs comforted our soul.
In January, we headed west to Burbank to visit our friend Colin, cameraman for the Big Bang Theory. He afforded us an opportunity to be part of the studio audience. During the taping, staff interacted with us, playing games and keeping us in stitches. It felt great to laugh deep and heartfelt.
After the show we were given VIP passes by Colin to visit the set. We plopped down on the brown leather sofa, and seated ourselves in Sheldon’s spot. We exchanged smiles and small talk with Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, and Kal Penn (from Harold and Kumar) and snapped pics for our Instagram followers.
Afterwards, hubby and I meandered the set with Colin, our shoes shuffling across the floor, all the while listening to his stories and memories – bittersweet for him, as the show was wrapping up its final season.
I remember looking up, and eyeing all the metal and wiring – the lights and equipment suspended from the ceiling, and just thinking ‘how amazing’!
As we made our way to the exit, I spun around one last time, and let out a big sigh. We thanked Colin for an opportunity to experience something unique.
The next evening, we visited the Rockwell Table and Stage where Jeff Goldblum was performing. Jazzy piano player, singer, movie trivia buff, jokester – Jeff Goldbum was the whole package. More laughter, more tears of joy. The thirty-something gals in their skimpy outfits loved him, and he, in turn, loved taking pictures with these women. More laughs.
Heaven knows we need more peace and laughter in our lives…a chance to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life that we don’t often notice like….
the woman and her retriever playing fetch on a Malibu seashore
a howling coyote that blended into the hillside of Griffin Park
the quirkiness of the shops along Topanga Canyon Road
sunsets with rainbows at seaside restaurants
stepping in Gene Kelly’s footprints in front of Grams Chinese Theater
the Danish girl in the audience of the Big Bang set who worked in Finland and Sweden, lived in Denmark, and who had to ask her mom how to get to work every day
These are snippets of life I remember…the feel-good, unexpected surprises and memories I never tire of, guiding and helping me through my chemo treatments.
My newest book, Mondays in October, a poetry and photography collection, my love song for the beach, and its eternal companion water, is a feel-good book on how to slow down.
Releasing July 23, it embraces art, movement, time, water and solitude. Won’t you hop over to my book page, and read all about it?
Last April, my husband surprised me with an anniversary trip to Hawaii. The second leg of our trip we spent eight glorious days on the island of Maui. Honua Kai Resort, on Kaanapali Beach’s north coast, served as our home base.
Each day, we’d venture out and explore a different part of the island. One of my favorite drives was to the breezy south coast. I adored the winding curves, the scenic overlooks, the wild surf, effervescent beaches, and aquamarine sea. Every so often, hubby and I would stumble upon a beach where driftwood washed ashore. Majestic trees, barren and seasoned by the radiant island sun, told their stories.
One such tree, I fondly named the “Lei Tree” , spotted near Ukehame Beach Park. Reposed on the western shoreline, her resilient, sinewy neck lay adorned with colorful leis – each represented a victory she’d won, a battle she’d conquered. She was a true, Hawaiian warrior princess.
I often reminisce about that statuesque lady. Her memory makes me smile.
She represents the true ‘Spirit of Aloha’ – arms open, ready to love…ready to give.
According to the Hawaiian people, Aloha also means love, compassion, kindness and grace. Its literal Hawaiian definition is “The presence of (Divine) breath.” Taken from Alo = presence, front, or face and Hâ = breath. …
In Hawaiian culture, the spirit of aloha goes well beyond a simple greeting.
It is a way of life.
At this time of year (and maybe even every day), let’s try and spread the Spirit of Aloha to those around us. Every one we meet on the street, in stores, our friends, our family…
Maybe our lives would be that much fuller, if we accepted people for who they are…..
Aloha, and Merry Christmas !
Peace, Love and Sand dollars,
Sheree
_______________________
Sheree is the author of three books – Ocean Rhythms Kindred Spirits, Midnight the One-Eyed Cat, and Da Vinci Eye Award Winner, Folly Beach Dances.
Sheree's Warm Fuzzies 