Rebecca H. Jamison's Blog

Sometimes during the storms of life, I start to notice the mud more than the shiny green leaves and sparkling stones along my path. It had been a stressful year, dealing with my father’s death and other family health problems, and I wanted to restore my life to its previous luster. I had read John Kralik’s 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, but I had never followed his example to write a thank you note a day. At this point, though, I needed to make a colossal change, so I set the goal: write 365 notes of gratitude during the coming year.

After buying handfuls of pretty notecards at a discount, I wrote the first 100 notes. These included letters to my husband, my kids, extended family members, teachers, coaches, and neighbors.  Like a gold miner, panning for gold, I was finding glittery flecks among the dull dregs of my life. Each tiny fleck increased my happiness, and my joy continued to grow as my friends and family reciprocated by sending notes in return.

I taught myself how to use a spreadsheet and kept track of each note written, as well as those I planned to write. This was an important step, as I often forgot which notes I’d sent and which I’d only thought about sending.

After those first 100 notes, it became more difficult. I wracked my brain, tracking down old friends and communicating my thanks through social media. I thanked neighbors for keeping their lawns beautiful. I wrote short post-it notes with compliments for each student I taught in middle school. I also wrote my elderly aunts and uncles. I thanked my Aunt Carol for taking my mom on fun vacations, my Aunt Sharon for taking me camping as a child, my Aunt Eleanor for nurturing my love of music, and my Uncle Dick for coaching me on etiquette.

I couldn’t have known that within the next year, three of my aunts and one of my uncles would pass away. Because I was traveling in Africa at first and then because of Covid-19, I couldn’t say goodbye to any of them in person, but, as I reflected, I realized I’d already said exactly what I needed to say in the notes I’d sent. The thank you notes had become a sort of peace insurance for me, assuring that, in case anything happens to my loved ones, I’ve already told them how much I appreciate them.

I found the same source of peace when Covid-19 cut our school year short. I was so relieved I’d already told my students what I admired about them because it turned out I wouldn’t get a chance to write in their yearbooks or say goodbye in person.

Hard things continue to happen in my life, but my gratitude project allows me to see past the muddy mess to the brighter patches. Better than that, each little note holds the power to help someone else glimpse the golden sparkles they might have otherwise missed along their own paths.

 

I'm happy to announce that I have a new novella out today. It's the final book in the Coming Home collection, and you can get it on kindle here or paperback here, as well as on other platforms.

My novella is called The Dance. The main characters are Mari and Nick. Mari is from Jamaica, and Nick is a refugee from Sudan who was adopted as a young boy and raised in the USA. The book takes place at BYU-Idaho and will definitely help you feel a part of the student social life there. If you know me at all, you know how much I love dancing! I had so much fun with the ballroom dancing parts, but I also loved writing about quaint little towns, snowstorms, and service projects.

I love the other novellas in the collection as well. They are all based on returned missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My friend Renae Weight Mackely wrote No Guessing Required, the first novella in the series. In it, Tyler returns from his mission knowing his feelings for Raychel have blossomed into love, but she resists reciprocating, intent on submitting her own missionary papers.

Melissa Cunningham wrote Storm-tossed. Melissa is so talented at writing emotions, and she doesn't disappoint in portraying some difficult emotions in this novella.  Raychel’s cousin, Daila, invites newly returned missionary, John, to a YSA activity, intending to keep him “safe” from other girls until Karilynn, gets home from her mission. But Daila can’t resist her first taste of a man’s attention.

Our friend Janice Sperry started us down this path of writing novellas with her cute story called Dumped, which is the third novella in the book, but Janice actually wrote the novella before any of us started working on ours. In this story, Karilynn returns from her mission and, in a series of innocent and hilarious events, has people believing that she and her brother’s friend, Patrick, are dating.

I'm pleased to announce that I have a novella coming out on June 1! It's part of a collection of novellas about returned missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is definitely one of more romantic stories, and I'm so pleased that we've found a publisher for it.

 Here is the back cover copy. My novella is the final one in the collection. It's called The Dance:

COMING HOME is all about finding love and eternal companionship. Laugh, cry, and root for your favorite couple. These faith-filled, sequential novellas feature overlapping characters with stories of their own.

In No Guessing Required, Tyler returns from his mission knowing his feelings for Raychel have blossomed into love, but she resists reciprocating, intent on submitting her own missionary papers.

In Storm-tossed Raychel’s cousin, Daila, invites newly returned missionary, John, to a YSA activity, intending to keep him “safe” from other girls until Karilynn, gets home from her mission. But Daila can’t resist her first taste of a man’s attention.

After being Dumped, Karilynn returns from her mission and, in a series of innocent and hilarious events, has people believing that she and her brother’s friend, Patrick, are dating.

In The Dance, Nick secretly takes an interest in Mari, but knows he has little hope of ever dating her. Trying not to have any ulterior motives, Nick helps Mari’s boyfriend prepare for his mission by getting him a job at a dance studio. That’s when everyone gets a chance to change partners.

 

 

Have you ever had a bad day that turned into a bad month or maybe, in the case of 2020, a bad year? It's been one of those weeks, and I find myself needing a pick-me-up, so I made myself a to-do list that hopefully will help me out of my funk. I'm going to put my list here, but please comment if you have anything you do to improve your outlook when times get tough. Here we go:

1. List ten good things that have happened lately.

2. Make some art. Lately, I've done some Aboriginal dot art, but I also like to copy hand lettering that I see online. Here's one I did today:

3. Listen to Bossa Nova music. I discovered how much I love this music while on vacation in Portugal last summer. The woman in the apartment below our AirBNB played it during the afternoons while she relaxed in her hammock. Find my favorite here.

4. Call a friend, neighbor, or friend. Bonus points if you call someone who may be lonely.

5. Grab a trash bag and collect stuff around your home to throw out, recycle, or donate.

6. Step outside and admire the view.

7. Have a little teatime with an actual pot of tea and a tiny snack. I like turmeric herbal tea lately since turmeric is known to help improve your mood.

8. Find some pictures that represent happy memories and put them where you will see them, either on your phone or somewhere in your home.

9. Try an online meditation, like one of these.

 I used to be a sold color kind of girl. I like to keep my wardrobe simple. No spots or patterns for me. Still, I'm coming to appreciate the beauty in multicolored patterns.

 When I first adopted my dog, a Catahoula with a speckled coat, I bought him for his personality, not his freckled appearance. At the time, I would have preferred a solid-color dog. Over the years, though, his spots have grown on me. I love how his black fur feels silky while his white fur is rough. In the sun, his brown fur stands out from the gray. And I love how the top of his mouth is just as speckled as his face.

Last year, when we were traveling in Cape Verde, a street vendor gave my son a beautiful shell, hoping that we would in turn buy some of his wares. Being a shell-lover, I wanted the shell more than anything he had on the table to sell, but I felt obligated to buy a wooden necklace, just so I wouldn’t feel guilty accepting the beautiful shell. Later on, after my son carried the shell in his suitcase for a few days, we realized that the shell wasn’t clean, and we had to triple-bag it to keep from stinking up all his clothes. After we returned home, it was a chore getting all the smell out of it. My son tried boiling it at first, which only resulted in the whole house smelling like a dead sea animal. Then we tried a soak in vinegar and finally a 24-hour soak in bleach. Now the shell sits on my mantle, a humorous reminder of Cape Verde, the street vendor, and its stench.

My youngest son was born with a couple pale patches in his hair. At first, his hair was blonde and the spots were a much lighter shade of blonde. The patches have remained a pale shade of blonde as the rest of his hair grew darker. I love to run my hands through his hair and find the blonde parts. It reminds me of when he was a baby.
I’ve always loved this poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins:

Pied Beauty 

Glory be to God for dappled things –

   For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

      For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

   Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;

      And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

 

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

   Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

      With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

                                Praise him.

 

 

 

I am in awe of the great work that Operation Underground Railroad does to help defeat human trafficking, so I would have participated in a fundraiser for them any year, but this year, I'm feeling an even greater need to get outside myself. I've been in my own bubble of social distancing, being extra productive at home. At the same time, watching all the racial upheaval, I've felt really sad about so many things that shouldn't have happened in the past--things I can't change now. Contributing to OUR is a great way to help disadvantaged children and adults today. Working with OUR, we can help change the future for the most vulnerable in our society. I always feel happier when I contribute to this great cause. I will be donating my sales from July to OUR, and there are other great authors donating profits as well. You can find a link to donate and also a list of authors who are donating here.

I am so excited to let you know that North by Northanger is now available to buy! I had so much fun writing this little mash-up of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.

Click here to buy the paperback.

Click here to buy the kindle version.


While Eva Morland waits for her first-ever blind date to arrive, she meets Grant Tilney. Not only does flirting come easily with Grant, he also shares her appreciation for black-and-white movies and vintage diners. After he leaves, she notices that he left his phone behind. Setting out to find his office and return the phone, she knocks on a warehouse door. The man who answers mistakes Eva for a government spy,  who’s come to investigate his crime ring. He and his partner force Eva into a car and drive her to a secluded trailer in the country.
Eva’s kidnapping sets her down a path of suspense and romance, as she uses all her wits to escape from the bad guys and prove her true identity. Grant comes to her rescue, hiding her in the cab of his semi-truck, but it seems that the criminals are always a step ahead.
Grant is the only one who believes Eva, but as they journey North, Eva starts to question Grant’s identity and motives. She must discover for herself if Grant is one of the good guys or bad guys. Only then will she know whether he’s worth the risk of her own life.
Fans of Hitchcock and Jane Austen will enjoy this modern mash-up of North by Northwest with Northanger Abbey.

While Eva Morland waits for her first-ever blind date to arrive, she meets Grant Tilney. Not only does flirting come easily with Grant, he also shares her appreciation for black-and-white movies and vintage diners. After he leaves, she notices that he left his phone behind. Setting out to find his office and return the phone, she knocks on a warehouse door. The man who answers mistakes Eva for a government spy,  who’s come to investigate his crime ring. He and his partner force Eva into a car and drive her to a secluded trailer in the country.

Eva’s kidnapping sets her down a path of suspense and romance, as she uses all her wits to escape from the bad guys and prove her true identity. Grant comes to her rescue, hiding her in the cab of his semi-truck, but it seems that the criminals are always a step ahead.

Grant is the only one who believes Eva, but as they journey North, Eva starts to question Grant’s identity and motives. She must discover for herself if Grant is one of the good guys or bad guys. Only then will she know whether he’s worth the risk of her own life.
Fans of Hitchcock and Jane Austen will enjoy this modern mash-up of North by Northwest with Northanger Abbey.

I was so happy to return to Cape Verde last summer. It had been 23 years since I served a mission there, and much has changed. Most people now have running water, electricity, and glass windows. The economy is doing much better. The hotels even have air conditioning and wifi! It was great to introduce my family to this wonderful place and get to know many of the happy people I met so many years ago. The hospitality industry there is thriving.

The hotel Casas do Sol in Fogo

It was not easy to make travel plans to go back to Cape Verde, as it's not a frequent destinations for Americans. Therefore, I wanted to share a few of my experiences, hoping it will help readers who plan to visit Cape Verde.

A flower in the garden at Casas do Sol

Airplanes:

We used three different airlines while traveling to and from the islands. First, we traveled by Royal Air Maroc to get across the Atlantic to Casablanca and then to Praia. Next we traveled by TACV Cape Verde airlines, and finally TAP Air Portugal.

Boarding our flight on the Cape Verde airline

I wish that I had looked at reviews for the airlines before I had booked tickets because I had quite a few problems with Royal Air Maroc. The biggest problem was that they kept rescheduling our flights--two times to be exact. And these were not the normal types of reschedulings. They moved our flights up first by one day and then by two days. In the end, we made it work, but it required me to be on the phone for about seven hours during the week before our flights. We also ended up having three red-eye flights in a row. Royal Air Maroc made up for this somewhat by putting us up in a hotel in Casablanca, which was nice. Though we were happy to visit Casablanca, it was more stressful than I anticipated to figure out everything in Morocco. Also, when we arrived in Praia, I did not have my luggage. I did get it three days later when the next flight came in, but this was very inconvenient. For us the inconvenience was probably worth it because we saved a couple thousand dollars for our group of seven people. For others, it might be better to just book with Air Portugal and save yourself the stress. The flights themselves were fine. The Trans-Atlantic flight, especially, was quite luxurious.

Enjoying the kid's meal toy on Royal Air Maroc

We had no trouble with the other airlines. Keep in mind that weight restrictions on luggage will be different than they are in the U.S., and also read the small print on Air Portugal's luggage fees. We ended up paying about $100 per suitcase for our return flight, which I wasn't expecting. (We each had a small carry-on suitcase and a small backpack.)

The Fogo airport was quite small with room on the runway for only one plane.

 

What to Bring: 

We were able to find many of the things we needed at shops around the cities in Cape Verde. I even found a bottle of sunscreen, which got lost with my luggage, but I would recommend bringing your own supply of sunscreen as it is difficult to find outside Praia. The stick kind is the best since it doesn't count as a liquid. I was glad that I brought a wide range of medications. We ended up using quite a bit of Pepto Bismol and activated charcoal for mild stomach problems. I also was not able to find a swimsuit when mine was lost. All the swimsuits seemed to be very small and imported from China. 

A street in Praia

 

Speaking English:

In general, we found that most taxi drivers, hotel workers, and shop owners in Praia spoke English. In Fogo, people were much less likely to speak English. I needed to use my rusty Portuguese skills a lot in Fogo.

Visiting the Old City in Praia

We had a taxi driver give us a short tour on our last day in Praia, and it was one of my favorite experiences while we were there. He told us about the Old City and many of the other sites I'd never visited before.

Safety:

 

We felt very safe most of the time we were in Cape Verde. Some Cape Verdean Americans had warned us that Praia can be violent for tourists, but we were careful to stay in well populated places after dark, so we never had a problem. We kept only small amounts of cash with us since it was easy to get money from ATMs, and we never felt that anyone was trying to cheat us.

Looking at a traditional home at the Sao Felipe museum on Fogo

Drunk driving isn't as much of a worry for Cape Verdeans as it is for Americans. We had a scary experience with the driver we hired to take us to and from the volcano in Fogo. While we were hiking, he waited for us at the bar, and was therefore, not as safe a driver on the way home. If I were to do this again, I would probably talk with the hotel manager, since he had arranged the tour, and make sure the driver knew we didn't want him drinking before driving us home.

Visiting the Volcano on Fogo

Our hotel manager was quite accommodating with all our needs. Our rooms had small safes that were easy to use, the pool had a lifeguard, and the manager let us know that they could get us a doctor if we needed one. They also helped us arrange tours and transportation wherever we wanted.

Swimming at Quebra Canela beach in Praia

The locals can let you know when it is safe to swim. There were a lot more beaches that were safe for swimming in Praia than there were in Fogo. This did not keep my kids from enjoying the beach. They still made sand castles and played in the surf a little bit. 

We enjoyed all the food we ate at restaurants. Everything was delicious and expertly prepared. Restaurants that aren't associated with hotels were especially affordable and still just as safe.

Finding Old Friends:

At first, I had a difficult time finding anyone I had known because I was asking for them by name. It became much easier when I started showing people old pictures. I recommend that if you're trying to find old friends, you upload some pictures on your phone, or you can bring a stack of pictures like I did. People love to pass them around and receive them as gifts.

If you happen to travel to Cape Verde and have advice, please post it in the comments. Thank you!

A couple of months ago, I went to my first writing retreat. It was at Bear Lake in Utah, which is nicknamed the Caribbean of the Rockies. Doesn't it look like the Caribbean (wink-wink)? I had a great time chatting with other writers and revising my latest novel inside my friend's warm house. I got so much done that I was ahead of schedule. On my last day there, I got a text from my husband that my youngest son, Levi, had been in an accident, and that they were taking him to the hospital to get him checked out.

If you know my husband Eric, you know that he usually tones everything down, so I was surprised that he had sent me a message without at least telling me that it was a minor accident or that Levi would be okay. I called the house and talked to my older son, who knew nothing. We started packing to head home. Then I called again and talked to another son, who had been at the scene of the accident. He said Levi had been on a bike, but he couldn't answer any of my questions without crying. That was when I realized this accident might have been more serious than I thought.

Within a few minutes, my husband called and said that Levi was stable, and they were heading to Primary Children's Hospital. As we drove home, he sent messages every half hour or so to let us know what the doctors said. It seemed that Levi was going to be fine. There was no damage to his internal organs and only one small broken bone. He just had a lot of scrapes and a rock that had dug itself into his knee.

It was only after I got to the hospital that I saw how serious the accident had really been and realized what a miracle it was that Levi survived. He had been at a crosswalk with his dad and brother. They were all on bikes and wearing helmets. The light changed, and the signal said they could cross. A car was stopped, waiting to turn right. My husband thought that the driver had seen them, so he told Levi to cross. Unfortunately, the driver did not see them. As Levi started across, she made her turn and ran over him. Then because she hadn't noticed that she'd hit him, she dragged him under her car for about thirty feet.

That morning, Levi had his dad check his helmet twice to make sure it fit him correctly. How blessed we were that he did that! The helmet fell apart as you can see in the picture, but his head remained almost unharmed, except for a few scrapes and some bad swelling on his ear. I won't include the pictures of his poor little ear because it will gross you out, but I am happy to say that his ear is much better now.


The picture above shows the pair of pants he was wearing. The paramedics cut them off of him. The curved black mark on the bottom is where the tire ran over him, and the gray streak toward the top shows where he was dragged. These pants got caught on his bike, which was stuck under the car. They kept him from getting run over by the other tire. There is one hole on his knee where he got a bad road rash. He is still recovering from that and from a sore on his foot. I had bought the pants a few weeks before and had only gotten this thick pair of Wranglers because they were the only pants available in his uniform colors. If I had gotten pants made from thinner fabric, I'm not sure they would have protected him as well.

This is Levi a few days after his accident. He has had a lot of pain from his road rash, but he tells me that he isn't angry at the lady that ran him over. "Everybody makes mistakes," he says. He wanted to make sure she would know that he is okay. (I learned that the insurance company would take care of that for me since I did not know how to contact her.)

My husband and other son are still traumatized by watching Levi get run over, yet at the same time, they are so grateful and awed that he survived. We know it is a miracle, and that many children in similar situations have lost their lives or sustained more serious injuries. Eric says Levi could not have planned it better if he had been a stunt man. We are sure that our Heavenly Father was watching out for him that day.


Now that it is almost two months later, Levi is walking pretty normally. His knee and foot still bother him, but he also enjoys the opportunity to brag about surviving his accident. In the above picture, he is proudly displaying the scar on his knee, as well as his invisible fish. I hope he always remembers how blessed he has been. The rest of us surely will.