my book

Where the Heart IS

Written By Billie Letts

 Novalee Nations was left at a Wal-Mart by her mean and uncaring boyfriend. She was seven months pregnant and had only $7.77. Seven had always been her unlucky number. So when the cashier told her that $7.77 was her change she knew something was wrong and she ran to the parking lot to find that her boyfriend has left her abandoned.

With no money and no friends in a strange town she stayed at the Wal-Mart. Perhaps she hoped that her no good boyfriend would return. She hid in closets during closing time and slept in sleeping bags. She even ate their food until one night she woke up in labor.

When Wal-Mart found out her story they didn’t punish her. Instead they reached out to her and gave her a job. They never asked to be paid back for all that she had used. During this time she had met some local people who have heartfelt stories of their own and who reached out to her with kindness and love.

This story is an intriguing tale of someone who is left in a desperate situation and finds support, encouragement and love from local people who are far from selfish. The characters are humorous, mysterious and very easy to relate to.

This is one of those novels that you can read over and over again and never get sick of it.  Your mind begins seeking new visions as you read along their life’s hardships and triumphs. This book is written so well that you really can visualize it.

Interstate 95 Secrets

Interstate 95 Secrets

It was a sun shining morning. Early around 7 am. I was the passenger of a F150 bouncing down the highway. My husband was driving and my two children buckled in the back. The DVD player was playing Kung Fu Panda and the kids were content.

The quiet was very enjoyable and I sipped on my coffee. Dunkin Donuts coffee is simply the best, but it never tastes the same if you try to make it at home. My husband listened to country music on the radio very softly trying not to bother the kids watching their movie.

I was in my own little world, as a mother time to even think happens seldom. I couldn’t tell you what they were saying on the movie or what song was on the radio. I just gazed out the window. I counted bottles and cans for a while thinking I wish I had all of those. The money added up so quickly and the amount of garbage that had been exposed from the recent snow melt looked horrible. The road crew sure had some work cut out for them.

I looked at every building and in the ditch. I saw what looked like a dead road worker laying down there. It was in fact when I got closer, a garbage bag with an orange piece of plastic that had flown up against the bag making it look like a flagger vest. “Phew” I thought. It made my heart race at first glance.

Fifty miles down the road or so I saw something else disturbing. It was a decaying large deer. I wondered how long it had been there. Was it hit by a car or by a snow plow? The deer no longer looked brown it looked light grey almost white. I wondered if it really had been as large as it appeared today or if it has soaked up water from the snow that laid on top of it for weeks or maybe months. The vision stayed it my mind for miles past that deer. I felt many emotions about it. Disgust because it just looked gross, sadness for the loss of a beautiful creature and anger that it was just left there to waste.

As I passed by the many papers that were flying through the breeze I wondered what they said. What information was on those papers? Were they bills with social security numbers, receipts with credit card numbers or maybe just plain old trash? Maybe it was people mail that had their names and addresses on them. This is a risky thing these days to just let fly around the world. The possibility of any personal information landing in the wrong hands is too high for me to let my trash fly.

Along the interstate there are some homes that were built too close in my opinion. Or perhaps the interstate was put too close to those houses. Either way I wouldn’t want to live that close to a busy loud road like that. In my opinion neither would that man that I witnessed standing in his back yard.

I can still see him plain as day. It was a chilly morning the temperature only read about 46 degrees. He stood outside of his back door. His hair was to his shoulders and kind of wavy like. It looked messy but it blew in the wind so it was hard to really tell if it has been brushed or not. He has scruffy facial hair not really long but not trimmed and taken care of. He held a cigarette in his mouth without using his hands. His hands were both busy holding his man parts as he relieved himself. I could even see the stream of urine that his was passing as he stood there bare assed naked.

This totally shocked me. I couldn’t believe that he would stand there naked in the cold for all the people on the interstate to see. Things like this really make you wonder what a person is thinking, or if they are even thinking at all. Was he still drunk from the night before? Maybe he was on drugs. Whatever it was I will never know the answers to any of the secrets of the interstate and the land surrounding it. I just happened to get a glimpse into someone else’s life for those 10 seconds that he was in my vision as I passed.

It amazing what small things can be seen on a peaceful ride. When a person opens their eyes and just looks around, they see so much when they are not really looking for anything but seeing everything.

Rewrite

What makes my photography different from the next persons? Being able to see something more that what’s actually there? I have to have the more creative eye. It seems like over the last year there have been more and more independent photographers emerging. Competition is getting fiercer. Finding the passion in your heart to discover beauty no matter where you look is the key to an amazing photograph.

Anyone can go to the store, pick out a camera, buy it and then take some photos. As a photographer I did months of research on different cameras before I bought one. I knew exactly what I want in the camera and the specifications that I expected the one that I purchased to have. The big thing for me is flash. I wanted a special flash that was a no fail flash. Sometimes with digital camera there is a lengthy delay on the flash especially right after you have taken one picture. I bought a NIKON I also bought the $200 speed light flash that hooks on to the camera. The flash is ready every time I want it to be.

A photographer is an artist therefore I am too. My art is shown in many sizes and colors. I do full color, black and white and sepia tone. I take pictures of anything from still life to the action sports and anything in between. I take pictures of people and places. Taking pictures of kids and families are my favorite. I love to do outdoor photos. The natural lighting and atmosphere make a solid photograph. I take pictures of everything. Ninety nine percent of the time if you see me, there is a camera attached.  A great photographer can take a picture of absolutely nothing and it becomes a master piece. I have won many awards at the local fairs for my work. My art has become a show piece or a memory. Photographs are something to cherish and as a photographer, I know that.

When I take a picture, I automatically center things. I take time to focus, make sure my flash has fresh batteries and can do all that within seconds. I want every photo to be perfect. Each photo can be perfect in its own unique way.

On a road on the out skirts of town sits a little old shack. People pass by it constantly. One time some old ladies that lived near buy decorated it a little. They put up curtains where the windows were broke out and fake flowers in the window boxes that were dangling in the wind. Some old wicker chairs were placed outside the door that was in as bad of shape as the little house, but it looked perfect.

As a photographer I passed by one day and decided to take some pictures. They came out beautifully. They were entered in contest and photo shows and won first place. This is simple beauty seen within the eyes of an artist. This is the ability to observe in a creative way. I have had several people and members of our family ask for copies to hang in their home.

A truly talented photographer must have patience. This to me is kind of funny. I have no patience on an everyday basis but the second I do a photo shoot I have more than even the most patient person.  I have to wait until the exact time to capture the shot that I am looking for. This may be the smile of a six month old baby or that deer to look you in the face. With the patience also comes the ability to be quick. To pay attention and as soon as that smile or look happen you snap quickly.

Photography is people's lives stirring or mixing with their world that surrounds them.  It is making connections.  Photographs bridge the gap between cultures, landscapes, and generations. There is something truly amazing with a photograph of a 90 year old man and an infant or the way the trees make a jagged line against the sky at sun set.  Each photographer adds something different. Through photographs, we gain the ability to remember, and that is a powerful thing.

Photography is my passion. I enjoy it so much. Freezing memories and keeping them forever warms my heart and soul, plus I think I am really good at it!

Photography

Being able to see something more that what’s actually there. You have to have the more creative eye. Finding the passion in your heart to discover beauty no matter where you look.

Anyone can go to the store, pick out a camera, buy it and then take some photos. A photographer does months of research on different cameras before they buy one. They know exactly what they want the camera to do and the specifications that they expect the one that they purchase to have.

A photographer is an artist. Their art is shown in many sizes and colors. They take pictures of anything from still life to the action sports and anything in between. They take pictures of people and places. They take pictures of everything. A great photographer can take a picture of absolutely nothing and it becomes a master piece. Their art can become a show piece or a memory. Photographs are something to cherish and a photographer knows that.

When a photographer takes a picture, they automatically center things. They take time to focus, make sure their flash has fresh batteries and can do all that within seconds. They want every photo to be perfect. Each photo is perfect in its own unique way.

On a road on the out skirts of town sits a little old shack. People pass by it constantly. One time some old ladies that lived near buy decorated it a little. They put up curtains where the windows were broke out and fake flowers in the window boxes that were dangling in the wind. Some old wicker chairs were placed outside the door that was in as bad of shape as the little house, but it looked perfect.

A photographer passed by one day and decided to take some pictures. They came out beautifully. They were entered in contest and photo shows and won first place. This is simple beauty seen within the eyes of an artist. This is the ability to observe in a creative way.

A truly talented photographer must have patience. You have to wait until the exact time to capture the shot that you are looking for. This may be the smile of a six month old baby or that deer to look you in the face. With the patience also comes the ability to be quick. To pay attention and as soon as that smile or look happen you snap quickly.

Photography is people's lives stirring or mixing with their world that surrounds them.  It is making connections.  Photographs bridge the gap between cultures, landscapes, and generations. There is something truly amazing with a photograph of a 90 year old man and an infant or the way the trees make a jagged like against the sky at sun set.  Each photographer adds something different. Through photographs, we gain the ability to remember, and that is a powerful thing.

~

Two Different Paths to the Same Life

The alarm clock beeps, beeps, beep and finally he hits the snooze button. I think to myself “Boy I hope that doesn’t wake the baby up”. Ten minutes later, beep, beep, beep and he reaches over and hits snooze again. I think to myself “Why can’t he just get up when it first goes off?” then I start to get annoyed.

As a stay at home mom I am, for the most part, the primary care giver to these children. I even do all the work when he is home.  He has told me that when he is home it his day off. I often wonder, when do I ever get a day off?

The alarm has gone off for the last time and he grumps his way out of bed. I am awake but still have my eyes closed as I hear Anna start to stir. He makes no effort to be quiet. He goes into the bathroom and closes the door much harder than need be.

Anna called out to me so I got up and took her out of her crib. I changed he diaper and go her dressed. She is always so cute first thing in the morning.

Toby came out of the bathroom dressed and ready for work. He made his coffee and sat down at the couch. Anna was playing quietly and Andy was still sleeping. I made my coffee and sat down at the computer.

As I sat at the computer, I caught up on emails and did a little homework. As he sat on the couch he talked and played with the kids. They watched little bear together,

Five minutes before he had to leave I got up and made his lunch. He got up and put his pen and light in his pocket and got his jacket on. Every motion was the same morning after morning.

He kisses me, then Anna, and then hugs and wrestles Andy around. He says good bye 3 times as he is walking out the door. Then he is gone.

The next 9 hours of my day goes on with laundry. You wash, fold, and put away off and on all day and every day when you have two kids. Washing dishes and sweeping floors. In between all the house work, a mother/wife has to fit in feeding, bathing, clothing and playing with two young kids.

All while Toby is at work in the garage tinkering with motorcycles and joking with the men. He thinks that I have it easy and I think that he does. This is something that the two of us will never agree on. The grass always looks greener on the other side until you cross the fence!

The afternoon is quiet. Anna slept for two hours while Andy and I did a craft then I did my homework and he worked on writing his ABC’s. I was still folding laundry and doing other little chores in between.

Meanwhile Toby has finished all his appointments for the day and he has nothing to do. Toby is a hardworking man who likes to stay busy the entire time. It bothers him to stay still. No appointments come in the rest of the day. He’s already annoyed when he gets home.

Anna woke up on the wrong side of the bed. She has been crying for forty-five minutes straight. I tried every trick in the book. I got out her favorite book and tried to read it to her. She slapped it out of my hand. I tried to get her a drink and a snack thinking that she was hungry. She threw it on the floor. Now I had yogurt and juice to clean up.

Toby had spent the last 3 hours of work looking up motorcycle jokes with the men. They stood around laughing and having a good time. He told me from his cell phone when he was on his way home. When I find this out I am jealous as the afternoon has not gone smoothly and had made me frazzled with a headache.

When the kids hear the door they run screaming for daddy. All the attention is now on him. I excuse myself to my bedroom for 15 minutes of quiet. Sometimes I just need to regroup.

“What is your problem?” he asked

“It’s been a rough afternoon, I just need a minute.”

“You’ve been here all day it’s not like you had to work.” he said

Tears filled my eyes and I said “I work my ass off all day, you try doing what I do”

I walked away. This could turn into a huge argument real fast and honestly I didn’t have the energy. I went in my bedroom and made my bed. Then I returned to the kitchen to get dinner served. After dinner we all get our coats on and have a little outdoor time. Upon returning inside Toby takes Andy to our bathroom and gives him a shower and I take Anna to the other bathroom and give her a bath. Then Toby tucks Andy in and I tuck Anna in. Then we switch. We are crossing different paths and barely getting a chance to see each other in the same life that we share.