Busy Bees Take The Beach
Writing Retreat 2025 In March 2021 four women embarked on what was the beginning of the Busy Bee Writing Retreat. After the weekend, we felt so accomplished and appreciated taking time out of our busy lives to do something strictly for ourselves and our writing endeavors. The first official Busy Bee Writing Retreat happened in September 2021 at a lake house in Shelby County with a total of seven women: the same four from before plus three more! This all-inclusive retreat debuted the first Busy Bee Writing Retreat t-shirt, sponsorships, giveaways and the signature Buzz Bags! By the next retreat in February 2022, we transitioned to a lake house in Cedar Bluff, Alabama and the goal was to have twenty women to participate. We reached our goal and since that time the retreat has continued to thrive! After spending a few retreats at the lake in Cedar Bluff we decided to give the beach a try, and I think I speak for the group when I say it was the best retreat yet! September 25th-28th, 2025 we traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama and commenced the 2025 Busy Bee Writing Retreat! It was amazing and here’s why: Location, location, location! The beach provided the perfect atmosphere for writing, relaxing and renewal! Who doesn’t want to wake up to a beach view every day or spend time on the beach? Accommodation! The beach house was not only steps away from the beach, but it was also spacious! It easily accommodated twenty-two ladies and many of the rooms had private balconies! Marvelous Meals! Ms. Marvelous of Sequins & Seasonings blessed us with culinary delight for lunch and dinner each day! We had everything from smoked brisket to garlic and herb chicken to shrimp and crab etouffee! Suffice it to say that our meals were simply MARVELOUS! Empowering & Uplifting Sessions! My favorite writerpreneur Javacia Harris Bowser, founder of See Jane Write, a writing and coaching business for women challenged us to journal and discussed the many benefits and the importance of the practice. She gave applicable tips and prompts. She is also the author of Find Your Way Back, a collection of essays that displays the superpower of writing while exploring self-love, faith and her journey of overcoming cancer. Mindful Movement with Key allowed us to be active and connect with our bodies. Writing is a mostly sedentary activity, so intentional movement is essential. Kiara Potts is a fitness enthusiast and influencer who motivates and inspires us! Additionally, she provides career and writing services through Key Inspires! There was also the engaging and exciting session from Cherith Glover Fluker, the author of Secret Birmingham and of the popular blog What Cherith Thinks! Cherith discussed her writing journey from blogs to book deals that left us inspired and with fascinating nuggets about Birmingham! You’ll want to get her book and explore the places discussed when you visit Birmingham! Sisterhood! From the Book Buzz to the networking session to the bonding moments and everything in between camaraderie and support overflowed! The remarkable beach dinner that was a picture of elegance and radiance. Sponsors & Contributors help to elevate the retreat in ways that I am so grateful! The Buzz Bags have become a treasured part of the retreat and supportive businesses make it possible! I encourage you to check out each of our sponsors and give them some business and acknowledgement! Our top sponsors are Cahaba Nutrition and Magic City Nutrition of Birmingham, Alabama! I can’t thank you enough for your support and for the delicious tea! Other sponsors include Noire Kulture, Dr. Kre and Brownstone, Strive Counseling Services, DJS Beauty, Dr. Roberts Clinical Feminine Care and Selective Selections By She! Busy Bees! Thank you to all the ladies who participated in the retreat and for trusting me with such a precious experience and with your time. I look forward to seeing what the 2026 retreat has in store! I already know that it is going to be amazing. Follow us on Instagram @busybeewritingretreat and on Facebook at Confessions of a Nurse Practitioner. Also be sure to visit the website to see updates, retreat information and to find out when the next retreat will happen in September 2026!
Pregnancy & Infant Loss Reflections
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month is coming to a close and I promised myself that I would take this opportunity to share a few things before the month ends. If you have been following me on Instagram or Facebook, then you know that I have had a few appearances to related to this tender topic. However, prior to agreeing to any events my mind has heavily been on my angel baby, Walter. I have learned that I grieve in seasons and in this current season where I am happy, loved, and fulfilled, I am also sad, reflective, and heavy at times. During graduation time in the Spring, I felt the latter often. This was a time of graduations, celebrations, and college acceptances! Yet, they left me wondering what our life would be like if our firstborn son had lived to see this year 2024. The year that he too would have graduated from high school, likely headed to college, the workforce, or the military all while making me proud and getting on my nerves. I have a vision of him and a million what-ifs for which I’ll never have an answer. I do know that 18 years later his absence still hurts. There is still a void and special times like milestones remind me that I too have a son who would have had senior portraits and senior trips. He too may have received typical honors that would highlight his life and make for wonderful memories. Maybe he would have been the class president like his mom or the valedictorian like his dad. I do not begrudge anyone who has their child here on Earth to love, support and celebrate. I’m simply saying that I wish mine was here too. I miss what could have been. I miss what I’ll never know. I miss him. As thankful as I am for my three living children and as much as I look forward to continuing to love, celebrate and support them, I still miss their brother. I can’t help but wonder what an impact he would have had on all of our lives. If you are a loss parent, know that there is a tribe of others like you who also remember with you and advocate for you. If you are a friend or family member of a loss parent, do your best to support them and validate the memory of their child or children. No matter how recent or long ago the loss occurred, there will always be a place in your heart where you hold him or her close and that is exactly as it should be. My angel baby Walter, was Mine For A Time. Mine For A Time- Amazon Click here for more on grief and loss including pregnancy and infant loss. Don’t forget to subscribe. Much love, Coretta
Busy Buzzing
Hey Confessions family! I know that it has been a while since and I have missed you all! I have been busy buzzing, lol. Besides the usual stuff, school has been taking ALL of the extra writing time that I could muster. You may recall that I’m working on my doctorate. Anyway, I have now come to the end of an intense semester and wanted to take a few moments to one of the highlights of the past few months! The last Busy Bee Writing Retreat took place September 22nd-25th and it was phenomenal! The all-inclusive retreat is a dream come true for the busy woman with writing goals or special projects! This time we added an extra day to the retreat making three days instead of two! The extra day provided more time for dedicated writing and fellowship. We also added a formal networking session where attendees could share about their projects including books and sell the items! A special highlight was the incorporation of workshops meant to educate, empower and uplift! Our presenting sponsor Javacia Harris Bowser of See Jane Write talked to us about silencing our inner mean girl by working through imposter syndrome. Tanisia “Tee” Moore who is an author and attorney educated us about the legalities of authorship including trademark and copyright. Both sessions were excellent and informative. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat is overall a self-care experience but we include an official self-care activity within the retreat too. This time we had a morning walk to participate in the Head Over Teal 5K (an annual event supporting gynecological cancer research, advocacy, and patient support) in memory of my mom. Thanks to phenomenal sponsors the retreat was made even more impactful and exciting! The “Buzz Bags” were once again buzzing, lol and those are made possible thanks to sponsorships! Get ready for a sponsor roll call and be sure to check them out and support them! Our presenting sponsor Javacia Harris Bowser is a freelance journalist, author, and businesswoman who founded See Jane Write, a website and membership community for women who write. Earlier this year she published her first book, Find Your Way Back which is a collection of essays that explore how writing, self-love, and faith helped her overcome a cancer diagnosis in 2020. Platinum sponsors Collins Law, LLC is a personal injury law firm that provides exceptional service that is professional and compassionate. The firm is led by founder, April H. Collins who has been named a top personal injury lawyer in Alabama. Additionally, she is the author of Only The Strong Thrive a true story of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. SkinBodyU is a company that supports healthy living by providing products and tools to promote a healthy body image. Thanks to SkinBodyU, attendees were able to add some wonderful new pieces to their wardrobes! Tanisia “Tee” Moore is an author, attorney, podcaster, and founder of MomTings. Her latest book is Film Makers: 15 Groundbreaking Women Directors! Her podcast, On The Other Side of Momming was created to be a safe place for moms who are trying to live out their purpose while being a great mother too. I had the opportunity to join her on the podcast in October to discuss pregnancy and infant loss. MomTings reminds moms that they are more than moms through apparel and support. Check me out in my favorite hoodie from MomTings. Gold Sponsor Kiara Potts of Key Inspires encourages personal growth and empowers others to be successful as a career consultant and blogger. She provides services for those entering or changing careers including resume revamping. Silver Sponsors Buff City Soap Doctor Kre Faith, Family & Career Mama Said Project 3.9.10 Bronze Sponsors Dr. Tomeka Roberts Clinical Feminine Care Kimberly West Agency Strive Counseling Services & Nurture, LLC Learn more about our sponsors by exploring their pages! Just click on the links throughout the post! The Busy Bee Writing Retreat has its own home on Instagram @busybeewritingretreat. Be sure to go follow! Finally, get ready for the next Busy Bee Writing Retreat! It is February 9th-12th, 2023 at a beautiful lakehouse in Cedar Bluff, Alabama! Registration is open now and payment plans are available! Reach out to me with any questions! See you soon Confessions Family! Thanks for your support!
Busy Buzzing
Hi Confessions Family, It’s been a long time since I have been here! A lot has happened but I’ll get into that more later. I came here to talk about the recent Busy Bee Writing Retreat that took place September 5-8, 2024! Since it has been a minute, I’ll give you a refresher. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat is a dream come true for the busy woman with writing goals or special projects! It’s all-inclusive and three nights. All an attendee has to do is come prepared to achieve goals in a serene environment with similarly-minded women. However, writing isn’t all we do! Empowering and educational sessions are also an integral part of the retreat. This year we were fortunate to have Tanisia “Tee” Moore, an author and attorney to help us stay out of copyright trouble with the session Copy This Or Not? She also led our table talk session, Agent Querying with the assistance of agent and author Taj McCoy. What would be the point of a writing retreat if we couldn’t share our writing with others. The networking session provides just the opportunity to support others through purchasing their books or products. It also provides the space to share upcoming works, ideas or projects as well. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat is the overall self-care experience that you may not know you need but will not want to do without. This year Kiara “Key” Potts expertly led us in our Mindful Movement Session where we challenged our bodies and mind in a healthy way. Additionally, we had walks along the beautiful property during breaks. Of course, relaxation and rejuvenation are just what some of us need as well so be sure that you are following @busybeewritingretreat on Instagram to see who got caught buzzing off, I mean dosing off. New to the retreat this year was the Busy Bee Book Buzz where we read a book for discussion at the retreat. This year’s book was The Reformatory by Tananarive Due! The retreat was made even more impactful and exciting thanks to phenomenal sponsors and contributors! The Buzz Bags were buzzing as usual and I can’t thank the sponsors and contributors enough for their assistance! Speaking of sponsors, the Busy Bee Writing Retreat expresses much gratitude to Collins Law, LLC who was a Gold Sponsor of this year’s retreat! Collins Law, LLC was founded by April H. Collins who believes that every person who experiences a personal injustice deserves to be heard. They are dedicated to helping you in the event of personal injury. We would also like to personally thank Bronze Sponsor, Strive Counseling Services founded by Crystal Mullen-Johnson. Strive Counseling Services specializes in mental health counseling including suicide prevention, grief strategies, stress management, and anxiety and depression. Thanks to all of our contributors: Buff City Soap Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co. Coaching with Dr. Anita See Jane Write Dr. Roberts Clinical Feminine Care Called 2 Encourage Inc. Stay tuned for the details of the next Busy Bee Writing Retreat that will be happening September 2025! To stay abreast of the details be sure to follow @busybeewritingretreat on Instagram and visit www.busybeewritingretreat.com! I’ll be back soon with a Confessions Catch-up but in the meantime, I’ll buzz along.
Busy Bee Writing Retreat’s Top 5!
The last weekend in February proved that the best was yet to come for the Busy Bee Writing Retreat! 20 women embarked upon a weekend in Cedar Bluff, Alabama that was destined to prove productive, fruitful, and inspiring. It was all that and then some! I am still in awe at how God blessed our time together and I am so thankful that I was obedient to His instruction. Indulge me as I share with you the top 5 reasons the Busy Bee Writing Retreat is a dream come true for a busy woman writer! 1. It was the opportunity and space that you needed to conquer writing goals and projects. One day I thought to myself how much I could accomplish if I had one weekend to focus on writing goals. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat was born because I realized that I had let my writing passion lie dormant for much too long. However, because of work, family, and various obligations, I found it difficult to carve out as much time as I wanted to make sufficient headway in my writing goals. This left me unfulfilled and frustrated. I knew that I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way and knew that I had friends who could relate. By taking and making the time I could help myself and other women in the process. So that’s what I did by cultivating an experience where all you need to do is show up prepared to push out your writing goals while being open to receiving more. There was no need to worry about space to write, where you would sleep, or what you would eat as it would all be available without you having to even leave the property. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat is space and opportunity! 2. It was the fellowship and sisterhood that you didn’t know that you needed to hold you accountable and encourage you. When I decided to increase the number of attendees for the retreat I was initially nervous but I knew that God said that 20 was the number so I pushed away doubt and kept moving forward. I then begin to pray that God would allow the right group of women to come together in harmony and like-mindedness. To say that God truly delivered is an understatement. I am sure that the bonds created will be enduring and life-giving. 3. It was the dynamic networking and learning that is priceless to help you grow. I knew that we would learn from each other but the amount of valuable insight provided bypassed my expectations. New story ideas, business tips, imposter syndrome, social media, and trademarking were just a few of the discussion points! 4. It was the self-care that you didn’t think was possible. Sometimes the freedom to be who you are and do the things that you want to do is all the self-care you need. However, at the Busy Bee Writing Retreat, it was more to it than that. Not only was free time built into the schedule for those who wanted it we also had a phenomenal self-care moment with make-up led by retreat attendee and platinum sponsor, Dr. Jacqueline Triche of DJS Beauty! It was fun, insightful, and reinforced the beauty we have inside and out. 5. It was everything that you needed plus some, including that Buzz Bag! Aside from all the basics, an added spectacular touch were the signature Buzz Bags that included wonderful items on behalf of some of our sponsors! Even the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce pitched in with some awesome goodies! Plus there were giveaways that each lady had an opportunity to win! I am thankful to the sponsors for their generosity in providing the attendees with an extra special experience. Be sure to check out the links below and get some things or services for yourself! DJS Beauty Project 3.9.10 Tomeka Roberts, MD- Clinical Feminine Care Doctor Kre- Wifeology Faith, Family & Career Strive Counseling Services & Nurture, LLC Buff City Soap I am thankful to the Busy Bees who supported the vision and participated in the retreat. I am thankful to those who helped me in various ways from taking pictures to making sure that I ate, lol. Thanks to you all, I expect that the Busy Bee Writing Retreat will be buzzing around for a long time. Speaking of that, the September dates for the next Busy Bee Retreat will be announced soon so stay tuned!
Rest & Reset
I knew that things had gone too far when I started thinking about all the things that I could get done while I was on surgical leave. I actually made a list. Who does that? Well, probably more than just me, but the point is it shouldn’t be that way. Many of the things on the list are things that I want to do for myself or my business such as writing projects. Some of the things are things that I have either put off long enough or are less than enjoyable tasks that I need to get done. And of course, there is school. It made it to the list by default. It’s one of those things that has to be done whether I want to do it or not. My plate should not be so full that having hip surgery is my idea of time off. Though surgical leave provides me with time to recover and heal it should by no means be the path I must take in order to rest, recover and practice self-care. I should not have to become so exhausted that burnout feels normal. Well, that is, until it doesn’t. The revelation was unsettling and I knew that I needed to get a better handle on taking care of myself. The need to have surgery should not have been the kick in the rear to make me do better, but it was. Sometimes God has to take drastic measures to deal with His children. I am working to not be so hard-headed next time. So since the last part of 2021, I have been contemplating ways to improve in this area. Turns out that having surgery at the beginning of the year has set the tone for what I hope and plan for 2022. I’m calling it the year of my reset and as I am writing this I am changing my word for the year to reset. It was rest/self-care which for me is included in reset. Here’s what I am NOT going to do in 2022 (I mean I’m going to do my best): If you are guilty of any of the things on this list then I encourage you to join me in trying to do better for yourself too. I am going to Reset in 2022 by: Maybe you could stand to do a bit more of some of these too? Join me and let me know. It may help to have people in your corner to help hold you accountable. That’s what I’m going to do. May 2022 be the year that we all do the best with what we have and take better care of ourselves in the midst of it all. How can you plan to be a better version of yourself in 2022? What self-care activities would improve your overall health and wellness? Who can help hold you accountable if you start to revert back to old habits?
Write the Vision… Board?
Confession- My line sister forced me to make my first vision board. Ok, she didn’t put a gun to my head or anything but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I went to the vision board party to fellowship and support. I did NOT go to make a vision board. I had never made a vision board and frankly had never planned to start. I didn’t see how it would serve me much purpose. I mean, I had a vision. It was just in my head. I had not brought a single supply to make a vision board. I brought a dish though. It was my intention to eat and talk. Not a single poster board, magazine, marker nor thumbtack made the journey with me. Of course, she had extra supplies. So I conceded and made a haphazard and pitiful little vision board. I even hung it up in my closet. Something happened as a result of that. Without realizing it, I paid attention to the vision board. The things that I had on the vision board became more prevalent thoughts in my mind. I became more focused on the vision, my vision. When I accomplished something from the board, I was excited and I felt accomplished. I finally understood the purpose of a vision board. Now the end of the year is here. The end of the year is often a time of reflection. I reflect on what went well and what could have gone better. I think about the wins that I have had and the wins of those around me. I also think about the losses and where I fell short. Looking at my 2021 vision board, I am thankful for what I have been able to accomplish. I completed my transition from “straight natural” to “curly natural”. I published my first book, the CANspiration Journal, and was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now. There are also some things that didn’t go as planned and will be moved to the 2022 vision board such as routine exercise. I had periods of consistency but did not do nearly as well in this area as I had planned. In part, I blame this on my hip issues but no matter the case, it needs improvement. I also didn’t finish decorating my house. Don’t ask me how long I have been living in the said house either, lol. I didn’t read as many books as I wanted but I did try more audiobooks for the first time this year and that has been a good experience! Some things will be ongoing every year because they are essential to life and growth such as nurturing my relationship with God. I also strive to excel as a wife and mother. A few things that will be better prioritized and on the 2022 vision board include focusing more on rest and self-care. I have fallen short in this area and recognize the need to do better going forward. No matter who you are, what you do, or what is going on in your life you could benefit from creating a vision board. Take it from a converted non-believer like me. Vision boards help you to keep your goals at the forefront. Vision boards help you prioritize your goals. Vision boards illustrate what is important to you. Vision boards motivate you to follow through. Vision boards stop you (or at least limit) from making excuses. These are just a few of the beneficial reasons that come to my mind but I am sure that a quick Google search will give even more insight. There may even be a study or article that expounds more. Since making the first board in 2018, I have been making one each year. They are not professional by any means but they have at least improved along the way, right lol? Now, I don’t plan to stop. Last year, I even got my family in on the action. Sometimes you just need a little push or a downright kick in the right direction. (Thanks sis.) You can never go wrong with having a vision for your life. I’m not saying Habakkuk was talking about making a vision board but there is no denying that the words apply. There must be something to it. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:2. Have you ever considered making a vision board? Why or why not? If you do make one, what other benefits would you add to this list?
Confessions Catch-up, Birthday Turn-up
Alexa, play Confessions by Usher. It’s confession time. After all, this is Confessions of a Nurse practitioner right? I know that it has been a while since I have published a post and that is not on purpose. It is just life and how the cookie crumbles as they say. I continue to perform a juggling act and as much as I hate it, the blogging ball sometimes falls. Thankfully, the ball is not made of glass so I am able to pick it back up and continue the juggle. So here’s a recap of the last few months. Confessions of School If you’ve been following along then you know that I am back in school! I am excited to report that I have successfully finished the first year of my doctoral program! So blame my irregular blog posting schedule on school! Nevertheless, school is going well but I admit it is a struggle having to devote so much time to it when you would rather be doing other things. I know that the reward comes with perseverance. My dad reminds me that “if it was easy, then everybody would be doing it.” Confessions of Writing Though I haven’t been on the blog as much as I would like, I have managed to write some content! See the personal essay I will live as if I’m not going to die that I wrote for Reckon South. It may be one of the most vulnerable pieces that I have written to date. Let me know what you think about it after you check it out. I have also been sharing on social media. To be honest, some of that content feels like a blog post! You should definitely be following Confessions of a Nurse Practitioner on Facebook and following me @ccthenp on Instagram if you aren’t already. If social media is not your thing, just be sure to stick around here! Have you heard about the Busy Bee Writing Retreat? The official first one was in September. It was such a success the next one is happening in February! If you are a working woman who has a writing project or a writing passion, then the retreat may be for you. There are a few more spots! Confessions of Speaking When I am not writing for school or for the blog, I’ve had some speaking engagements. I am thankful to the groups and organizations who have invited me to share because it allows me to get important messages out to the audience and I enjoy doing it. Over the past few months, I’ve spoken about breast cancer (have you done your self-exam lately?), women’s health (get your check-ups), pregnancy and infant loss, and pregnancy after loss. The Confessions Chat on the Confessions of a Nurse Practitioner page made an appearance in October and there was a very special edition in November that was done with my brother as we honored the legacy of our mom and talked about the CANspiration Journal. Speaking of the CANspiration Journal, there is a holiday sale happening now through the new year! You can also make donations at any time via the website here. Money contributed here allows me to give the journals away to cancer fighters who can benefit from it! Confessions of Family There have been some awesome family moments over the past few months. My husband and I celebrated 18 years of marriage and his birthday in October in the mountains of Bryson City, North Carolina! It was a fantastic trip and included whitewater rafting for the first time as well as going on a train ride through the mountains. We celebrated my dear aunt’s 60th birthday in October! I got to test out my vow renewal planning skills as we celebrated my in-loves 50 years of marriage in November! These were beautiful occasions and I am so thankful to have been a part of them! I don’t even know where to start with the children. Keeping their schedules straight aside from school is basically another full-time job but I do not begrudge them (most of the time, lol). It is a joy to watch them play their various sports and participate in their different activities. With their school studies, I have reinforced that I still do not care for math, even if it is 3rd or 5th grade, lol! However, I still do enjoy science, reading, and English. Calling out spelling words makes me reminisce about my spelling bee days! I won 3rd place once and still have the trophy somewhere, lol. Confessions of Me Alexa, play It’s Your Birthday by Luke. Today is my birthday and for the first time, I am participating in a birthday fundraiser on Facebook! I am supporting an organization called PALS (Pregnancy After Loss Support). PALS is a non-profit organization in which I serve that provides tons of support to families who are pregnant after having suffered a pregnancy or early infant loss. PALS has also recently released an app that helps moms who are pregnant after loss. Here’s an article that I was honored to have contributed. I am grateful and blessed to be celebrating another birthday! Did you see the birthday post that I wrote last year, 40 Years, 40 Songs!? I have been pondering about what song from this year could be added to the list. Have some fun with me and tell me some of your favorite songs over the past year. I hope that you have enjoyed catching up because I have sure enjoyed being here! Thanks for your support! I don’t take it for granted! See you again soon!
Busy Bee Writing Retreat
Before my friend Alison died, we talked about doing a writing retreat. It was to be small and would essentially give attendees designated time to focus on writing with minimal distraction. After her untimely passing, it occurred to me even more that I needed to make and create time to do the things that I am passionate about such as writing. Tomorrow is not promised and her death at not even 39 years old proved it to me in the most painful way. At the beginning of 2021, I decided to do a writing retreat! I invited a few of my sister-cousins who I knew had writing endeavors. One of them also had a friend who was interested too! It was four of us and we were set! We determined that we would go on the retreat in early March and we booked a remote lake house for the experience. We had a schedule and all meals had been planned. Our jobs were on hold and our families knew to keep interruptions to a minimum. We were going to get some serious writing goals accomplished! And, we did! There was a variety in the types of writing, from blog posts to book proposals to academic writing. By the conclusion of the weekend, we each had accomplished at least some of the things we set out to achieve. It was an exhilarating feeling! The retreat was a complete success and everyone left with renewed passion and relief to have started or completed some writing goals. There was no way this type of essential bonding over a laptop could be a one-hit wonder. It was going to have to happen again! As I was beginning to prepare for the next writing retreat, I thought about how awesome that it would be to make the writing retreat an extension of my budding writing career. I knew that I needed to do it at least periodically as it proved pivotal in helping me accomplish some of my writing goals that my busy life otherwise didn’t allow. I also wanted to help other working women take time away to achieve their writing goals. From this thought, the Busy Bee Writing Retreat was born! A Busy Bee is a working woman who is juggling career/work, family, and community responsibilities who also finds fulfillment in other endeavors such as writing. The Busy Bee Writing Retreat is an opportunity for personal and professional growth, self-care, and a way to accomplish writing or project goals for working women who are not full-time writers. The goal of the Busy Bee Writing Retreat is to provide dedicated and uninterrupted time to achieve writing goals with a group of similarly minded women in a location that limits interruptions and distractions. Everything that a participant needs is on-site including meals. All the participant needs is a goal in mind and the willingness to commit to a weekend. The next retreat will happen in September 2021 and I bet you can guess who will be attending. Yes, the same four from before but this time four more ladies are joining in the experience! I have been working to make the retreat worthwhile and memorable! If you are a busy woman with writing goals you may be wondering how you can participate in the Busy Bee Writing Retreat. I will tell you now! The next retreat is already being planned and will happen February 25th-27th, 2022 at a beautiful private lake house in Cedar Bluff Alabama! Twenty ladies will be able to attend on a first come first serve basis. As a Busy Bee, the benefits of a writing retreat go beyond the obvious getaway and delves into your writing project or passion but allows for more creativity, bonding, dedication, and efficiency. I can conquer the world with my writing with a little dedicated and uninterrupted time! Learn more about the retreat and complete the questionnaire if you are interested in attending. Upon completion of the questionnaire, you will receive a notification to submit your deposit to solidify your spot for the retreat! Once your deposit is paid, your spot is secure and the countdown begins! A special thank you goes to the wonderful contributors noted below who have helped to make the September retreat a success! Buff City Soap Faith, Family & Career Home Plate Cooking KimsKandles Project 3.9.10 Scribe Tribe Publishing Company How could you benefit from a writing retreat? Have you ever considered attending one?
Two Different Shoes
He had on two different shoes and had no idea. His wife was with him and apparently she had not noticed either. It was very obvious that they were two different shoes. There were color and style variations. They were two shades of brown. One had mesh and one cloth. I noticed it immediately when I was examining his legs for swelling. He looked down as I was examining him as did his wife. I thought they may say something about it but they didn’t. I pondered mentioning it, making a joke to lighten the mood but thought better of it. It wasn’t a joking time considering the nature of the visit. He had just learned that his lung cancer returned. I was seeing him that day to discuss his treatment plan and to educate him and his wife on his chemotherapy plan. The worry and concern were evident. He’d been in remission (free of cancer) for a few years prior to this recurrence. He’d been feeling mostly well but developed a nagging cough. He’d also lost weight due to decreased appetite. Thankfully, he kept his follow-up appointments and was routinely monitored. I imagine that if I were in his shoes, putting on two different shoes wouldn’t be too far-fetched. I’ve dealt with enough patients and families to know many of the things they experience. I’ve even experienced some of the things myself as a family member of a loved one with cancer. He’d gone from enjoying Andy Griffith reruns to worrying about what side effects he may experience. He’d gone from resting peacefully at night to staying up late thinking about tomorrow. Two different shoes were the least of their concerns at the time. New stress can make things that were once important menial. Things that were once a big deal, inconsequential. Life’s challenges can come out of nowhere and leave you hanging in the balance trying to figure everything out. Seemingly normal routines can be altered. Make each moment count. Truly cherish the happy times because you never know when challenging times are lurking near. Even with two different shoes, you can still go in whatever direction life takes you. Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you do something absentmindedly? Think about how you handle stress. What can you do to improve how you handle it?