Author: jmsh2016

When I lived in Texas, I was the Senior Living Manager for an independent living retirement community. Celebrating holidays was an important part of our community and after my first year working there, I began to dread Valentine’s Day.

It was the hardest holiday for many of the residents who had lost a spouse. Many of them had been married to their sweethearts for 50 or more years and always had a special person to be with on Valentine’s Day. Now, they were alone. While family would be very present for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Valentine’s Day didn’t get much attention from family members.

That first Valentine’s Day, one of our lady residents carried a framed wedding photo of herself and her deceased husband with her all day and showed it to anyone who would stop and look. She brought the photo with her to lunch and to various activities throughout the day. She missed her husband so much and it was one of the saddest things I had ever seen.

No one, no matter what age, wants to be alone on the holiday that celebrates love. Everyone wants to feel loved and special to someone else. After that first year, we made sure to always have all kinds of fun activities on Valentine’s Day for everyone, but especially for the residents who were alone.

I have two widowed friends here in Indiana. Both ladies are in their early 90’s. One of them is my next-door neighbor and the other I drive to the local senior center twice a week to play Bridge. I’m taking each of them a Valentine card and a heart shaped box of chocolates tomorrow to mark the holiday. I hope it adds a bright spot to their days to know that they are thought of and loved.

On social media, people are already starting to post gifts they’ve received from the people they love. But Valentine’s Day is a lonely holiday for many who have lost a partner or perhaps just don’t have one for a myriad of reasons.

Who do you know will be alone on Valentine’s Day and might receive great joy from a visit, a call, a text, or a Valentine?

Author’s note: This will be my last blog post for an indefinite amount of time while I take care of some personal things and work on some other writing. The world feels very heavy right now but things are going to get better. Don’t let that heaviness dim your own light. Look out for one another and above all else, be kind. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to write for you. Thank you for reading!

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and while millions of Valentine cards will be given, many people will also be buying flowers for someone special. The ancient Greeks associated flowers with the gods and assigned a very high importance to them.  Evidence exists that the giving of flowers as a gesture and a gift has been a significant part of many cultures since the Middle Ages.

In the old days, flowers had a symbolic meaning and were sent to convey a message.  In Victorian times especially, people did not believe in showing emotion but it was considered acceptable to send messages through the giving of flowers. 

A great amount of effort and detail were put into giving meaning to the flowers that were sent.  The color, size, condition of a flower and even the flower’s position next to other flowers all conveyed meaning to the recipient.  A single flower might have one meaning and a huge bouquet another, but the intent was to express love, remembrance, apology, support or simply to be a thoughtful gesture for another.

Books and guides were written during this time to serve as decoders of these unspoken messages.  Most included meanings of just the more common flowers, while others went so far as to include less common flowers as well as the meanings of trees and tree leaves.

The practice of flower giving has evolved since Victorian times, and most people no longer know the old-fashioned meaning of flowers.  However, flowers are still used to convey sentiments and messages to others even though in today’s world it could be through either real or virtual flower deliveries.

Everyone likes to receive flowers so in honor of Valentine’s Day I thought it might be fun to look up some of the flower meanings from the “old” days.  This will help you choose the right flowers for that special someone!

Roses are the most popular flower to give on Valentine’s Day and according to Google, 250,000,000 roses will be produced to celebrate the holiday this year.  So, let’s begin with the meaning of roses.

Red rose-True love, romance, beauty and perfection

Pink rose-Admiration, gratitude

Lavender rose-Enchantment

Yellow rose-Friendship

White rose-I am worthy of you

Sweetheart rose-You’re a sweet girl

Orchid-You’re beautiful

Tulip-I love you or perfect love

Daisy-We understand one another or innocence

Gerbera Daisy-Beauty, innocence and purity (My daughter’s favorite.)

Sunflower-Adoration, loyalty, and longevity

Lily-Refined beauty, class and style

Lily of the Valley-Happiness

Myrtle-Love

Dahlia-Dignity, inner strength and change

Alstroemeria-Friendship and devotion

Iris-Faith and hope

Gardenia-Purity, joy and old-fashioned love

Daffodil-You’re the only one for me

Zinnia-Lasting affection, friendship

Bluebell-Constancy

White camellia-Perfect excellence

Mimosa-Sensitivity

Aster-Wisdom, love, and patience

Carnation-Fascination and new love (Don’t…I’ve never met a woman who is excited about receiving Carnations.)

Hydrangea-Gratitude and heartfelt emotion

Magnolia-Love of nature, sweetness, nobility and perseverance

I hope you all give and/or receive flowers…and lots of love tomorrow. 

Valentine’s Day is next week. What could be more fun than a holiday that exists to celebrate love!  And, the celebration often involves presents and flowers and chocolates and Valentine’s and love notes.  Woo Hoo…could it get any better?

Honestly, I adore every single thing about this holiday but being a lover of words, I want to receive a love note.  I don’t care if it’s written on a Post-it, on the back of an envelope, in the dust on my car, on the bathroom mirror, or inside a flowery and beautiful Valentine card…I want a love note.

I received my very first love note when I was eight years old.  It was sent by a boy named Oliver who lived near my grandparent’s farm.  He sent it to my grandparent’s house about this time of year, and it was waiting for me on the kitchen table the next time I visited. 

Even though he was a year or so older, I was impressed that he had actually mailed it to me. In the letter, Oliver told me that he liked me and hoped that I liked him too.  He said he also hoped we could walk down to the creek together in the springtime and look for minnows and cattails.

It was a very sweet and innocent note.  We never did take that walk together and I always wondered if Oliver might be a forest ranger somewhere today since he obviously loved the outdoors!

But the thing I remember most, is how special I felt because another person liked me enough to take the time to write and tell me.  I wish I had kept that letter from young Oliver so long ago.  I’ve received many love notes in my life, but I still remember that first one and how it made me feel.

When my children were small, I used to put little love notes in their lunch boxes for them to find at school.  I would also cut their sandwiches in the shape of a heart with a cookie cutter. One day when my oldest son was in the second grade, he came home and said, “Mom, the guys are teasing me.  I need you to stop cutting my lunch into heart shapes.  I know you love me, but it’s getting embarrassing.”  

So, I stopped with the heart shaped sandwiches and love notes but I would still put a couple of Hershey’s kisses in his lunch now and then.  That seemed to be okay. 

We are all used to getting electronic emails and text messages, but there is still something about getting a handwritten love note that you can hold and keep and cherish…and pull out when you’re having a hard day. In our digital world, love notes speak the loudest.

I hope you will write a love note to someone in your life this Valentine’s Day. It can be long and mushy, it can be short and to the point, or somewhere in between.  No one ever gets tired of hearing “I love you”.

Is it just me or does it feel like this month has been really, really long? Perhaps it’s the weather or the heaviness of all that’s happening in our world right now, but it feels like January will never end.

After spending the last few days at home during and after the winter storm, I ventured out today. The sun was shining and temperatures in Indiana reached 20o. It felt like a heat wave after the frigid cold of the past week.

I did a return at one store and looked for a picture frame at another. On the way home, I stopped at Costco to stock up on important things like coffee and gas for my car. It felt good to be out in the world and around people. All three of the stores I visited were crowded and people were so incredibly nice and kind! I didn’t realize that I had cabin fever but I guess I did.

While out, I saw this interesting sign on the door at Hobby Lobby. What will happen without pennies? Will the stores round their prices up to the nearest nickel for people who still like to pay with cash?

At home during the cold snowy days, I’ve been working on some small revisions to my new story and Vicki is finishing up the illustrations. We hope to hand it all over to Crystal around the end of February or the beginning of March so she can do her layout magic. Depending on how quickly that goes and the availability of the printer, we should have our next book published sometime this summer. It’s been good working together again with two of my favorite people on the planet!

As with our previous books, all of the writing, the illustrations, the graphic design, editing and the printing will be done in this country. It’s important to me that the production of my books supports American workers, even though it might be cheaper for me to have them printed in another country.

Next week, Vicki and I will be doing a Webex presentation about our new book for a retired teacher’s group in Michigan. We’ve done lots of talks for groups, but this will be our first time with me in Indiana and her in Texas. It should be a fun new adventure for us!

Our last book, “Love Hearts” was published in 2023 and since that time, the three of us have been dealing with the deaths of loved ones, my cross-country move, and some medical issues. At one point, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to work with my two friends again. I’m so happy and thankful that we will create at least one more book together and I’m very excited about the prospect of sharing it with you this summer!

I saw a segment on the news the other day about how people are getting so tired of constantly looking at phones, tablets and computers that they are turning to analog activities for a break from screens.

The news reporter called these activities the “grandma hobbies” because they are pursuits that were traditionally engaged in by older women and men. Some of these back-to-basic activities are things like knitting and other kinds of needlework, crafting, doing jigsaw puzzles, baking, playing card and board games, and bird watching. The beauty of these types of activities is that you can do them while visiting with other people or while listening to music or even a podcast.

I learned to knit as a girl and still enjoy doing it. I keep my knitting basket in my writing room and will pick it up and knit a few rows when my eyes need a break from the computer screen. It’s very relaxing and rewarding at the same time because I can see the progress I make immediately.

My mother was fabulous at embroidery. If you don’t know what that is, it’s using thread to sew artistic designs on fabric. One of my regrets is that I didn’t ask my mom to teach me to embroider. It was one of the things she still enjoyed doing later in her life, and I feel like I missed a big opportunity to do it with her. I know she would have loved to teach me.

In addition to screens, I think many people are just weary of the constant barrage of negativity and the lack of civility we see on our screens every single day. And we have lots of screens at our house. Besides TVs, we have computers, iPads, phones and even digital photo frames with rotating photos. I believe people are going back to these “old” activities because they crave the human connection that we all had before the computer age.

I sent a few Christmas cards last month despite the $.78 cost of a first-class stamp. I tried to write a personal note in many of them. In early January, I received the nicest handwritten note from a friend in Texas who had received one. I haven’t seen her in two or three years and wanted to re-connect with the card…and it worked. She told me that receiving the card both surprised and pleased her. At  the end of the note, she thanked me for remembering her at Christmas.

This past week, our next-door neighbor, Kathy, invited us to dinner at her house. She is a widow and lives alone after being happily married for many decades. She also invited another couple from our block. We contributed a salad to the dinner, and our other neighbors brought dessert. We sat around Kathy’s dining room table and had a lovely dinner and laughed and talked for two or three hours. There were no phones in sight, no TV on, just neighbors getting together and getting to know one another better. At one point, Kathy remarked that living alone gets very lonely and it about broke my heart.

We all had such a good time that we decided to continue the dinners and take turns hosting. Perhaps we will invite some of the other neighbors on our block too!

In this technological world we are living in, it’s so easy to stay in our own houses and only connect with other people on screens. But it isn’t the same as human connection…and people want to be connected with one another; it’s in our nature.

I think I’ll write a handwritten thank you note to Kathy today and thank her for giving us all such a splendid evening.

Time is not an infinite resource in each of our lives. We all know this. As humans, most monitor time throughout a 24-hour period with our clocks or phones. We also have paper and digital calendars to monitor the days, weeks, and months. How much we do or don’t do in that time is up to each of us.

Recently, I read about a TikTok trend called : 365 Buttons. I’m not on Tik Tok so I’ve only read about it. The TikTok user named Tamara posts under @flylikeadove and she recently posted her 2026 strategy for self-improvement. She wrote:

“I’m getting 365 buttons, one for each day, because I want to do more stuff and I’m scared of time so I want to be more conscious of it.”

She intended to start the year with all 365 buttons in one jar and move one button to a second jar each day to mark the passage of time. When I read this, I thought, oh, like an hourglass.

Apparently, people have become so digitalized in their thinking that a concept as simple as counting out the year in buttons was too confusing and difficult for many to understand. People began asking what kind of buttons…fasteners, badges, chocolate buttons? And what was she going to do with these buttons?

I understood that she was looking for a tangible reminder of how quickly time passes so she could make sure she was being mindful of her time and doing all the things she hoped to do in the new year.

But then people continued questioning her about it and she became frustrated trying to explain such a simple concept. Her response to this was:

“Hey so it actually only has to make sense to me for me to do it and I don’t feel like explaining it to anyone else.”

And there you have it.

She wanted to use 365 buttons to visually represent the passage of time in 2026 but it evolved into a life lesson about doing things your own way whether other people understood it or not.

Since Tamara created her 365 Buttons post, it has gone viral and captured the internet’s imagination. Other TicTokers and people on other platforms are now making their own interpretations of 365 Buttons and people (besides me) are writing about it. The blogging and social network platform, Tumblr, even declared 2026 the year of 365 buttons. Isn’t it amazing how a simple internet post could turn into something entirely different from what it started out to be?

Because, ultimately, what we decide to do for ourselves and with our time only needs to make sense to each of us.

One of the very best parts of being a self-published author is that I get to choose and work with the illustrator of my books!  I’m told that in traditional publishing, the publisher matches the author and illustrator with no input from the author.

I met Vicki Killion Guess in April of 2013 after I called her about illustrating my story, “The Button Box”. After she read the story, she said it “brought her to tears” and made her think of her mother’s and her grandmother’s buttons. Since then, we’ve become close friends and created six books together. We are currently working on our seventh book which will be published later this year.

While every book begins with a story, the illustrations make reading the story even more enjoyable. Whenever we begin work on a book, Vicki and I discuss how the pictures should look, both in style and in the colors to use. I always have an idea of how I want the finished book to look. Sometimes, I know before we begin, and other times my vision comes into better focus as we discuss different possibilities.

For  “The Button Box” I asked for realistic pictures in the basic eight Crayola Crayon colors. I even gave Vicki a box of eight crayons, so she would know what colors I envisioned for the story.

When we began our second book, “Which Came First?” we agreed that the story was less serious and called for more whimsical, almost cartoonlike illustrations.

We have repeated our discussions before beginning work on each book, and we always seem to agree on the type of illustrations the story should have. Vicki will often create some sketches on the spot to show me what she is thinking. She will ask me if I see any particular pictures in my mind to go with the story and of course, I always do.

In my view, the illustrations in our books enhance the story and help provide context and clarity for the concepts I write. Or to repeat a commonly used phrase, every picture tells a story. And Vicki’s illustrations tell wonderful stories!

Here are my favorite illustrations from each of our books.

I love this illustration from “The Button Box” because it looks so much like the actual button box. When my son saw it, he said, “Is that a photo or a painting?”

This illustration from “Which Came First?” is my favorite because it shows the girl in her make believe farm superhero costume being resourceful and brave and ready to face her fear of the chickens!

In “The Day The Turkey Came To School” the turkey has come to school and doesn’t want to budge. I like the different reactions of the people in this illustration. Some are amused, others are curious, and none of them know how to get a turkey to move!

This is an easy favorite. In “The Halloween Scare” Vicki painted all of our grandchildren in the pictures of the trick-or-treaters.

The illustrations in “The Christmas Church” are all painted in watercolors. I asked Vicki if she could make the pictures look like memories and she did! Although the story is fictional, the magical night in the attic actually happened. I told Vicki all the things I could remember from that night and she painted this incredible illustration. She also surprised me and painted the button box from our first book on the bookcase.

Since I’m a grandmother now, of course the illustration of the grandmother reading a book about love to her grandchildren in “Love Hearts” is definitely my favorite!

And here’s a sneak peak at one of my favorite illustrations from our next book which doesn’t have an official title yet!

We were working on the illustrations for “Love Hearts” in this photo.

If you would like to purchase one of our books, they are all available on my author website. I would love to sign one for you and I’ll also include a free bookmark! https://www.janetseverhull.com/cart/

We’ve turned the page to a new year. A blank slate. A beginning. A year that we

can make whatever we want it to be. A new year reminds me of the blank screen when I begin a new story or blog post.

It begins as empty space and turns into something that didn’t exist before.

I’ve been writing for publication since I was 16 and here’s what I’ve learned. If you

have a story to tell, the most important thing is to get the words out of your head

and onto paper, a computer screen, or even a typewriter. The first draft doesn’t

 need to be perfect or good. That’s why we edit.

The most important part of creating is to begin.

It doesn’t have to be writing. You could create anything…moving artwork, a

beautiful garden, a new family, that invention you’ve been thinking about, a life-

long friendship, a delicious recipe, the career or business you’ve always wanted, a

healthier body, a powerful speech, a cozy home, mesmerizing music, a new

hobby, a better version of yourself…whatever floats your boat.

What will you create in 2026 that never existed before?

We hear about Christmas Magic, but what does that really mean? I don’t think it’s one thing, but rather the feelings created when many small moments come together.

It’s bringing out Christmas decorations that have become old friends.

It’s kindness as we see people being more generous and willing to help others.

It’s shoppers in the stores looking for the perfect gifts for the people they love.

It’s volunteers ringing bells for the Salvation Army and thanking folks who drop in a few coins or dollars.

It’s eating a peppermint candy cane.

It’s the countdown on the advent calendar.

It’s school, church and community choirs practicing for the Christmas concerts and plays.

It’s receiving Christmas cards in the mail from people we love and miss.

It’s seeing people and organizations in action spreading kindness and joy.

It’s lights and decorations that are up in our neighborhoods and towns.

It’s Christmas music in stores and churches and on the radio.

It’s hanging a wreath on our front door.

It’s putting up the Christmas tree.

It’s the ornaments on our trees in memory of loved ones who are no longer here.

It’s looking forward to and enjoying our family’s Christmas traditions.

It’s reading “A Cup of Christmas Tea” and “The Christmas Church” each year.

It’s the Christmas shows and movies on TV that we’ve seen countless times but watch again.

It’s fun Christmas events in our communities.

It’s the hum of conversation punctuated by laughter at our family gatherings.

It’s the smells of Christmas cookies baking and other Christmas favorites cooking.

It’s decorating cookies with our children or grandchildren.

It’s kissing someone special under the mistletoe.

It’s enjoying early morning coffee by the light of the Christmas tree.

It’s thoughts of loved ones from Christmases past.

It’s visiting a neighbor to spread some Christmas cheer.

It’s singing “Silent Night” with Christmas carolers who come to our door.

It’s visiting a friend or family member in the hospital or in a nursing home.

It’s working on a new Christmas puzzle.

It’s celebrating the season with our co-workers.

It’s coming up with creative (and naughty?) things for that elf to do each night!

It’s Christmas parties at school.

It’s planting an amaryllis bulb that will have beautiful blooms in January and February.

It’s lighting the candles on the advent wreath.

It’s going to Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve.

It’s going to church on Christmas Eve for the candlelight service and hearing the reading of Luke 2:1-14.

It’s reading “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve.

It’s putting out cookies for Santa.

It’s tracking Santa’s flight around the world on noradsanta.org

It’s seeing the childlike excitement and joy and wonder on the faces of children.

It’s seeing the happiness and contentment on the faces of our oldest family members because they get to be with the people they love the most.

It’s the good tired from staying up half the night putting gifts together for the kids.

It’s watching people we love unwrap their gifts.

It’s the wrapping paper and ribbons and bows decorating the floor after the presents are opened.

It’s celebrating the birth of Jesus with those we love the most.

It’s looking for the Christmas star in the sky Christmas night.

It’s the hugs and the “Merry Christmases” and the “I love yous” from those we hold most dear.

It’s the glass of wine or cup of warm cider with the one we love at the end of a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas magic is the warmth, meaning, and connection we create together during the Christmas season. Wishing you and yours the most magical Christmas!

During the last two weeks, I accompanied the Indianapolis Pilots for Kids crewmembers to local schools. The schools we visited serve low-income neighborhoods and local pilots from many different airlines came together to spread holiday joy to the children.

The Squishmallows were a big hit with the kids this year!

I was able to read to each class and then donated some of my books for future use by the teachers. In one school we visited, the classrooms already had my book, “Which Came First?” from last year and the teacher recognized my name.

I loved meeting all the teachers and seeing their dedication to their students!

For the last nine years, I’ve had the privilege of being a part of these incredible events. For a few days each December, I get to hang out with a cool group of pilots and read to and visit with children.

One of my favorite moments this year was after I read “Love Hearts” to a class, and a little girl came up to me and said, “I liked your book. That dog in the story loves everything!”

That dog in the story loves everything!

My involvement started in 2017, when I was invited by a neighbor who is a pilot for Southwest Airlines, to be a part of the Dallas Pilots for Kids annual hospital visits. Paul asked if I would like to go with them to visit with the children and pass out copies of my books. The pilots were visiting several hospitals that year and it was my honor to be included in the hospital visits.

After the first visit, I was so hooked that I joined Pilots for Kids. Seeing the wonder and excitement on the children’s faces was incredible as they got to visit with uniformed pilots and received toys, giant balloons, captain hats and wings, and books. The visits quickly became my favorite events each year.

My first year with Pilots For Kids.

In addition to membership fees, the pilots use funds raised from golf tournaments and other fundraisers to buy the fun items they pass out to children each December.

When I moved from Texas to Indiana in 2024, I was sad that I would no longer get to be a part of their wonderful events. However, the Dallas pilots talked with the Indianapolis pilots, and I was delighted to be invited to continue the visits with the Indianapolis group. Last year, I joined them in a visit to a children’s hospital, and this year I had the pleasure of visiting several schools in Indianapolis with them. I cannot say enough good things about this organization and the work they do. Being a part of it has left a permanent imprint on my heart.

The flying lessons the pilots gave were great fun for the kids…and to watch!

Pilots for Kids is an international, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 1983 by airline crew members who wanted to address the needs of hospitalized children during the holidays as well as other times of the year. In addition to hospitals, pilots visit children’s shelters, orphanages, halfway houses, and schools. They also buy medical equipment such as hospital beds and wheelchairs for children who need them. Membership is just $25 per year and 100% of your money is used to buy gifts for children.

Here is the website if you would like to know more about Pilots for Kids or would like to support the work they do: https://www.pilotsforkids.org/

Thank you, Paul, for inviting me to be a part of Pilots For Kids all those years ago!