Hi, I’m Sherri & welcome to my blog!
Greetings to you from me and thank you so much for reading my blog!
Here is my story in brief (famous last words, ha!)…
A born and bred Brit widowed at the age of 21, I remarried and moved to the US with my American then-husband to the Central Coast of California in the mid 1980s. There, we raised our three children for the next seventeen years.
Then my marriage broke up.
Trials and turns have twisted in and out of my life, leaving behind their footprints.
For one, my dear jailbird dad has left a few of those footprints on the cold, hard floors of the many prisons and halfway houses where he has lived for most of his adult life, thanks to an addiction to alcohol that he cannot defeat. *
But please know this blog isn’t about blame and recriminations:
it is about forgiveness and healing and living joyfully in a New Day.
Returning to my ‘home’ in the UK in 2003, I faced life as a forty-something single mum with the prospect of finding paid employment, And then, life took me completely by surprise the day I met the man who is today, my lovely Hub.
He took my hand and led me back into the sunshine.
We are now settled in the West Country of England with my youngest adult child and assorted pets which, to date, include two black kitties and a grumpy bunny but once included a family of Chinese Button Quails, a corn snake called Charles P. Snake, an African Land Snail called Vladimir and three degus called KPS: Kevin, Peter and Sam. This is what happens when your youngest is an Aspie and a consummate pet lover.
Turning fifty wasn’t so bad (what better pay back than rocking out with your grown up kids at my first Metallica gig?), but things took a downturn in the coming years. My youngest struggled for years with debilitating social anxiety before receiving a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (High Functioning Autism) at eighteen.
Job loss (mine), financial reversal and two car accidents followed. That old ‘black dog’ became my constant companion and for a long time I felt pretty damn worthless, insignificant and washed-up.
So I got down on my bended knees and prayed.
Not one, but several doors, slammed firmly shut in my face. Well, don’t ‘they’ say that when one door closes another opens? This is true, but it’s no good if you stand still and don’t actually walk through that open door.
It took me a long time just to get the self-belief that I could actually attempt it, never mind achieve any measure of success, but one day I said, “Enough!” I got up off my knees.
With renewed courage and faith, I stepped over the threshold of that doorway to follow a new path towards my life-long dream, in which I dared to call myself a Writer.
What’s at the end of your path?
Selworthy, Quantocks, Somerset October 2012
(c) Sherri Matthews
“Rise up; this matter is in your hands. Take courage and do it.” Ezra 10:4
And it was on the other side of that door that I was at last able to find the answer to the question I had asked myself all my life: how can I turn my life experiences into something that others will hopefully find valuable, worthwhile, and maybe even inspiring?
Is it even possible? Risky, yes, but as I always say, better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. So here I am. Writing.
Weaving stories from the past, making sense of the present,
giving hope for the future.
Why the name, ‘A View from My Summerhouse’ you may well ask?
My Summerhouse in Spring
Some of my most endearing and happiest memories from my childhood are of playing in my grandparents’ summerhouse at the back of their glorious garden in Cheshire, and I longed for one of my own one day.
I had to wait a long time, but a couple of years ago, lovely Hubby built one for me in our garden as my office.
My summerhouse is my writing haven.
My hope is that in sharing my stories here, you are encouraged and inspired to chase your dreams and to never give up.
No matter how side-lined or insignificant you feel, or how dark your days may seem, I urge you to remember that there is always hope, always a light shining in the darkness, always the knowledge that you are not alone. And if I can change my life for the better, so can you!
The view from my Summerhouse may not always be rosy, but I hope you will share it with me, rain or shine.
Love Sherri x
*At the time of writing this page, my dad was 81 and living in a half way house. He returned to prison almost a year later for breaking parole – he had ‘a few pints’ – and remained there until, very ill, he was taken to hospital. He died peacefully, five days later, surrounded by the love of his family, on 17th July, 2016, three weeks before what would have been his eighty-fourth birthday. He gave me the one gift he could: his blessing to write his story. My blog is dedicated to him. Be at peace darling dad.
A View From My Summerhouse 
We are where we are – we are who we are and we become who we are through God’s incredible grace. You life seems to be woven full of grace and mercy and despite the challenges I read in between the lines about a tenacious, strong woman. Thank you for sharing your story.
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Thank you so much, how lovely to meet you and I am greatly blessed by your beautifully encouraging words. Without God’s grace and mercy I wouldn’t like to even begin to think where I would be now. It is His strength which has pulled me through many tough situations and I never take that for granted. Bless you and thank you so very much for taking the time to visit my blog, this means a great deal to me and I look forward to visiting yours too 🙂
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It is such a pleasure Sherri – be blessed as Father continues to grow you on this road.
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I wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for ‘The Versatile Blogger’ Award. I know you have already many many many Awards! But you have to understand that I HAD TO nominate you since you are one of the most special persons I have met since I started my blogger journey. Please feel free to display the Award next to all the other ones or just keep it as a sign of my deep appreciation for you and your blog 🙂
http://simplyilka.com/2013/11/23/the-versatile-blogger-award/
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Oh wow Ilka, I am so humbled and deeply touched by your very kind and loving words to me here, you are one lovely lady!! Of course I accept this award with a very grateful heart. I will display it so proudly and will let everyone know that you gave it to me. Thank you so much, and many congratulations to you for this very well deserved award 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Hey !! Just nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!! 🙂 Check it out at:
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Thank you so much, I am very honoured and humbled to receive this nomination, you are very kind 🙂
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Welcome 🙂
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Hi Sherri! I hope you don’t mind a blog award.:) Please click here for more info: http://eyedancers.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/some-of-my-favorite-things-blogs-or-the-blog-of-the-year-award-2013/ Thanks so much! You have a beautiful site! –Mike
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Oh my goodness Mike, wow, I don’t know what to say! A good place to start is ‘Thank You’ so very much, not only for this wonderful award but also for being such a wonderful support to me and my blog, pretty much since I started blogging – there you were, reading, following, keeping tabs, letting me know always that you were/are ‘there’.
I am truly honoured Mike, bless you, and I will try to get to this as soon as possible. You are a star 🙂
PS I absolutely don’t mind 😉
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Hi Sherri
I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Although you’re under no obligation to accept it, I hope you do. 🙂
Follow this link: http://speculationsimpressed.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/the-versatile-blogger-award/
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Thanks so much Glynis for thinking of me, I really do appreciate it! I hope to get to announce my acceptance of this award as soon as I can, and many congratulations to you 🙂
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It is such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for sharing your story with us. As I said, I am looking forward to knowing you better through our blogs!!! 🙂
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Hello Skye, how lovely to see you here and the pleasure is all mine as I too am very much looking forward to getting to know you! Have a lovely day 🙂
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You sound like one determined, kick-ass lady! Pleased to meet you, Sherri 🙂 This is creepy; we have things in common. Even the snakes!
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Kick-ass? I like that, thanks MM!! It is a pleasure to meet you too and yes, it does seem that we have much in common. Who knew about the snake? I can thank my daughter for that!
Hope to see you again soon and have a lovely day… 🙂
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Hello Lovely!
I have nominated you for The Imagine Award, please find rules here: http://lostinthelabyrinthh.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/the-imagine-award-goes-to/
All the best! Maria x
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Thanks so much my lovely Maria, you are so thoughtful and kind to think of me, I am very honoured 🙂 x
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glad I came across your blog … thanks for sharing your story!
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Hello Heidi, thank you so much for visiting and reading. I do hope that you visit again soon 🙂
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Oh, wow, Sherri. Your story is truly beautiful, tragic and so inspiring. I look forward to staying in touch by following your newest adventures – summerhouse, winterhouse or even the dusty garage. Cheers to you!
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Ha Ha! Love it – well, I don’t have a winterhouse, unless you count my house when it is covered in snow which doesn’t happen very often here in England, but I certainly do have a very dusty, over-filled garage!!!
I am very touched by your kind, lovely words and it’s so lovely to meet you…cheers to you too 🙂
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I was looking at your remarkable blog and wonderful evocative posts and couldn’t resist to ask if is possible to write a guest post for your blog? 🙂 Happy Holidays!
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Hello Meglena, many thanks for visiting my blog, I am very glad that you have enjoyed reading some of my posts and I really appreciate that you would take the time to do so. I am also honoured that you would like to guest post on my blog. Would you mind emailing me so that we can discuss this further? Many thanks, and Happy Holidays to you too 🙂
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I love your summerhouse! What a wonderful sanctuary to write in. : )
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Hello, thank you so much for visiting and for the follow! I very much look forward to seeing you again soon in my summerhouse 🙂
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Hi Sherri,
I just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for the dragon’s loyalty award. Congratulation and hope you can take it up. More info can be found at
I have just seen that you already have the award so please take it as a sign of my appreciation.
Cheers Irene
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Thanks so much Irene, I am very honoured that you would consider me for this lovely award. I do have it so I won’t participate in the actual rules if that is ok, but in the new year I will be sure to do a post properly thanking you for your very kind nomination 🙂
Congratulations to you for your recent, very well deserved awards 🙂
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That is fine: I think that many of us will be otherwise occupied or elsewhere over the Christmas Period. I hope you and your family have a very Merry, Happy Christmas and a fun-filled safe New Year.
Thanks for all your encouragement in my newly launched blog.
🙂
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Thanks Irene, and thank YOU for all your encouragement of my blog and writing, it’s been great sharing our writing journey together. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas and here’s to a great 2014 🙂
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Sherri, I’m looking forward to continuing next year. Have a lovely Christmas. Cheers Irene 🙂
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Sounds like it has been a real roller coaster for you. I only married once. Only divorced once as well. She was a serial cheat. I found that most people I dated were serial cheats. With the exception of one. She was just a sociopath. She didn’t kill anyone, but neither did she have feelings except for herself. One of the things that I did which I wish I could have done differently, was that I left her daughter there. She was 15 at the time and terrified of her mother. But I was 43 and terrified of her too.
Starting anew can be the best thing, and I am so glad you went through that open door. It can make a massive difference.
Enjoy your Christmas and New Year,. I hope 2014 is your best year,.
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What a story, my goodness Al, you have been through the wringer to say the least, I’m so sorry! I sincerely hope your life is more settled now. I stood at that open door for a long time before I took the first step to actually walk through it and into a new beginning. Life is risky, as you well know, but there is always the hope that we make the right decision and that taking the risk was worth it.
I will just say this though, is it me or does it seem that this world is full of more sociopathic people than ever before??
So lovely to meet you, and thanks so much for visiting my summerhouse 🙂 I wish you a very Happpy Christmas and New Year too, and I look forward to reading more of your wonderful blog in 2014 🙂
PS ‘I hope 2014 is your best year’… I shall ponder that in my heart…thank you so much…and I wish for you the very same 🙂
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Sometimes the wrong decision is the right decision and the seeming right decision is the wrong decision. It is rare that the wrong decision is the wrong decision. It is rarer that the right decision is the right decision.
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Sherri admire your courage to carry on and still have so much love for others in your heart. You need to try this naturally de-stress the heart program, called “Movement is Blessed” at http://www.movementisblessed.com.
In sad times we eat all the comfort foods and sit. This program is of specific toe & finger exercises is more than meet the eye. Can help another in need.
Keep loved ones healthier for longer. Please glance at my website with essential health information for mature adults & seniors.The heart beats and circulation gets obstructed in the microscopic blood vessels of the toes and fingers. Scientific approach to assist heart patients.
Take care of your heart physiologically and psychologically. Keep blogging.
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Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for your health advice. I will take a look at your website with great interest. Happy New Year 🙂
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Hello Sherri i have just read about you and a view from my summer house. i know the Norfolk Broads very well and have saled on its waters for mre than 30 years, My heart and soul is in Norfolk, You are a lady courage for which i admire you.
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Hello Joe! Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for your kind words. I am thrilled to ‘meet’ someone who loves the Norfolk Broads as much as I do! Perhaps we have sailed past each other over the years! I do hope that you will visit my summerhouse again, and in then meantime may I wish you a very Happy New Year and happy sailing 🙂
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I love California. Sadly I didn’t see much of it when I was stationed there. Hope you have a great new year! -OM
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Hi OM! Yes, California is a wonderful place, a part of me still ‘lives’ there 🙂 I wish you a very Happy New Year too and all the very best for 2014!
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Hello Sherri!!
I have nominated you for the Blog Of The Year award, please accept 🙂 Details & Rules here: http://lostinthelabyrinthh.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/
Hope you are well! xxx
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Oh Maria, what an angel you are! I am quite overcome with all the wonderful awards that you bestow upon me and my summerhouse, thank you so much and what happy and such well-deserved congratulations I would like to offer to you! I will do my very best to get to my acceptance post just as soon as I possibly can!
We are all well, and thank you so much for asking and I hope with you too! Heading your way now… 🙂 xxx
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My, what a roller-coaster ride you’ve had thus far, Sherri! You sound like a survivor though, and kudos to you in turning your life around. I’m so happy for you that you’ve found a good partner to share your life’s journey. Your summerhouse looks so charming in the snow. 🙂 Sylvia. xx
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It has been quite a bumpy ride, I would agree although life is never without challenges for any of us and we were never promised a rose garden. Still, I never take for granted those times when I can actually stay put, enjoy my rose garden and take the time out to relish the peace and quiet 🙂
The photo of my summerhouse in the snow was taken last winter. We haven’t had any snow as yet and wondering if we will this year. Just an awful lot of rain and wind!
Thanks so much Sylvia, lovely to spend time with you in my summerhouse 🙂 xx
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Another award for you my dear 😀
I have nominated you for the Awesome Blossom Award… http://lostinthelabyrinthh.wordpress.com/2014/01/18/awesome-blossom-award-goes-to/
Mwah! xxxx
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Mwah!!! Oh Maria, I am very humbled, thank you so much! I’m also so behind with my award posts, but I will get to this just as soon as I can my lovely lady 🙂 xxx
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Hello Sherri 😀
Another award for you, a more personal one this time 🙂 Check out info here:
I have nominated you for the LindaMadHatter Jesters Award, check out my post for more info 🙂 http://lostinthelabyrinthh.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/lindamadhatter-jesters-award-goes-to/
Lots of love x x x
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Bless you Maria, you are too kind! I am very intrigued to read about this award, I’ve not heard about it before! Thank you so very much, I am once again very honoured and humbled that you would think of me again. I am so very behind with my award posts but I haven’t forgotten and I promise to get to them as soon as I possibly can. Coming over to read all about it now and lots of love to you too 🙂 xxxxx
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Hi Sherri;
I tried sending this via your email link but it didn’t work. As promised here is the link to obtaining a copy of my memoir, An Immoral Proposal.
Warm regards,
Jennifer
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Many thanks for this Jennifer. You probably tried to send it to my email when my laptop was out of use and being wiped!!! Sorry about that. You should be able to email me now no problem 🙂 I will be in touch.
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Sherri, Just wanted to let you know I have nominated you for the Field of Flowers Award.
Cheers Irene
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Thank you so much Irene for thinking of me and sending a beautiful ‘field of flowers’ my way! Believe it or not, I am literally in the middle of preparing my award acceptance posts so I will include this one too! 🙂
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You’re welcome Sherri. What good timing. 😀
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🙂
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Hi… I have loved reading your posts and so I’ve nominated you for The Liebster Award. Please click on the given link to accept it – http://upasnamattoo.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/the-liebster-award/ . Congratulations..!! 🙂
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Thank you very much for the award, I greatly appreciate that you thought of me. Have a lovely day 🙂
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This is a touching and wonderful blog, Sherri.
Glad I found you – what a wonderful resource the blogging world is!
Take care –
Emma 🙂
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Hello Emma, thank you so much for dropping by and visiting my summerhouse. I’m very glad you found me too and I do hope you will visit again. The blogging world is unlike any other, filled with the most wonderful community of the most caring and encouraging souls. Wishing you a day filled with every blessing 🙂
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Sherri, your story brought tears to my eyes! I just wanted to give you a big hug! 🙂 I have a similar story from my past. Alcoholic father, screwed up family, my ten years of drugs and alcohol, until in 1987 I fell to my knees from the pull of God’s grace and call on my life. Then followed many years of healing from my past which were pretty painful, but He did it! I met my husband in 1993 and we married in 1994. (I was married in my early 20’s for six years which is a whole other story!) Anyway, my husband and I have been married since December of 1994 and have two teens. We have great relationships with them, and I am very blessed to have been able to stay home with them and have had the time to learn art. Now God is blessing me with people actually buying my art! I am now trying to start growing https://www.facebook.com/PatsysCreativeCorner to sell more! I am looking forward to reading more of your writing!
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It is wonderful to be able to share our stories and then to receive responses such as yours. Thank you so much for sharing your story Patsy but I’m very sorry for all you have had to deal with. So wonderful to then read that God brought you through and gave you a new life, so happy with your husband and your children. I too was very blessed to be able to be home with mine and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I took a look at your FB page, which I have liked (I recently set up my FB page too to link to my blog and my writing https://www.facebook.com/aviewfrommysummerhouse) and I do love your art, how wonderful that you have been able to pursue what is so obviously a true gift and then to be able to sell your own work too! I really do wish you every success and I also look forward very much to your visits here, which I’m really enjoying! Again, thank you so much Patsy for finding my blog, so lovely to meet you 🙂
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I think storytelling is the most wonderful thing in the world, and the fact that it can be done through all kinds of mediums of art as well is awesome! I love reading biographies and autobiographies. I have been doing that since I was a kid. I thought I wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager, but life took me in other directions. And I mean a writer who gets paid for it! 😉 That’s what my son wants to be. But someday after I get more time when the kids are out of high school, I’d like to write children’s books and illustrate them. That’s why I need more practice drawing people and animals. But my favorite things to paint are landscapes and flowers. I just feel all over the place as an artist sometimes which can be frustrating, but I try to just work on one thing at a time until it’s finished.
Thanks so much for going to my FB page and liking it! I will find yours as well. It’s my understanding that you can do more stuff on the page itself once you get to so many likes? I don’t know if that’s correct. But I don’t have hundreds of friends on my personal page, so it is slow going getting people to find my art page.
I have only done two commissions so far and one of my friends who was my first one also bought a painting I did a few years ago. So I’ve sold three so far. Redding, CA, where I live near is so full of artists of all kinds that it is difficult to get stuff out there. But I’m determined to try! And God will have to lead me and guide me.
It is great talking with you, Sherri. Take care. 🙂
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I hear the cry of your heart Patsy, just the same as with me, wanting to write and get paid for it but other things needing to happen first. Same with your art too. Perhaps it’s only when we go through life that we finally get to that point where we can at last begin to fulfill our personal dreams. You are working towards that now with your art as I am with my writing (and you will too with your writing, how lovely, children’s books and illustrations) but it is a slow progress. So long as you are taking one step forward each day then you are one day closer to fulfilling your dreams. That’s what I tell myself all the time anyway, lol!
I didn’t know that about FB but I am just the same, I don’t have many contacts on there and only very recently set up my FB page to link to my blog. Early days for me. It’s all about getting exposure isn’t it but as you say, this can be difficult when you are a pebble in a very large ocean!! My son wants to pursue his music career but it is the same for him. Here is a link if you want to hear his music, I posted it when he was going through a painful breakup with his girlfriend, with his permission of course. https://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2013/11/18/smoke-and-mirrors-my-sons-way-back/
It certainly is wonderful having these chats, and I look forward to many more. Here’s to our writing/painting dreams and their fulfillment, God willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😉 But even then, we’ll do our very best, right?
God Bless you and your family Patsy, it’s a pleasure to meet you 🙂
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It’s funny. Writing children’s stories or any stories and doing the art work for them has been something that has been in the back of my mind since I was in my teens. I just didn’t make the right choices to pursue it at the time. But the favorite thing I ever did for our kids was just sit and read book after book to them. They are both avid readers now. And my son has taken up writing in his teens, so that has been great to see. But for now I like the idea of painting people’s personal photos, because it seems to be something that no one else is doing around here. So I’m hoping it will catch on and I’ll get more business. There are so many wonderful artists in this area, but most of them are painters who just go outside and paint landscapes or do a lot of abstract stuff. I don’t like to paint outside. I hate dealing with the weather. LOL! But I’ve always enjoyed painting from photos and most of what I’ve done has been photos we have taken or from friends who gave me their permission. If you go to the acrylics I’ve done on my FB page, the purple Iris was a photo of my elderly friend Andrea that I did a few years ago. But while I was working on it she died! So she never got to see it. I was reluctant to try and sell it, but if it could bless someone else, she would love that. 🙂
And yes, here’s to our artistic endeavors! If I had a glass of anything, and you did too, I can see us clinking them and saying “cheers!” 😉
God bless you and your family as well, Sherri. It has been great talking with you, too!
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Wow, this is wonderful and I really do think you are onto something here painting from people’s photographs (sad though about your elderly friend, but what a lovely tribute for someone to buy it in her memory). A really unique idea and wonderful, personal gifts for family and friends. I still can’t get over what you’ve done with my photo!!
That’s wonderful about your boys too. My eldest is an avid reader, always has been. My middle boy the musician and my daughter the writer, she has about 4 blogs but not on WP. It’s great seeing them blossom in their own unique ways.
God bless you and your lovely family too and great chatting Patsy, and cheers to you too, with whatever we happen to have in our glass at this moment in time 🙂
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Thanks. I think it’s a unique idea that I hope catches on soon. I am thrilled that you love the painting of your photo.
Actually, my oldest is a boy, my youngest is a girl. He is 17. She is turning 15 next month. 🙂 Grace also has a blog on tumblr.com. I’ve never actually gotten a tumblr. account though, but she tells me all about it.
God bless you, too! Have a nice evening. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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Inspirational
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Thank you so much Andy and for your visit.
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Hi Sherri, I wanted to stop by and thank you for liking my post about race on Holistic Wayfarer’s site.
Thanks SM
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Hello Simpel Me! You are very welcome, I enjoyed reading your ‘story’ very much, particularly about the village that your grandfather built and that you visit every year with your father. You have a very rich heritage. Thank you so much for coming over to my summerhouse, and I wish for you a lovely day.
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Hello newest Spikey! I know, a bit corny, eh, but that’s the term that has come to stick for those folk who are part of the clan known to be followers of Uncle Spike 🙂
Thank you… I really appreciate that as I for one, know how many interesting and entertaining blogs are out there.
My aim is to deliver an eclectic offering of posts, from my ‘point n shoot’ attempts at basic photography, to the sharing of my travel adventures over the decades, as well as day to day happenings here on the farm. Oh, plus a few observations on life as I see it, thrown in for good measure.
My promise to you is not to be overbearing, just a couple of posts a day, maybe 3 at weekends if I have something special to share. But if you are at a loose end one day, maybe you’ll enjoy trawling through some of my older stuff too. I have added plenty of categories to help in said digging process.
Thanks again and hope you have a great day…
UNCLE SPIKE
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You are very welcome Uncle Spike and I look forward very much to ‘digging about’ through your blog to read more. In catch up mode at the moment but will get there again very soon. I really appreciate your visits to my blog and your support of my posts and photo challenges. Means a great deal. I’m proud to be your newest Spikey – lovely to meet you 🙂
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Thanks Ms Sherri 🙂
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🙂
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Brave and inspiring. Blessings. ( I needed to read this, I really did) Thank you, Sherri.
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Thank you so much Paula for taking the time to read my story and I am blessed indeed to know that you found it inspiring. God bless you and it’s lovely to meet you 🙂
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well I have been following your blog for a little hill now and decided to leave a note here on the about page (***and send a blog hug***) also, wanted to say tanks for the award bundle you sent my way – I am drafting a post about it and will link you when I get that up there. Hope you have a great week dear Sherri – and glad to have our blogs cross paths at this time. peace and blessings to you and yours….. ~yvette
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It’s been lovely having you here Yvette, I am following yours too but don’t seem to be getting the notifications. Will have to check into that. Anyway, so lovely to get your blog hug, feeling it now, and sending one right back at ya my friend 🙂 I am so glad to have met you too, your regular visits and comments always brighten my day and I appreciate them very much, never take that for granted my friend!
Looking forward to your awards post, and you have a great day too 🙂 xo
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thanks Sherri – here is the link mon amie – http://priorhouse.wordpress.com/awards/
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Thanks Y – coming over right now mon amie 🙂
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Hi again, Sherri! I come bearing bubbly wine and disco songs. This is a fantastic ‘about me’ write up. Talk about a brickhousechick! Your strength in spite of all the rough patches is quite admirable. Your attitude is inspiring and I look forward to following you (not literally, but you know, via blog). 🙂 🙂
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Hello Maria, how lovely to see you here, thank so much for coming over and bearing bubbly and disco songs too, wow! What could be better?
Ahh, I really appreciate your very kind and thoughtful words, bless you. I would say the very same about you, in all your daily struggles I admire you greatly that you write such an inspirational, thoughtful and entertaining blog. I know it isn’t easy though…
Ha Ha! Love it – great to have you ‘following me’… likewise, look out for my follow too! Lovely to meet you brickhousechick! Now let’s get this party started…I’ll go and get Jill right now… 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Sherri, you’re a strong individual, and a great source of inspiration. You fought your life’s battles determinedly – you are a winner! Keep inspiring! 🙂
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Hi Mahesh, thank you so much for coming over, I really appreciate you taking the time to read my ‘About’ page 🙂 I am very humbled indeed.
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Hi Sherri, I’m pleased to be nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Please follow the link http://thewritemight.me/2014/04/06/its-awards-season-versatile-blogger-award-now/ Thanks 🙂
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Thanks so much Mahesh, this is very kind of you to think of me. Many congratulations to you for your very well deserved award and I will post my thank-you very shortly 🙂
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Dear Sherri:
I nominated you for the Sunshine Award. See here: http://cardamonefive.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/sunshine-award/
Best regards,
Elizabeth
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Thank you very much Elizabeth for your very kind thoughts in sending this lovely award my way. I will prepare my thank you post very shortly and let you know. Have a lovely day my new blogging friend 🙂
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Since you’re such the prolific blogger, you’ve already received this award, but even so, I am nominating you again, my dear Sherri Poppins! 🙂 http://jkmarsh12.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/sunshine-award/
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Ahh, thank you so much Jenny Jen Jen, that’s so sweet of you to think of me, I do love this award! I will certainly do a thank you post, and soon, I promise 🙂
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Pingback: The Inner Peace Award | Don Charisma
Dear Sherri P, I know you’ve been nominated for this award (because you nominated Steven and Steven nominated me!), but I would just like you to know that you are one of my precious lights. Thank you for being such a star! http://wp.me/p38bhq-n8
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Ahh, dear Jenny Jen Jen, I am truly honoured and so touched by your beautiful sentiments…goodness, I don’t know what to say!! What a lovely Easter gift you have given me. I would thank you so very much for such kindness and would say that your star blazes across those twilight skies and now I am smiling in my heart and soul with the thought of it…bless you, and hugs galore….love to you from me, Sherri P x 🙂
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Beautiful words, Sherri. And your soul burns as bright as the sun in my blue sky ^^ I’m so very glad to have met you, and your kindness!
Here’s to many more interactions to come 😉
Have a blessed Easter. I send my love your way, sprinkling down as stardust from those special stars in the sky 🙂 x
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Ahh…so beautiful Jenny Jen Jen, thank you so much 🙂 I hope you had blessed Easter, and love to you too 🙂 xx
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Dearest Sherri P, keeper of the summerhouse, I have awarded you with your 92nd Liebster Award: http://moodsaplenty.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/ich-liebster/
Well at least it gave me one shot at payback for all those awards you gave me! 🙂
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Well thank you so much dearest JG 🙂 You are too kind! Haha, 92nd….I’ve told you 20 million times not to exaggerate, haha 😉
Have a great day my lovely friend… now I must go to my watch, Keeper of the Summerhouse such as I am…. 🙂
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Haha! You know, one day, I will just call you by your name – and you will be shocked! 😛
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I will that!! Good to see you about the place again JG…been a bit quiet!! I’ve been excited to tell you that I have now, at last (you know I always get there in the end, haha!!) taken the photo of the painting my granddad did of the Windmill on the Broads, so if you don’t mind letting me have your email address, I’ll send it to you and we can go from there! 🙂
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Ahh, that’s marvellous Sherri P! stevenfisher@hotmail.co.uk is the address. Yes, I’ve been away from here a bit, I had a house guest Saturday until Tuesday and it was a lot of fun, but I’ve been so tired since, and now I have a couple coming down tomorrow for the Bank Holiday weekend… why, the fun never stops! I am, as usual, playing catch-up with more or less everybody on here!
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Well I’m so glad you’re okay,albeit understandably tired, but great to know you’ve been having fun J G! I don’t know what my excuse is though, I’m forever playing catch up no matter what 😉
Thanks so much for your email address, will be in touch very shortly… 🙂
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Hi,
I just found your blog and want to invite you to provide a guest post on our site Retirement And Good Living. You don’t have to be retired to post on our site 🙂
We launched our retirement site at http://retirementandgoodliving.com which provides information on a variety of topics including life, humor, health, retirement locations, finances, hobbies, travel, volunteering, part time work and much more to boomers, recent retirees and others thinking about or planning for retirement.
Currently the blog section of our site is comprised entirely of posts by guests on a variety of topics. To date over 150 guests from around the globe provided posts to our blog.
Please send me an email if interested and I will forward additional information.
Thanks,
Simone Harrison
simone@retirementandgoodliving.com
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Hi Simone,
Many thanks for coming over to my blog and for the very kind invitation to guest blog on your site. I would be delighted to do so, email on it’s way!
A pleasure to meet you – Sherri 🙂
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Such a candid and honest account of a life well-lived. I love your determination and passion. I will keep coming back for inspiration:)!
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Thank you so much for coming by and reading NS, so wonderful to know you will be back too! I really hope that you enjoy what you find here in my Summerhouse, it’s a pleasure to meet you – Sherri 🙂
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Hii. Nice to meet you 🙂 Nice blog you have here
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Hi Michael, very nice to meet you too, thanks so much for dropping by to visit and I sincerely hope that you will do so again, and enjoy what you find here at my Summerhouse! Have a lovely day – Sherri 🙂
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Hi Sherri,
Just a quick note to let you know I have nominated you for the butterfly light award. You can find out more at http://irenewaters19.com/2014/05/18/the-butterfly-light-award-disco-flutterby-award/
Cheers Irene
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Thank you so much Irene for nominating me for this beautiful award, you are so kind! I’ve replied over on your site….and many congratulations to you too my friend 🙂
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You’re welcome Sherri. It is well deserved.
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🙂
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Hi Sherri,
Just wanted to let you know I have also nominated you for a whole heap of awards – The sisterhood of world bloggers, the inner peace award, the angel award, the wonderful team member readership award and the wordpress family award. You can find out more at http://irenewaters19.com/2014/05/19/awards-galore-inner-peace-angels-award-sisterhood-wordpress-family-and-more/
Hope you will accept. I just wanted to let you know how much I have appreciated your visits, your posts since meeting. Cheers Irene
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Wow, I am truly honoured Irene, thank you so very much my friend, and yes, I’m very humbled to accept. I will try to get to them as soon as I’m able!!! I too appreciate you very much…wouldn’t be the same around here without you! Cheers & big hugs to you for more, richly deserved congratulations… 🙂
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Thanks Sherri. I feel the same. This round of awards really capture what blogging is all about and yet they don’t have too many conditions attached to them. Have a good day. Cheers Irene
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I’ve tagged you in a Meet My Main Character blog tour. If you fancy taking part, find the details here http://africolonialstories.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/meet-my-main-character-blog-tour/
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Thanks so much Jo, I’ll be over to take a look shortly… :-)xxxxxx
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Pingback: The Most Influential Blogger Award | Don Charisma
Thank you so much Don! You are a Super Man indeed! Have a great day my friend 🙂
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Nice to meet you. You have a great blog and an interesting life.
Tracy sent me 🙂
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Thank you very much Elizabeth for coming over to visit me at my summerhouse, I do hope you enjoy what you find here! How lovely of Tracy to send you here, I will come over to you and lovely to meet you too 🙂
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That is some hectic life story…perhaps you could sell the film rights to Hollywood, that place is in need of some original material. This is a great blog and inspiring as well as my own intentions to write slowly get consumed by day to day dross but not any more!
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Hello Ste J…thank you so much for coming over here and for your very kind comment.
Haha, now I wonder what Hollywood would make of all this? It would certainly be original if nothing else!
It’s great to have you on-board, and I’m looking forward to coming over to your blog which I’ll do tomorrow as it’s late here now and I’ll be signing off!
Great to know that you are pressing on with your writing and not letting those many distractions get in the way…very frustrating when that happens!
Lovely to meet you… Sherri 🙂
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