December 2008
News, updates, & pronouncements from Pat Ballard,
the Queen of Rubenesque Romances

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. 
Eleanor Roosevelt

Something to think about....

I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming holidays that are supposed to be filled with love, warmth and happiness, and about how we get lost in the stress of hurrying and scurrying around to "get it all done" so we can have a happy, warm family gathering. But by the time we get to the gathering point we're so stressed out that we can barely stand each other.

And I've been remembering how Christmas was during my childhood. There is one particular Christmas that I remember more than any of them.

As usual, my parents didn't have a lot of money to spend on Christmas, and having six children made it even harder. But this particular year, times were tougher than usual.

My mom ordered our Christmas presents from a well-known mail order catalog, so she could charge them. Christmas got closer and closer, but no package arrived. And to our greatest fear, on Christmas Eve the mail ran, but no package was delivered.

It seems that our mom was at her best in these times of turmoil. She gathered all of us older kids together and said, "Now, each of you has something that you know your brothers and sisters want. This would be the perfect time to wrap it up and give it to them."

So we all got busy, wrapping one of our "treasured" toys up to give to each other. It became a wonderful game to hide and wrap things up and not let each other see what was going on.

Our mom got the small children together and made things for us older kids. For years I kept a carving from a bar of Ivory Soap that she helped one of my sisters make for me. I think I still have it somewhere.

We even made a "gift" for our cousin Sheila, who was coming to my grandparents' house, which was just across the road from us. I think her gift was a doll that Mom made from a potato.

That Christmas Eve night we opened our gifts and laughed so hard our sides hurt. And the joy and love that we felt flowing around us made us forget that our "Christmas" was stuck somewhere in the U.S. mail.

This is what Christmas―or whichever holiday you celebrate―should be about. It should be about giving, not getting. It should be about being close to those we love, not about how much was spent and who got a better gift.

So during the next few weeks, slow down occasionally and think about how much you love the people in your life. And let them know that you love them.

And remember, as Denis Waitley said, "Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."
 

A Word From Pat

I hope November has been as fun-filled for you as it was for me.

November is my husband, Joe's, birthday. Our daughter-in-law, Tiffany, fixed a wonderful meal for us for Joe's birthday, so we spent a very rewarding evening with Eric, Tiffany, and the grandkids.

On Thanksgiving day Joe and I left Nashville at 6:15 in the morning and drove 365 miles to my uncle's and aunt's house in Mississippi. We got there just before 12:00 noon. We had a beautiful day with family. In all we had fifty siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins who came. My heart will hum for a long time on this.

I guess we'll head for Texas for Christmas. That drive will be 660 miles, so it will take a little longer! But we'll get to see more family, so the drive will be well worth it.

Everyone have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season.

                                                     Love,

                                                                    Pat

Visit Pat's Place at www.patballard.com | Write me at patballard@bellsouth.net
 

New from Pearlsong Press:
Pat's first nonfiction book,
10 Steps to Loving Your Body
(No Matter What Size You Are)

As a young woman Pat Ballard almost died trying to starve her body into a societally approved size. In 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) she shares the steps she created―and took―to heal the damage of years of dieting. Join her in celebrating size diversity, self esteem, positive body image, and health at every size.

Your body is a unique work of art.
There never has been, nor will there ever be,
another body just like yours.
Learn to love it and it will love you back.

More info at the Pearlsong Press website. (All copies of 10 Steps purchased from the Pearlsong Press website are autographed by Pat.)

Links About The Queen & Her Books

Pat's Place website
The Queen's Blog
About Pat Ballard
Dangerous Curves Ahead
The Best Man
Abigail's Revenge
Wanted: One Groom
Nobody's Perfect
His Brother's Child
A Worthy Heir
Pearlsong Press blog posts about Pat

Weighty Matters

We've heard for years that we gain around 5 pounds during the holidays. This is said as if each and every one of us will gain 5 pounds. Period.

Well, recent studies show that most of those who gain any weight during the holidays only gain one pound.

But I say, it's the holidays. Who cares? Enjoy!!

And remember:

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking
if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”
Voltaire

Reader Review of the Month

Editor's Note: We're now featuring reader reviews of Pat's books in The Queen's Proclamation. Post a review at an online bookstore, magazine, or public website and email us at proclamation @ pearlsong.com to let us know, and we'll consider yours for inclusion in The QP. 

The following review of 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) was posted on the Amazon.com website by Judith Matz, author of The Diet Survivor's Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance & Self-Care.

As a therapist, I know that the toughest part for most women in their journey to make peace with food is learning how to build a better body image. 10 Steps to Loving Your Body is a fabulous resource for doing just that. Author Pat Ballard offers her own wisdom, along with inspirational quotes from people such as Gilda Radner and Wayner Dyer. One of my favorites: "Begin challenging your assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile or the light won't come in." (Alan Alda)

If you are struggling with weight/body image issues, keep this book on your nightstand or in your purse, and open its pages often. It will be like having a kind and gentle best friend with you who wants what's best for you and knows how to help you get there.
 

Read a interview with Pat at The F-word (Food. Fat. Feminism.) blog.

Communicate with Pat via her "Amazon Connect" blog on Amazon.com!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/id/AC8LT66HFJQ1Y/ref=cm_blog_blog/102-0429066-5275365

Pat's romantic suspense novel Abigail's Revenge is featured on the Beautiful Portal website: http://www.beautifulportal.com/news.php?item.900034.8
and has been reviewed by AmaZe eMag: http://www.venusimaging.com/Magazine/2005/decjanrealistic/jennifer.htm

 An article on Pat has been posted at:
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1007.htm.
And an EP Extra review of Abigail's Revenge is posted at
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1011.htm 

Look for an interview with Pat on Lonnie Cruse's blog at
http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com.

Calendar of Events

New from Pearlsong Press—Pat's latest (and first nonfiction) book, 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are).

See http://www.pearlsong.com/10steps.htm to order. All copies purchased directly from the Pearlsong Press website will be autographed by the author.

Hear Pat on the air at Radio Free Nashville! Listen to or download the mp3 recording of Pat's June 23, 2008 guest appearance on the Health At Every Size show with Dr. Peggy Elam on WRFN Radio Free Nashville by going to http://www.healthateverysize.info/2008/06/june-23-2008-he.html.

Pat regularly guests on Radio Free Nashville's Health At Every Size show, which airs every Monday morning. She's usually in the studio on the fourth Monday of the month. The show is streamed live over the Internet 10-11 a.m. CST Mondays. You can also now subscribe to the podcast of the show (automatically receive the mp3 recordings of the weekly shows on your computer, iPod or mp3 player) via iTunes. Click on the "subscribe in a reader" button/link in the upper lefthand column, and select "Add to iTunes" or the podcatcher of your choice.

Listen to the live broadcasts over the Internet at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/. You can also listen to the live broadcasts through your telephone via UPSNAP.COM.  See the Health At Every Size show website or the Radio Free Nashville website for details. Davidson County, Tennessee residents can also hear the show live through the Secondary Audio Programming of Comcast cable's Channel 10.

For more on the show, check out the show blog at http://www.healthateverysize.info. You can also listen to or download recordings of some of the shows, including several with Pat, at www.pearlsong.com/audio.htm.

You can still hear the taped radio shows from Size Matters with Veronica, WCRS Radio, on Pat's website.

Show #1 discusses Pat's romance novels
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE051.mp3

Show #2 discusses women of size and their sexuality
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE052.mp3

And check out the photos from the Nov. 6, 2004 Mississippi Authors Festival that are online at The Queen's Proclamation blog and The Pearlsong Letter blog. (Click on the Mississippi Authors Festival link under the "Photo Albums" heading in the lefthand column of either blog to view the photos.) While you're visiting, post a comment on the blog!

Give someone a good read as well as support in loving themselves.
Pat's books make great gifts!
 

Read previous issues of The Queen's Proclamation at http://www.pearlsong.com/newsletterarchives.htm.
 

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The Queen's Proclamation is published by Pearlsong Press.
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©2008 Pearlsong Press