Recently we had the pleasure of reading a book that was written by members of a writer’s group at The Trails at Carmel Creek, in Hutto, TX. This book, inspired by the group’s instructor and experienced writer Terri Schexnayder, is full of poems and stories about life experiences and offers a voice of passion and perseverance, mixed with faith and courage.

The book starts with Patsy Bredahl, who tells of her love of family, peace, unity, and about her time serving young children as a nurse. Through many stories of friendship, loss, and triumph, she offers a delightful reading experience mixed with emotion.

Edith Glover starts her chapter with an imaginative and descriptive poem about the California desert and then treats readers to her take on “golden as caught in time”. This piece helps us to appreciate moments as we see them now in retrospect.

The next author, Jerri Ann Livingston writes about tragedy and faith in her lovely poems that give significant insight into her faith in God through her pain. Jerri uses her experience, especially that of losing her daughter Melissa at a young age, to inspire her writing and captivate readers.

Karen B. White concludes this book with a thought-provoking poem on making memories. She then takes us on a journey through short stories of experience. The first is a creative twist on what it takes to be a mother and another about finding wisdom through life’s teaching moments.

We are so proud of our residents for writing this book and we are grateful for Terri’s dedication to her craft and for being such a wonderful teacher. Please take a moment to view their work at the Trails at Carmel Creek library.