My Dad: Storyteller Extraordinaire

My dad and I have been very close since I can remember. I love to listen to his stories. They are so alive! He draws you in. You feel like you are there. Such adventures he had as a child, a young man! Even now at almost 83...his life nothing less than a wonderful adventure. He taught me to treasure life in all of it's richness, the great outdoors in all of its beauty, and the people in it with all of their quirky, fun differences.

Here is a picture of Dad and I just before he walked me down the aisle at my wedding to Mike ~ one of the happiest days of my life:

He has shared his adventures with me and all of his children and grandchildren, friends and now the world. In his second book, "The Guide Shoots First" he writes of the hunting adventures he had with his buddies, his sons and now their sons, from walking the sloughs of North Dakota to hiking the hills of Montana!

As his daughter, publicist and book agent, I am helping him to share his stories with the world this wonderful holiday season. They are warm, inviting adventures of hunting, exploring, and friendship that you will not be able to put down.

Below is the link to the press release that went out yesterday. Please help me surprise my terrific Dad who has supplied me with a lifetime of wonderful memories, by sharing his books with others for the Holidays. My goal is to sell them out for Christmas!

Press Release for Bill Baker's Book: "The Guide Shoots First"

Enjoy! And have a very Happy Holiday Season!

Love, Libby

So Happy For My Friend!

For nearly three years I have been praying for my dearest friend Heather Siebens to be delivered, healed, fixed by doctors, whatever God had in mind -- to get her out of the terrible all-over-muscle-body pain she was in. It was unbearable! Many others prayed. Her loving husband Christian cared for her, however he has to travel on business. Others would pitch in. Her daughter Tory, her brother Troy, Mary (below) family and friends. Sometimes, lots of times she went it alone. With her kiddo, as she calls Tory, and her strong faith.

She lived in Phoenix, Philadelphia and now again in Phoenix during this time. The longest stay was in Philly where the cold weather really made the pain more intense, if possible. Twice she came to visit me in Minnesota and our wonderful friend Mary -- who also suffers with chronic illness and is a woman of great faith in Jesus. But, that is the subject of another blog. We had a great time together despite pain and illness. We love the Lord and each other intensely!

I am so happy for Heather. Her long ordeal is ended. She is the bravest, most loving, filled with love of Jesus blessing to so many ~ and now the prayers have been answered!

This blog is re-posted by permission:

Blessed Beyond by Heather Siebens

Read and be blessed!

Love to all! Libby

Love Praise Pray

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Laugh More, Worry Less

“If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out.”
― Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I was browsing through goodreads.com in the humor section and came across this quote. It's lucky I wasn't drinking milk because I would have sprayed it all over my computer as it came out of my nose like a hose!~LOL I howled with laughter! I posted it on Facebook when I finally calmed down ~ wanting to share it at once. I'm not sure if it appealed to many, it wasn't my usual status!! :) I am still laughing. It's important to laugh. It makes you feel good, lifts your mood. It makes you feel ALIVE! I love to laugh! I've been sick for a week and I'm feeling better today, so it really felt good. I kept reading and posting and laughing until it hit me to write about it.

Why do we get so serious about life? Why do we let its cares get us down? Why not laugh at its absurdities? Even hardships.

That's what my friend Heather does. She has had 3 brain surgeries. She was awake through the last one. As she and I were discussing on the phone tonight, not a lot of people realize what is entailed in brain surgery. They think something is put into the brain. Nope. They take parts of the brain out. By the time her third surgery was over her left lobe was gone. She went from being a left brain dominant person to being completely right brained. Imagine the adjustment! She did become much more creative. Here jewelry making skills are amazing! And can she paint! Colors are so rich in both arts and lively and filled with life. Please pray for her, she is in terrible pain, because they nicked a pain center on the third surgery. Yet, nothing has daunted her sense of humor. She has a wonderful dry wit.

She jokes all the time when we are together. She likes to see if I'll get it. My humor is more obvious than hers. What it one of her favorites topics? The brain! Maybe that's why I laughed so hard at the joke. It reminded me of her humor, her courage, her wonderful outlook and above all her love for friends and family, God and me.

I am humbled by her love. I love her too. We are best friends. And besties with Mary who is loved so much by both of us. She is a delightful fun-loving Christ-lover like us! She has a great outlook on life, though she is sick with recurrent viral meningitis or Mollarets. What an attitude!

We have a blast when we all get together. We laugh a lot. Heather was just here from Phoenix and the three of us had a wonderful time together for 10 days straight!

I treasure these friends and our faith shared, prayers, humor and support in times of happiness or sadness. We can always make each other laugh. Why worry when you can enmesh yourself in the web of your friendships with God, family and dear ones like this for an uplifting moment and a good brain joke? LOL

So here is what I would like to leave you with. Something to ponder and help get your thinking in line and put you in the mood for some good humor:

“Too many of us are hung up on what we don't have, can't have, or won't ever have. We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy – if not less of it – doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do.” — Terry McMillan 

Laugh More -- Worry Less!!! :) LOVE YOU ALL!

Which Side of the Bed Did YOU Wake-up On?

If you read my last post, it may have left you wondering...like my dear commentator Mimi -- why my
husband and I didn't just switch sides of the bed if I was having so much difficulty, instead of pulling the whole bed apart!

There is no short answer that question. Both my hubby and I are sleep-on-the-left-hand-side-of-the-bed-sleepers. I have wanted that side back for 33 years, shhhhh don't tell him! He, on the other hand is one year older than me and set in his ways. He has slept on that side all his life :) and truly couldn't sleep on what has become my side, the right. Why oh why do I love the left side? Because I can sleep on my left side and dangle my right hand over the side, pure joy! There I go, living on the edge again.

Much better that I should sleep safely on the right ensconced in my part of his side of the bed that I acquired yesterday. As a matter of fact, I slept very soundly, very deeply and happily last night. For two rather opinionated yet friendly left-sided-sleepers like us it was the best of both possible worlds. Blissful compromise. Blessed sleep!

So in answer to the question, which side of the bed did I wake up on? MY SIDE, THE PERFECT SIDE!

Absolutely Ridiculous or Boring?

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." Marilyn Monroe MARILYN

Marilyn Monroe is not usually remembered as a super bright woman, and sadly so. I think she was. If you read her words and realized what she accomplished in her life, you'll agree. Sure, she lacked self esteem and maybe she didn't really know herself so became the victim, but she was bright. I like this quote, like many of hers it has a twist. I would rather be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring! That has always been my motto. :)


Today I spent the greater part of the day with my husband studying the physics of the slope in the side of my bed where I exit. Because twice now it recent memory I have slid out, while getting out! Now isn't THAT ridiculous?!! LOL


As it happens, it was a sleep number bed we had inherited from one of my siblings. It has helped my husbands bad back immensely. Me, not so much. I just haven't taken to it. I have the odd propensity of being able to take naps on my husband's side, however. Well today after my 2nd Slide to the floor, we decide to do a mini-autopsy of the bed. Turns out, hubby's side edge was flush and strong. Mine was broken down and a slippery slope! After pondering for a while. My dear husband methodically took the entire bed apart and put HIS SIDE on MY SIDE! YIPPEE!!! A miracle in marriage had been performed! I had HIS SIDE of the bed. And we didn't even have to move :)!

Have a beautiful night friends. Sleep tight and very restfully. Stay squarely IN your beds where you belong and don't be boring but don't be so ridiculous that you hurt yourself!!!


P.S. -- I'm okay :)



@Copyright Libby Baker Sweiger
aka libbytalks