June's Open Books on Open Highways
June 2025 Newsletter: Writing process, GNT, Travel inspo, bookish things and more!
“Hello Little Butterfly” ink drawing by Brooke Zoller, The Pondering Scottie
Hello, and welcome to The Pondering Scottie! I’m Brooke and I’m delighted YOU are here. Subscribers can enjoy weekly encouraging posts and notes centered around the topics of Jesus, family, travel, books, homeschooling, nature and some surprises thrown in along the way! Members get access to all archived, paid posts and chats.
Now, let’s get right to this month’s newsletter!
What I’ve Been Pondering Lately…
WELCOME to so many new friends and faces, THANK YOU for being here! Always delighted to see your likes, comments, shares and restacks. Thank you for your writing support!
And I’ve also been thinking about this writing process....
The idea, the free write session, the editing, the revisions, the research, the looking up the word in the dictionary because it just doesn’t “look right” or double checking yourself on the meaning. The hitting “publish” and seeing your typos and then editing those, the comments, and the conversations.
The thoughts in your brain you can now let rest as they are out “on paper”, the friends you gain as a result of your writing. Especially the friends. I love writing and I love writing for YOU.
But you know what really is on my heart? I want my writing, whether in a post, note or comment, to lead you or connect you, ultimately, to Jesus.
Brooke’s Book Nook:
How’s everyone’s reading going lately? I had slowed down a bit in the spring but did finish Jane Eyre, Write Your Story, The Serviceberry, The 10 and Peace Like a River though! I’d only recommend the first and last one.
Where’s my bookmark now? In Rosemary Pilchard’s book, September, which sounds a bit funny, but the book is now in the month of June, so all is right with the world. Have you read any of her books? Rosemary is an extremely gifted writer, basing her stories in Scotland, creating characters with depth and writing such delicious sentences! I find myself going back and savoring them again and literally sighing or reading them aloud to my husband, bless him, as he listens but clearly isn’t as excited about a turn of phrase like I am!
My husband and I have been going through 1 & 2 Timothy in the Bible very slowly after dinner as a couple devotion and enjoying the topics and discussions it is encouraging us to have.
Please feel free tell me what you’re reading and loving in the comments. I love a great book referral!
Children’s Book Feature: I shared in a note that you are in for a treat with your children or grandchildren, ages 3-7, on this one! Click on the link to expand for some fun play time extensions on this adventurous book:
The Pondering’s Playlist/Podcast:
The Band: Girl Named Tom! (GNT)
From a tiny town in Ohio to winning on NBC’s “The Voice” stage, these young people KNOW how to sing! We recently attended their outdoor venue concert, and I love this sibling band and their music even more now! Wait till you hear their harmony! WOW!
Click on the red/white arrow to play this song. You’ll be glad you did!
Scottie Travels:
“Traveling makes one modest-you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ~Gustave Flaubert
This month let’s go to… GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA!
My brother told me we would love downtown Greenville, and he was spot on!
Greenville sits nestled near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and a couple hours away from the ocean by interstate. High enough where you don’t have to worry about alligators yet down low by the Reedy Falls (pictured here) bicycles can be rented and ridden on the trails dotted with nature, parks, passersby and coffee shops. Speaking of coffee, we loved staying downtown and walking to get coffee each morning, shoutout to Methodical Coffee! Live music and singing were being performed at Forge Brewery, and we sat there and enjoyed a burger and soaked in the local life our first night. High end stores and popular dining options, too many to count, line the streets of beautiful downtown Greenville leading down to the river. We were celebrating an anniversary when we visited so we loved eating at The Lazy Goat overlooking the river and the French Passarelle for some delectable food! Blue hydrangeas were in bloom in the park as a Shakespeare company performed Twelfth Night and kids climbed on rocks or ate picnic snacks. The Scots Gallabrae Festival brought everyone out to downtown Main Street for a lively parade complete with bagpipes and men marching in tartan kilts! We hiked at nearby Jones Gap State Park and learned there are two national continental divides, one in the Rockies and one in the Appalachians, which now makes sense, but at the time that was new to us.
Travel is education.
If you enjoyed reading this post or any of my posts, one way you can encourage my writing endeavors is as easy as buying my next coffee. Click the tab above if interested.
And as we wrap up this month…
Ponder This:
“There is a sense of relaxed beauty that can only come with age.” ~Erica Tanov in Design by Nature
Keep your eye out for upcoming posts this month on:
How to survive summer with your kids (whether you homeschool, or not!) I hope you get an idea or two to try out this summer!
Unexpected blessings
Witnessing miracles
Colorado - a memoir excerpt
Better yet, go ahead and subscribe and they’ll arrive in your inbox and then you won’t miss them in your scrolling!
Until next time, sweet friends!
Brooke
'Where’s my bookmark now?'
This is the perfect question for all us book lovers, Brooke!
I live 30 minutes from Greenville, SC, and my daughter and I love Coffee Underground! Also, my favorite Rosamunde Pilcher book is The Shell Seekers; it’s longer than her others which lets you dig in deep to the family saga.