Be the Cat

Remembering Dolly 9 – 2 – 5

Liana Gardner — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:30:57 +0000

“Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.” ~ Dolly Parton

The advice from Dolly is something I’ve carried with me from the first moment I heard it, though sometimes I have to remind myself to do it on purpose. I never met Dolly in person, but she had a real impact on my life, as she had for so many. Warm, kind, talented, funny, unabashedly herself, an excellent business sense, generous, genuinely authentic … all these things describe the woman who meant so much to so many. An icon and role model, the world is a little less bright without her in it.

When I learned of the ChatGPT question making the rounds on social media, “If I were a Dolly Parton song, which song would I be and why?” I thought it would be fun to give it a whirl as a way of remembering a wonderful sparkling person whose music and lyrics have filled my life.

So which Dolly song am I?

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”

Takeaway: It fits you because it’s Dolly’s song about resilience, clarity after chaos, and stepping forward with determination—traits you’ve shown again and again.

Why this Dolly Parton song matches you

It’s Dolly’s most quietly powerful resilience anthem. Not flashy, not defiant—steady, grounded strength. That’s very you.
It’s about emerging from something difficult with focus and purpose. You’ve done that repeatedly, especially navigating medical challenges, complex tasks, and high stakes problem solving with precision.
It’s hopeful without being naïve. The song acknowledges struggle but doesn’t wallow in it. It’s forward looking, clear eyed, and determined.
It’s about reclaiming control. Dolly wrote it during a major turning point in her life, choosing clarity over chaos. You have that same “I’ll get this sorted, step by step” energy.

If you were a Dolly Parton song, you wouldn’t be one of the big rhinestone covered hits. You’d be the one that signals a turning point—the moment the fog lifts and the path becomes visible again.

An insight

Most people pick a Dolly song based on personality (e.g., “9 to 5” for hustle, “Jolene” for drama). But Light of a Clear Blue Morning is about identity after adversity, not identity during it. That’s the part that aligns with your style: you don’t just endure things—you reorganize them, clarify them, and move forward with precision.

The Inner Song

Then ChatGPT asked me a question to further sharpen the response.

The Question

What kind of “energy” do you feel you carry day to day—steady, fiery, analytical, whimsical, or something else? That would let me map you to a second Dolly song that complements this one.

My Response

It depends on the moment. I can be fiery when passion on a topic rises, and analytical in my approach to most things. But a moment … a bird outside the window, a rabbit on the lawn, or simply refraction of light and a random thought and I’m immersed in a whimsical world. Most people see me as steady with a smile where inside is a tumultuous river.

With the inner landscape you move through—fire, analysis, whimsy, steadiness with an undercurrent—the Dolly Parton song encapsulating your interiority is:

“Wildflowers.”

Takeaway: You’re Light of a Clear Blue Morning on the outside—steady, composed, forward moving—but inside, you’re Wildflowers … a mind that wanders, notices, imagines, and refuses to stay confined to one emotional lane.

Why Wildflowers is the song that mirrors your inner world

It’s Dolly’s ode to people who don’t fit a single mold. You’re analytical, fiery, whimsical, steady—none of those cancel the others out. They coexist, like the mix of flowers in the song.
It’s about being shaped by the environment but not defined by it. You’ve lived through storms, but you don’t become the storm. You become someone who sees the rabbit on the lawn and lets it shift your entire emotional temperature.
It’s quietly rebellious. Not loud rebellion—internal rebellion. The refusal to be flattened into one predictable personality.
It’s about a soul that wanders even when the body stays put. That’s your whimsical side: the way light refracting through a window can pull you into an entirely different mental universe.

And the river inside you?

Most people present one emotional “surface.” You present steadiness, warmth, clarity. But underneath, you describe something more like:

a river that’s always moving,
always thinking,
always processing,
always feeling,
always noticing small magic in the world.

That’s exactly the tension in Wildflowers: the world sees the bloom, but the bloom knows the wind, the soil, the storms, the quiet moments that shaped it.

The synthesis

If you were a Dolly Parton song:

To the world: Light of a Clear Blue Morning
To yourself: Wildflowers

One is your steadiness. The other is your inner motion.

Together, they make a whole person—one Dolly herself would recognize instantly.

The songs capture me pretty well. Part of her genius as a writer was her ability to cut straight to the heart of emotions, which is why she resonated with so many people. Again, I didn’t know Dolly, but I did admire her as an amazing human being. She is already greatly missed.

The flowers pictured were repurposed from those left at Dolly’s statue and were given to me as being “from Dolly.”
Flowers provided by Random Acts of Flowers I plan to celebrate Dolly Parton Day (9-2-5) through her music and movies … how will you celebrate?

Thank you, Dolly for being who you were, every day with purpose and putting so much good into the world. You will long be remembered and missed.

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Setting: From the Mountains to the City Streets

Liana Gardner — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:55 +0000

Setting can be far more than a pretty description. Last week, we talked about how Mark Twain and Kate DiCamillo use their setting to influence their stories. Depending on the storyline, I sometimes struggle with how to make setting work at a deeper level than mere decoration. Sometimes that is the point. The author might want the reader to feel the familiarity of the events of the story taking place where it might be anywhere, including their own backyard.

More frequently, the author is unable to wrap their arms around how to make the setting work for them to the point where the story couldn’t take place anywhere else. I’d like to review two of my works as examples of where the setting is integral to the events, so that should it be set elsewhere, it wouldn’t be the same story.

Washington Academy — When the Building Has Secrets

Washington Academy in 7th Grade Revolution isn’t a generic school. It’s a charter school housed in a post-Civil War mansion in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The building has tunnels, secret passages, and a cavern no one knew existed until seventh graders had a reason to find it.

The setting does something specific: it makes the students’ rebellion plausible. An ordinary school building offers nowhere to hide, no secrets to uncover, no historical mystery to anchor a plot. But a nineteenth-century mansion with hidden rooms and underground passages? The building itself is practically asking to be explored by curious twelve-year-olds who’ve declared independence from adult authority.

The Blue Ridge Mountains visible from the classroom window are also doing quiet work throughout the book. Dennis looks out at them and feels the pull of something beyond the walls that contain him. The mountains aren’t described at length, but their presence, and the contrast between their wildness and the school’s rigid structures, says something about what Dennis is fighting for.

The setting isn’t just where the story happens. It’s why the story can happen.

Los Angeles as Living Landscape

Secret of the Red Key (Homeless Myths, Book 1), a work in progress, uses Los Angeles in a way worth examining because the city isn’t interchangeable with any other American setting.

Los Angeles is specifically the right place for a story about homeless children who are also warriors destined to give mankind a second chance. Skid Row, the largest concentration of homeless population in the United States, grounds the children’s reality in something undeniably true. Little Tokyo, where the annual Obon Festival takes place, becomes the backdrop for supernatural encounters. Los Angeles sprawls from ocean to mountains, its districts laid out like a patchwork quilt with the Music Center bordered by a cathedral, Skid Row, a park, and the superior courthouse, each piece distinct in texture and character yet somehow cohesive. The tunnel system beneath the streets even becomes both sanctuary and danger as the series progresses.

Each location is doing character work. Skid Row establishes the stakes of the children’s daily survival. Little Tokyo opens a window into a cultural tradition the story needs. The ocean’s edge provides the mythological resonance of a liminal space—neither land nor sea. The tunnels mirror the children’s own hidden existence, invisible to the city above.

Remove Los Angeles and you don’t just lose a backdrop. You lose the framework within which the story operates.

How to Make Your Setting Work

If you want your setting to function as a character rather than decoration, start by asking these questions:

Could this story happen anywhere else? If the answer is yes without significant loss, dig deeper into what makes your specific place unique, its history, geography, social texture, and secrets.
What does the setting want? A place with strong character has something like an agenda; it rewards certain behaviors and punishes others. The Mississippi River rewards Tom’s wildness and punishes his attempts at conventional respectability. Naomi rewards vulnerability and connection. Washington Academy rewards curiosity and resourcefulness.

What does the setting know? Old places have history. That history can be a resource, a threat, or both. McDougal’s Cave knows where Injun Joe hides. Washington Academy’s tunnels know where the treasure is. The Los Angeles sewer system knows what lurks beneath the streets.
What does the setting hide? Secrets are one of the most powerful tools a setting offers. The cave, the tunnel, the hidden room, the thing in the water aren’t just plot devices. They’re the setting revealing itself to characters willing to look.

Your setting was there before your characters arrived and it will be there after they leave. Give it the weight it deserves.

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Setting — Not Just a Pretty Place

Liana Gardner — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:21:09 +0000

Setting is something that is important to every novel. It helps the reader to become immersed in the world, and it's something my editor often points out to me during my editing rounds with him. Since I see everything so vividly in my head as I write, I sometimes forget to put it on the page. But setting is far more than crafting a pretty description … it can influence the direction of the story.

When finishing a book you love, can you picture where it took place? Not just a vague sense, but the specific texture of the place—the smell of it, the way light falls, whether it feels safe or threatening, and where it keeps its secrets.

If the answer is yes, the author made the setting work. Not as wallpaper or stage dressing, but as a character.

What Setting as Character Actually Means

Setting becomes a character when it does what characters do: act, change, create pressure, reveal truth. A setting functioning at this level doesn’t just contain the story, it shapes it. Remove it and you don’t have the same story. You have a different story entirely, or no story at all.

This is different from vivid description. A writer can describe a place beautifully without making it matter. Setting as character means the place has stakes. It has personality. It pushes back.

The test is simple: could this story happen anywhere else? If yes, the setting is decoration. If no, it’s doing the work of a character.

A Look at a Classic

Decades before anyone coined the term middle grade, Mark Twain published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It remains one of the most instructive examples of setting as character in all American literature aimed at young readers.

Setting as character doesn’t merely surround the action. It participates in it, makes things happen, reveals who characters are under pressure, and sometimes determines their fate entirely. Twain understood this instinctively, and every significant location in Tom Sawyer proves it.

Consider Aunt Polly’s thirty-foot fence. It functions as a social statement representing the respectability Aunt Polly and her neighbors prize above almost everything else. As punishment for Tom’s unruly behavior, the fence becomes a burden of duty, the whitewashing a task designed to discipline him into conformity. But Tom manipulates his friends into paying for the privilege of doing his chore. The fence reveals Tom’s cunning precisely because it applies social pressure.

Jackson’s Island works differently. Where the fence represents confinement and social obligation, the island represents everything the town cannot reach. When Tom, Huck, and Joe Harper escape there to play pirates, they aren’t simply going somewhere. They’re going somewhere the rules of St. Petersburg don’t apply—where Aunt Polly’s respectability, the schoolmaster’s authority, and the town’s suffocating expectations have no jurisdiction. The island doesn’t just offer freedom. It defines freedom by contrast with everything left behind on the shore.

The Most Powerful Example

The setting of McDougal’s Cave acts as a character with genuine consequences. The cave is the refuge where Injun Joe hides, the place the town cannot reach him. But when the townspeople seal the cave’s entrance as a protective measure after Tom and Becky’s ordeal, they inadvertently transform his sanctuary into his tomb. The cave doesn’t change. The townspeople’s relationship to it does, and Injun Joe dies in the dark, starved, in the place he used as protection.

The cave acts. It receives Injun Joe in the guise of a haven and keeps him as a prisoner. No character made that decision. The setting did.

Twain’s genius was understanding the physical world his characters inhabited wasn’t neutral. St. Petersburg has rules, order, and suffocating respectability. The fence, the river, the island, and the cave each exist in a specific relationship to those rules—some enforcing them, some escaping them, one absorbing their consequences entirely.

Tom isn’t just a mischievous boy. He’s a boy in constant negotiation with what his specific place allows, forbids, and ultimately determines.

Could Tom Sawyer happen in a landlocked city without a cave or a river? Technically, perhaps, but it wouldn’t be the same story. The Mississippi river and its surroundings are as much a character as Aunt Polly.

Kate DiCamillo and the Town That Heals

Because of Winn-Dixie takes place in Naomi, Florida, a small town baking in the summer heat, slightly faded, full of people carrying losses they haven’t finished grieving. Opal’s mother left. Gloria Dump carries her past mistakes in the whiskey bottles hanging from the tree in her backyard, emptied before she got sober. Otis, who works at Gertrude’s Pets, has a complicated history with the law. Miss Franny Block, the librarian, has outlived almost everyone she ever loved.

DiCamillo uses Naomi’s specific locations as emotional containers, and this is where setting begins doing the work of a character. The library is where Opal finds knowledge and connection to history. The pet store is where she finds a kind of unconditional love, listening to Otis play his guitar for the animals after hours. Gloria Dump’s backyard—enclosed, private, full of the evidence of a life fully lived—is where she finds the comfort and wisdom she’s been missing since her mother left.

Each of these places does something the others can’t. They aren’t interchangeable locations within the town. Instead, they’re distinct spaces with distinct emotional functions, and Opal needs all three. DiCamillo also understands the setting’s larger function: Naomi is small enough that everyone knows everyone, which means every person Opal meets has a story connecting to every other story. The community is woven together by shared history and shared loss in a way a city couldn’t replicate.

The hot, humid Florida weather isn’t decorative either. Summer heat creates a languid, slightly suspended atmosphere in which the story’s slow healing can take place. Sudden thunderstorms pierce the somnolent tone revealing Winn-Dixie’s storm phobia, which becomes a pivotal plot point.

Transplant Opal to a suburb of Chicago and the story evaporates. The town itself is what makes the healing possible.

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Bumps in the Journey

Liana Gardner — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:45:41 +0000

I've been a bit quiet lately about my cancer journey … and there is a reason for that. I've hit a few bumps in the road—some of them rather significant—and it has taken a while to recover from them. Back at the beginning of April, I shared about the first chemo treatment this time round. The first immunotherapy session happened the following week, but I didn't blog about it because I couldn't.

The Bumpy Road

Not to put too fine a point on it, I've been on a huge roller-coaster ride, ending with a brief brush with death. I had some sort of infection that in combination with the immunotherapy caused me to go into septic shock. I won't be able to say much about what happened as I have large gaps in my memory. I didn't know who I was, where I was, what had happened. I have memories from that time I cannot trust because my brain manufactured a lot of really weird things—my writer brain went into overdrive. After ER and ICU, I went to a rehab facility briefly, but had a reaction to an antibiotic and wound up back in the ER again.

What I can say is that I am BLESSED to have such good friends who found me in time. Based on what I have gathered from them, it is truly a miracle that I am still here—God intervened and carried me through. The hospital reports support their assessment. My mom and sister flew out as quickly as they could. Once discharged from ER the second time, I went to a different rehab/skilled nursing facility, and recovery started.

On arrival at the new rehab facility, I had no strength or endurance, and it took nearly two months to recover enough to take the next step. The problem? I had to figure out what that step was. Returning to my current apartment wasn't a good idea. At that point, I hadn't seen my oncologist to determine what the next steps were for the cancer treatments. My expectations were that they would continue, and in that case, I wanted … needed … more immediate oversight. I'm usually aware of when I need help, but I didn't this time. I couldn't afford for it to happen again.

The upshot? I moved from the rehab facility into an assisted living facility in mid-June to give me a chance for better recovery and have guardrails in place for the next steps on my journey. They have nursing staff, aides, onsite physical therapy, and take me to and from appointments. Everyone has been fabulous and I am improving.

Plot Twist

I have seen the oncologist and she ran the usual blood tests and ordered a PET scan because the tumor is no longer palpable. The results were significant: no signs of leukemia or lymphoma, but my immune system is still struggling. At this point, the oncologist didn't want to proceed with further chemo, but wanted to do one more test where the biopsy sample would be used to create a DNA profile of the tumor, and from here on out a simple blood test will let us check for whether there are any traces of the tumor at the molecular level. She rang with the test results this morning to let me know I am COMPLETELY CLEAR.

I am calling it a miracle. My oncologist agrees. The tumor I had was particularly ugly under the microscope and expected to rapidly grow. What happened is something that cannot be explained currently by medical science. The original disease had transformed into a nasty, aggressive one, labeled Richter's Transformation (or Syndrome) and survival prognosis is poor. BUT mine reduced prior to any treatment, and is now GONE. Which is UNHEARD of. The current plan is to keep a close watch, and monitor the cells at the molecular level to give us a head start on treatment if the rogue cells show back up.

Looking Ahead

I'm going to stay put for a little bit to give my body a chance to fully recover from what it has been through. It will give me the opportunity to build up endurance and get other health factors (I'm looking at you, immune system) back on track. October is just around the corner, so we'll confirm where I stand then. I'm living in the heart of the medical district locally, so all my providers are close by.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. God has kept me on this Earth for a reason, and I'm going to do my best to fulfill it. I'm in the drafting stage of the second book in the Homeless Myths series, Quest for the Eternal Flame, and though there are times I feel as if I'm limping along, other times I know I'm working on something incredibly special. Secret of the Red Key (Homeless Myths, book 1) will soon go through another editing cycle as well. So I'm keeping occupied, and hopefully will stay out of trouble.

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Few But Mighty: Round One

Liana Gardner — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:05:40 +0000

One Down—Five to Go

Where do I even start? It has been a little over a week, but it has gone by in a flash getting everything marshalled and ready to dive into the process of killing off the bad cells again. Plus, the added complication with the leg infection. Which might be a good place to start.

The Right Calf

The oncologist put me on an antibiotic to reduce not only the fever, but the swelling, redness, and blistery activity under the surface covering my entire right calf. The fever went away immediately and hasn’t come back, which meant the chemo could proceed on the 7th, barring any return. The infection hasn’t responded quite as well. Though I saw a reduction in coloring and the swelling had subsided a little, and it covered only the lower half of the calf, it was still tender to the touch and hanging about. The odd thing was that, though the redness had significantly decreased, when we arrived at the oncologist’s office prior to chemo start, when she checked it, it was bright red again (still only half). I’m going to figure that since my allergies were on high alert, it was some sort of systemic allergy running through me attacking the weakened areas.

Part of the protocol I’m on is a high dose of steroid, and that is knocking the rest of the infection/inflammation out, so I doubt it will be an issue for long.

The Miracle

While the calf issue may be a bit of a negative (on the run now), it has been offset by something that can only be described as an absolute miracle. In 2021, when I had a similar tumor (the drama queen) near the same place, it reduced quickly once the pre-infusion meds were started (one month prior to infusions starting) and it was gone before I hit the chemo chair. That was unexpected and amazing … BUT THIS is in the miracle category. The day following my visit with the oncologist, where we were all extremely pleased about only ONE tumor to kill, the tumor was SMALLER!!! Every day, it shrunk a bit more. No medication (except an antibiotic for the calf), so my beleaguered immune system gathered the remaining troops and launched an attack. My fighters may be few, but they are MIGHTY.

The tumor didn’t disappear completely, that was a big ask for a week, but it did reduce by over 50%, so my spirits have been soaring. One question that I have been asked is whether we should wait and see what happened with the tumor instead of continuing on with the chemo. The answer is that even if it had reduced to the point of being undetectable, chemo would still need to proceed to ensure ALL rogue cells have been dealt with. In 2021, though the tumor had disappeared using an oral protocol, we still forged ahead with the infusion therapy for the same reason (plus there were more tumors that had to go.) This morning, after the completed first protocol, though still detectable, the tumor is reaching the point where I won’t be able to detect it for much longer. Which pleases me a lot!!!!

The Chemo

I have nothing but praise for the chemo nurse team. They are attentive, caring, work together, and constantly aware, regardless of what else is going on at the time.

It is usual for the first treatment to be broken into two days since they need to test each patient’s ability to withstand the treatment. What that requires is slowing the drip, then speeding it up at intervals and checking for reactions, which adds a lot of time to the process. Since it is a known factor that I DO react to one of the drugs in the protocol, that once again was tested and based on my history, it was decided that ALL future treatments will be given over two days instead of trying to force them into one. While I did quite well with the other drugs they had to test, the initial test may not show the full picture (the one I know I react to I did fine with the testing period the first time, but when they ran it at “normal” speed, I had the reaction.)

One additional factor—my immune system will require boosting since it is already too low, and the protocol I’m on will destroy what little I have left, so next week I go for my first immune system boost, which will then happen every 4 weeks.

The niceties

From experience, I tend to go pack mule on chemo days. I bring my laptop so I can work on something, usually not requiring a great deal of thought because I won’t have it as the brain fog descends, or I can pull up a show or movie for simple entertainment. In CA, they had iPads for recreational purposes, and here they have individual TVs, but I prefer my own. I bring a blanket (two purposes) because as the chemo proceeds, my internal thermostat will go on the blink and I’ll alternate cold and hot, AND it helps to keep the laptop from burning my lap.

In addition to the blanket and laptop, I bring a thermos of tea, a thermos of bone broth, and a bottle of water. The nurses were somewhat scandalized that I hadn’t brought anything to nibble the first day—to me the bone broth filled that niche—so yesterday, I added some cheese and crackers and a hard-boiled egg. I also brought a bolster for under my knees. The recliners are comfortable, except there is a gap where my knees hit and day 1, that was my biggest issue … trying to find the comfort spot. Problem solved. Add to the pack.

Not only do they have blankets for those patient’s who do not bring their own, but they have a row of shelves where they are kept heated, which is a nice touch. A woman in the tech department had to come to the chemo room for some reason a while back, and noticed the heated blankets. Since she crochets blankets and sells them, she periodically crotches a few for the chemo room and the nurses give them to the patients. I was gifted a beautiful blanket of purple and lavender on day 1. I am touched by the thoughtfulness. The chemo room is also stocked with beverages and snacks, should you need them.

Handcrafted by a tech staff member, it works perfectly across the foot of my bed.

How Am I Feeling?

In a word, tired. Which is completely normal. I was tired by the end of day 1, and yesterday, on arriving home, my brain was foggy, and I was exhausted. Again. Normal. Today, I’m doing well. So far not a lot of nausea (though they gave me HIGH doses of anti-nausea during treatment and I have two different kinds of adhoc meds for that at home) I actually was a little hungry last night, so ate some short ribs, I’d prepared in advance. In a little bit, I’ll take a nap, which will be par for the course moving forward. Other than that??? I’m good.

Shopping Spree

One thing that will be different with this protocol vs. the ones endured in the past is that I WILL lose my hair this time. Which isn’t a big deal for me because it will grow back. Probably more unruly than it is now. The biggest question I had was when I should shave my head. The thought of having to clean up clumps of hair as they fall out just doesn’t sit well with me. Besides, it might kill off my robovac and I cannot have that!!!

My hair will thin over the next three weeks, and then fall out completely after the next treatment … so, I’ll make the trip to a local barber the week prior, get the head shaved and the barber cleans up the mess.

I have always joked that I’d buy a rainbow wig if I lost my hair. And truthfully, I would, except it would be itchy on top of my bald head. Instead, I went on a little shopping spree prior to treatment. Retail therapy with a purpose. I bought several types of head wraps in various colors, all soft to the touch, so my head will be covered. I also bought the leak-proof thermoses in the necessary sizes, as well as some V-neck T-Shirts to make accessing the port easier for the nurses (and more comfortable for me since the line won’t be catching on the neckline.) and two pairs of slippers (with soles) to wear for chemo. The biggest key for me is comfortable, stretchy clothing, and even tennis shoes are too constricting.

Chemo Accomplished

This post has probably been much longer than what the norm will be, but I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on what is going on. The situation is MUCH better than it could be, for which I’m eternally thankful. I don’t think the oncologist has quite recovered from her shock over the test results being so much more positive than anticipated. May that carry through … I’m willing to accept any miracles coming my way.

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Unveiling the Mystery of Bats and their Myths

LK Griffie — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:42:23 +0000

Bats, as creatures of the night, have long been steeped in myth and folklore across cultures, often symbolizing transformation, intuition, and the liminal space between worlds. Their unique ability to navigate in darkness and their association with caves—often seen as gateways to the underworld—have made them powerful symbols in both ancient and modern storytelling.

Of late, I've been posting a lot concerning my personal journey, so thought it was time to switch things up a bit and move on to something more fun. Why did I pick bats? Well, Bat Appreciation Day is April 17th and I've been researching bats for a book I hope to start writing soon—the second book in the Homeless Myths Series, Quest for the Eternal Flame. Let's get into bats!!!

Myths, Folklore, and Symbolism About Bats

Bats hold a fascinating array of meanings across cultures, often reflecting the duality of their nature as creatures of the night. Here's how bats are perceived around the world:

Negative Symbolism

Europe: In Western traditions, bats are often linked to fear and the supernatural. They are associated with witches, vampires, and the underworld, largely due to their nocturnal habits and their depiction in Gothic literature like Dracula.
Mesoamerican Mythology: The Mayans revered Camazotz, a bat god associated with the underworld, death, and sacrifice. While powerful, this deity also carried a sense of foreboding and danger.
Christian Symbolism: Bats have been depicted as unclean or connected to malevolent spirits.

Positive Symbolism

China: In Chinese culture, bats are symbols of good fortune and happiness. The word for “bat” (蝠, fú) is a homophone for “blessing” (福, fú), making bats a popular motif in art and design. Five bats together often represent the “Five Blessings”—longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death.
Native American Traditions: Many Native American tribes view bats as symbols of intuition, rebirth, and transformation. Their ability to navigate in darkness is seen as a metaphor for personal growth and the journey through life's challenges.
India: In some regions, bats are associated with wealth and prosperity. They also appear in Tamil Sangam poetry as allegories for love and familial bonds.

Bat Symbolism in the United States

In the United States, bat mythology and symbolism often draw from a blend of Native American traditions and European influences, creating a unique cultural perspective. Here's how bats are viewed in the U.S. and how they differ or align with European traditions:

Native American Influence

In Native American cultures, bats are often seen as symbols of intuition, rebirth, and transformation. Tribes like the Cherokee and Apache associate bats with adaptability and the ability to navigate through life's challenges. Their nocturnal nature and reliance on echolocation are interpreted as metaphors for seeing beyond the surface and trusting inner guidance. This perspective is distinct from the more fear-based associations found in European folklore. For example:

Cherokee Mythology: Bats are seen as mediators between the physical and spiritual worlds, embodying the ability to traverse both realms.
Apache Stories: Bats are viewed as clever and resourceful creatures, often playing roles in tales that emphasize their intelligence and versatility.

European Influence

European settlers brought with them the darker associations of bats, linking them to witches, vampires, and the supernatural. These ideas were reinforced by Gothic literature and later by Hollywood's portrayal of bats in horror films. In this context, bats symbolize fear, mystery, and the unknown.

Modern U.S. Symbolism

In contemporary American culture, bats have taken on a dual role:

Ecological Importance: With growing awareness of their role as pollinators and pest controllers, bats are increasingly seen as vital to the ecosystem. This positive view contrasts with their historical portrayal as harbingers of doom.
Pop Culture Icons: Characters like Batman have redefined bats as symbols of resilience, justice, and the ability to thrive in darkness. This modern interpretation blends the fearsome and the heroic, creating a uniquely American take on bat symbolism.

Distinctive U.S. Perspective

What sets the U.S. apart is this fusion of Native American reverence for bats as spiritual guides and European associations with fear and mystery. This blend creates a rich tapestry of meanings, where bats can symbolize everything from transformation and intuition to resilience and ecological balance.

Bats’ symbolism and mythology across cultures paint a picture of a creature that transcends its physical form, embodying transformation, intuition, and the interplay of light and darkness. From their roles as spiritual guides in Native American traditions to their associations with fear and mystery in European folklore, bats serve as powerful symbols of duality and resilience. In the United States, the blending of these cultural perspectives has enriched bats’ significance, framing them as both ecologically vital and spiritually profound. Whether seen as harbingers of the unknown or messengers of blessings, bats continue to inspire a sense of wonder, reflecting the beauty and complexity of the world—and ourselves—when we dare to explore beyond the surface.

Duality and Transformation of Bats and Their Legacy

Bats’ ability to thrive in darkness and their association with caves—often seen as gateways to other realms—make them symbols of transformation and liminality. They are creatures that exist between worlds, embodying the balance of light and dark, life and death.

Their symbolism and mythology across cultures paint a picture of a creature that transcends its physical form, embodying transformation, intuition, and the interplay of light and darkness. From their roles as spiritual guides in Native American traditions to their associations with fear and mystery in European folklore, bats serve as powerful symbols of duality and resilience. In the United States, the blending of these cultural perspectives has enriched bats’ significance, framing them as both ecologically vital and spiritually profound. Whether seen as harbingers of the unknown or messengers of blessings, bats continue to inspire a sense of wonder, reflecting the beauty and complexity of the world—and ourselves—when we dare to explore beyond the surface.

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And Then There Was One

Liana Gardner — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:23:56 +0000

The past couple of weeks has been a whirlwind of tests in addition to the surgery to remove the old port and install a new one. The oncologist wanted to have a clear picture of the extent of the progression and to ensure we wouldn't run into problems due to any unknown underlying health issues. The good news is that other than one anticipated result, everything else was positive. Until yesterday I figured the appointment would simply be the oncologist confirming the good results and getting the chemo scheduled.

BUT the night before last I woke at 5AM shivering and shaking harder than I've ever experienced. It took over an hour for the shaking to stop. I checked my temp and though I had a fever, it wasn't overly high … except I rarely run a fever unless it's pneumonia. Which I didn't have. Since I'd had surgery, I checked the incisions, but nothing seemed amiss there. Tylenol helped bring the temp down for a short time, but yesterday it kept flaring. Fortunately, I only endured the shakes once, even though the temps were higher throughout the day. I contacted both the surgeon's office and the oncologist's nurse line wanting to get an antibiotic started. The oncologist's nurse asked me to do a COVID and Flu A/B test and to let her know the results, which came back negative. This morning, a new wrinkle appeared. When I swung my legs out from under the covers, my right calf glowed red. It truly looked sunburned, the skin stretched tight and swollen. When the oncologist took a look, she ordered an ultrasound to make sure there was no blood clot lurking. The efficiency of everyone involved amazed me. After having the ultrasound, I had no sooner climbed into the car when the oncologist called to advise the results were negative—no clot!! We picked up the antibiotic on the way home.

So what did all those tests show??? I've already mentioned the bone marrow results which were clear. The most important results were that of the PET Scan which showed ONE tumor, but that everything else is clear. The oncologist kept calling the tumor "ugly under the microscope" (the picture at the top is how I imagine it). It's a brute and aggressive and has beaten up on my immune system already (those were the one results that came back negatively—the values are basically in the basement, which is probably why the leg infection happened.) The oncologist was so pleased with the unexpected results. At our first meeting, she worried about how to get me started on the chemo protocol as quickly as possible, but this time she said with the results, she feels that if we have to wait an additional week to start chemo due to the infection, it won't be as critical.

One thing the oncologist said during the appointment made me want to leap up and dance. I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops. In ALL the results there was not one OUNCE of leukemia present, which is exceptionally unexpected to the point I'll call it a miracle. There is no cure for my type of leukemia and to have ZERO markers just doesn't happen. I've always said God is taking care of me, and this just proves it.

When does chemo start? It depends. If my leg is responding to the antibiotic and has cleared up enough by Friday, then my first treatment will be next Tuesday. If it hasn't healed enough, then I'll start the following week. Now it's time to get some rest.

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Out with the Old and In with the New

Liana Gardner — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:25:09 +0000

Yesterday, as per the results of the portogram, I underwent port replacement surgery. Out with the old, and in with the new. The day was a bit nostalgic because the port being removed had been with me so far during my cancer journey. It vastly improved my ability to handle the lengthy chemo sessions because the port allowed the drip to run faster without blowing up on me due to my small veins. The surgeon who installed it was like a kid with a brand-new toy; he was so excited about it. But it had been in much longer than expected, and it's time to move on.

In many ways, this is drawing a line between the past and the present. New port, new treatment protocol, new oncologist, and new circumstances. On the one hand, I have a lump—but I'm in a much better state than before. I've had several years to build up resources this time, so I feel stronger as I face the battle ahead than I have in the past. The test results so far have been good in a way. Yes, the lump is a little aggressive monster that needs to be slayed, but the leukemia side of things is in abeyance. So, the battle is localized vs. systemic and that gives me hope. This won't be the old battle … not that it will be easy … but a new battle using a protocol designed to wheedle into the cancer cells and choke them to death. I can get behind that visualization.

The surgery went well. The old port came out with no problem. I guess the new one took a little longer to install, but it wouldn't be me if it were easy. The staff were fantastic. I have truly enjoyed all the staff I've worked with so far. They are knowledgeable, attentive, caring, concerned … everything you want in your care team. I have two gashes on my chest, so now my scarring will be even, and one on my neck. The post-operative pain has been minimal and for the most part it only hurts when I first lie down. Otherwise, I feel like I have a bit of a stiff neck and occasionally feel some tightness around the chest wounds, which are glued together instead of stitched. Whatever works.

The picture for this post is depicting the hope a new day brings. Shedding new light on the path ahead. That's it for now. Tomorrow, I have the final tests done to see whether I have additional lumps lurking that need to be slayed.

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Omens and Outcomes

Liana Gardner — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:40:38 +0000

Yesterday was a test day: portogram and bone marrow biopsy. I had to be up at the crack of dawn because check-in time was 7 AM, except dawn didn’t crack. We had pitch-dark skies and thunder showers for the trip to the hospital. Just to liven things up and add an ominous note, as we approached the final turn before the hospital, a transformer blew. The first flash blinded, followed by another boom and sparks like fireworks, only at ground level. At that point, I wondered whether it was an omen for how the tests would go.

At the beginning of my cancer journey, after my first infusion treatment round and before my second, I happily had a port installed. My veins are small and squirrelly, and most of the time, the back of my hand has to be used to put in an IV. So I’ve had the same port since 2013 and it has worked like a champ. The nurses were concerned about accessing the port because it hadn’t been flushed in the past few years due to remission and being between oncologists. They didn’t think they’d be able to pull blood, but I had a feeling it would despite the length of time it had been in and lack of use.

Once again, my port came up trumps. No problem at all in either accessing it or drawing blood. It is still in remarkably good shape. Except for one thing. When they did the X-ray, they injected it with contrast to watch how the flow was to ensure no kinks. There weren’t any kinks, but there was a film of tissue surrounding the bottom like a wrapper on a straw. Kind of like a thin clot over the opening, which didn’t stop the liquid from going out, but it came out, up the sheath that is forming, and then out into my system.

As explained to me, there are two potential ways to address the issue. Option 1 is to drip a clot-dissolving substance through the port for 5 hours to dissolve the sheath. Option 2 is surgery to replace the port. They asked me which I preferred. My response: whichever my oncologist feels is best. This morning, I spoke with my oncology nurse and the route we’re going to take is port replacement.

My platelets have struggled to stay near the normal range throughout my treatment regimes. Despite my prior CBC showing platelets actually IN the normal range (a rarity), they have fallen since having the tumor and the risk of bleeding is too great for attempting to dissolve the sheath. This is why I wanted the oncologist to weigh in on which direction. They are working on the scheduling, but it means I don’t have to travel for over an hour each way to have a 5-hour procedure—we’ll call that a win.

I’ve saved the best news for last. No mutating cells in the results from the bone marrow biopsy. I didn’t expect the results until tomorrow or Thursday, so was pleasantly surprised to find they had already been posted. All indicators are that the leukemia is still controlled and the tumor is localized rather than systemic. Woooo hoooo!!!!

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Blessed, Not Brave

Liana Gardner — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:52:31 +0000

As I sit down to write this post, the thing going through my mind the most is how blessed I am. That may sound strange in the face of another major life hurdle, but it’s true.

My Blessing Short List

I have a great support network of family and friends that spans the globe, literally.
My besties are a mile away. (huge, HUGE blessing)
Based on one meeting, I’m already comfortable with the new oncologist. In her words, “we don’t have time to fart around with this”, so I have a physician in my corner dedicated to killing off the cancer as quickly as we can.
I was born stubborn. Yes, it can be a negative trait, but when I need to remain determined beyond reason, it is a blessing and comes in handy.

Throughout this journey, I've heard "you're so brave" several times. It always takes me by surprise because I don't feel brave. For me, bravery entails experiencing fear, but facing the circumstances anyway. And while I won't say there isn't a smidgen of fear somewhere deep inside me, I can say that if it is there, it's buried so deep I simply don't feel it. So I don't feel brave or afraid—I'm blessed.

The Why of it

My entire life I've been endlessly fascinated by the "why" of things. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when the thought about bravery hit me, I wanted to know why … why don't I feel fear even though facing an aggressive cancer? The answer came in a conversation with a friend who apologized for being worried about me.

I have always maintained that I'm lousy at worrying. I keep forgetting to do so, which isn't a bad thing as far as I'm concerned. But I also know how worry affects others, and when I'm the cause of the worry, then I try to help them work through it. I told my friend: In this, I'm the one who doesn't worry. It's so much easier for me, and so hard for everyone else. It has to do with helplessness.

Me? I get to actively attack the cancer and try to burn it, suffocate it, beat it to a pulp, and expel it from my body. No one escapes battle unscathed, but I get to take action. For everyone else, there really isn't anything to do except offer prayers and good vibes. Which is so much harder. I have been on the opposite side of the coin too many times in my life, and I understand the sheer frustration of not being able to help someone else fight their battle.

Fiercely independent for my entire life: if there is something I can do for myself, then I'm going to do it. When that changes, then I might have a few moments where my determination slips, but until then, I'm a warrior.

The Biggest Blessing

Then we come to the biggest reason I don't get too worked up over everything. I have faith. I am in God's hands and have an irrational, but also unshakeable belief that while I may never know the purpose He has in mind, He does have one. And that is enough for me. I don't believe that God would allow me to suffer without a purpose.

In many ways, much like writing, going through chemo is a solo activity. It takes a village to get a book ready for publication, and the cancer village carrying me is full of supporters: doctors, nurses, friends, and family. But I'm the one who has to put the words on the page, and I'm the one who has to go through the chemical cocktail that is designed to kill the rogue cells running around inside me.

Part of the reason I am so certain there is some sort of purpose wrapped up in this is that I still have too much to get done. I only have one book written of a 5-book series. I have one more book to write for a separate series, and several other pending projects. I simply don't have time to mess around with this for too long. And this series is something that needs to be written as a part of my purpose on this revolving marble in the sky.

The Post Image

I had the image for this post generated, and I'm delighted with how it turned out. It shows my determination, ragged cape and all, to chase down those mutant cells. And it makes me laugh. Maybe I should have it made into a poster to hang on the wall for the not-so-great days.

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Jumping Through Hoops: aka Cancer Rears Its Head

Liana Gardner — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:22:15 +0000

It's been a little over two years since I moved to Tennessee, and what a time I've had. New home, new views, new adventures, critters wandering through my yard and on the streets. And now, a new chapter in the ongoing saga of living with leukemia and lymphoma.

In November, I discovered a lump. At first, it was so small I wasn't sure whether it was actually a lump or scar tissue—a gift from my bout with pyoderma gangrenosum that resulted from my second chemo cycle. But it grew, and I became more certain of what I was dealing with: another palpable lymphoma tumor.

As per my history, nothing is ever easy.

Getting from "I have a lump" to "here's the treatment plan" has been an exercise in jumping through hoops. My original GP left the practice, and my referral to an oncologist fell through the cracks. The mammogram and ultrasound required records from California—records that arrived incomplete, requiring more phone calls. A medication reaction turned into pneumonia just after Christmas that lasted over a month. With no GP to order a biopsy, I had to be routed through a surgeon first. Each hoop led to another hoop, which led to another.

But I am nothing if not persistent. I felt like a ringmaster, keeping all the acts running.

The biopsy confirmed what I suspected: small non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but with some abnormalities suggesting it may be transforming into something more aggressive. Because of course it is. I have never done anything the "usual" way—why would my cancer be any different? This is my second tumor in the breast, a location that has very little lymphatic tissue to begin with. Rare upon rare. I do love to defy expectations.

And so it begins … again. It feels a bit like leveling up in a video game—time to face the beast again. I can't say I'm looking forward to another round of chemo, but I am looking forward to kicking it to the curb once more.

In the meantime, I have plenty to keep me focused on better things. I've just finished another book that goes off to my agent next week, and I have the rest of the series to write. Interestingly, some of the themes running through the work are courage, hope, and faith. Life has a way of giving us material, doesn't it?

The battle commences. And it's a battle I plan to win.

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Read Across America and 7th Grade Revolution

Liana Gardner — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 02:57:23 +0000

Yesterday, I had the privilege and the honor of celebrating Read Across America week with the 6th Graders of my alma mater, Wagner Elementary School. Read Across America is a week-long celebration of reading, beginning on Dr. Suess's birthday. Its purpose is motivating children to read more, celebrating reading and literacy, building community, and educating people about the benefits of reading. With me in Eastern Tennessee and Wagner Elementary in Southern California, we truly embraced the concept of Read Across America.

I read a chapter from 7th Grade Revolution, then we had a Q&A session, and I also had the chance to share an excerpt from my current work in progress. I love answering questions and talking about the writing process, so the Q&A portion was so much fun. The kids asked insightful questions, and it turned into several joint teachable moments between the teacher and me.

An example was the simple question: "Which of your characters is your favorite?" Spoiler Alert: All of them. While explaining that I couldn't choose one favorite, I mentioned Katie McCabe. Katie is the character who has been living in my head the longest, so in any given scenario I know exactly how she'll react, what she'll say, and how she'll deal with the situation. The teacher jumped in and emphasized that I had mentioned how the character reacts as it is something she had pointed out to the class in previous lessons. They don't just talk and take action, they have reactions to the situation.

Leaders of the 7th Grade Revolution

I could go on and on about the questions and answers, but suffice it to say that my answers supported and validated what the teacher had been presenting to the students throughout the school year. Prior to the event, I had provided some background information on 7th Grade Revolution and made sure to point out the character pictures with brief bio I have on my website and the teacher projected them on a board.

While I read, the kids, on hearing a name would check the board so they had an image to help them better imagine the story as it continued. The images had an even greater impact during the Q&A portion. We discussed the tools used to create them, and as they had used the same tools they saw different ways to apply the tools.

A huge thank you to the 6th Graders of Wagner Elementary for such a great experience. I believe we can say "Mission Accomplished" for Read Across America week for 2025.

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