We are still considering the recent holiday. I love fireworks.
Congratulations to Christina and Susan, both winners in our “What are you doing over the holiday?” contest. Their book gifts should have arrived by now-enjoy, ladies! Hope it brightened your holiday.
We finally got rain; the gardens have needed it badly. It’s still humid and hot, but this summer in Ohio, I am not complaining.
The 250th birthday of our country is behind us now, and I think it is reasonable and natural to look back a little at our place in our country’s history and figure out how best, going forward, to improve ourselves and our circle of acquaintances, encouraging each other to be good citizens. That includes registering to vote if you haven’t already, getting better informed about the political arena, and looking for ways to help in our local communities. Too often, we are huddled in our own little worlds and miss some of the amazing things going on. For instance, recently Kelsey Pfendler, who launched from Monterey, California, in May, set out to become the first American woman, the youngest woman, and the fastest woman to make the more than 2,400-mile journey to Hawaii solo. She succeeded, and in doing so, Kelsey Pfendler raised over $180,000 for the Whale Foundation, an organization dedicated to the mental, physical, and financial well-being of the Grand Canyon river-guiding community. In daily life, she is a travel guide. Now she’s a heroine to follow.
Or look at these everyday things:
Nathan Alexander (Atlanta, Georgia): A mathematics professor who made headlines by holding a student’s baby during an entire lecture so the student could focus and take notes
Darius Brown (New Jersey, USA): An everyday citizen who made news for making stylish bow ties by hand for shelter cats and dogs to help them get adopted faster
Elisjsha Dickin (Indiana, USA): A mall shopper who disregarded his own safety to confront and neutralize a gunman in a crowded food court, saving countless lives.
Every day, people step up to do kind, generous, and giving things. All of us can be kind. Being mindful of others and their needs, and doing something about them, makes us all heroes.
Now onto our specials for this week.
First, until Sunday, July 12 You Still Can’t Make This Up! Book two of the Social Work Memoirs is 99 cents as an Amazon download. It’s also on KU for free. Book two continues the short, almost true history of my Social Work career, funny to tragic. Names have been changed to protect innocent and guilty, and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in my world. It gets greasy, gritty, gracious, and no way glamorous here; I think it has been a life well lived. If you like true-to-life stories, odd characters, funny to tragic, you will love this book.
July 12-19 Firebird Simmers will be a 99-cent special on Amazon, and always free on KU!
Join me again as we walk through the secluded and lost places in the Americas. Legends, tales, myths, folklore, traditions are all based on something, something that once was there or is still; there and only seen by those judged safe to trust. We continue the story with the Firebird, the ancient womanbird that brings the storms, the fire and protects the people. What legends live where you live? Have you seen something slide behind a boulder, seen only as a blink out of the corner of an eye? Do you wonder at things that slip by in the darkness? Are you convinced we know all we know about the natural world? Or perhaps, are you willing to walk this path again and learn about what you cannot see? Join me as we travel down this twisted path to knowledge once known and now living in legends and myths; scary tales and old traditions.
And now, it’s time to get back to cleaning up for tomorrow’s church here in our home, and set up the casserole, and hope we have more rain-our garden is really enjoying the downpours! God bless and, just my opinion, but isn’t it cozy to settle down with a good book while the rain’s beating on the roof?