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 |  It's about adventure! Life, Scouting, Family, writing what else is there? |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 25 OCT 2021: Just a little about me. I've been married for 30 years in NOV this year!! and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys in their teens. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. I love to write, but since I've been so involved with the Boy Scouts program since 2015 (now Scouts BSA since girls were invited to come on board) I haven't written much. I hope to get back to more writing soon, as I'm scaling back my BSA commitment. Update on this: I was able to get out 2 stories that were previously published. The update/publishing is going slow. I like to get out in nature, take walks around Castaic Lake, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bi about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there.  Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." |
 The Duke and I Author: Julia Quinn Published by: Avon Books, 2000 Overall rating: 3 Stars PLOT: (3 Stars) Daphne Bridgerton is a young lady in Regency England. The ton dictates society’s norms and it’s her turn to traverse the rumors and innuendos of the season along with Lady Whistledown’s gossip column. Daphne is well liked, heck, she’s everyone friend, so when it comes to finding a potential mate, he’s got to be something special because ordinary won’t do. Simon Basset is young, handsome, and the new Duke of Hastings upon his father’s death, only Simon never cared much for his father. In fact, Simon’s father abandoned him as a young boy when he discovered Simon had a stutter. Simon vowed to be opposite of his father – never to fall in love, never to marry, and never have children. When Daphne and Simon meet, the incident is memorable for both. Friendship grows into attraction, but Daphne and Simon have opposite goals in life. Daphne wants to be married and have children. Simon doesn’t want any of marriage and children. When the couple is caught by Daphne’s brother in a compromised position, will a forced marriage bring happiness or misery? CATAYLIST: (3 Stars) I was shopping at Costco and found the book. I liked the blurb, but thought the cover was ‘off’ – and it was reading the cover that I discovered Netflix made a series out of the book. The actress on the cover was ‘Daphne’ – she totally captured the character. The actor on the cover seemed off for ‘Simon’ – oh, he was handsome, but as I read the book, and developed my own inner visual for Simon, I found the disconnect a bit disconcerting. Still, I was intrigued enough to buy the book and read it. THOUGHTS: (3.5 Stars) Daphne is easy to like. She’s honest, forthright, brave and knows her mind. Her family is easy to like, too – even Anthony, who can be a little rough, but it’s understandable why he is, and his love for his siblings always shines though. Simon is the more complicated character. He’s had a hard time of it, having to overcome a stutter and the abandonment of his father. Simon hides his background and challenges well in society, but when confronted with uncharacteristic emotions, he buckles down on what he knows – avoidance. Daphne brings out the best and worst in Simon as she challenges him to confront his complicated emotions. WHAT WORKS: (4 Stars) The banter is witty. The plot moves at a nice clip until a certain scene. The characters are appealing. WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME (WHAT WAS ‘OFF’): (2 Stars) I don’t mind sexually graphic scenes. The romance genre varies from sweet to heavy charged graphic scenes. There are such scenes here in this novel. However, there’s a point in the novel where Daphne has sex with a drunk Simon and he’s barely aware of his surroundings. He’s in no condition to really give his consent to the encounter. That said, Simon’s been firm about his wishes – he does not wish to have children. The scene ends with the opportunity for Daphne to conceive and yet, it’s not something that Simon wanted. Simon’s character development is not fleshed out to the point in this novel, when this encounter happens, where he willingly consents to Daphne’s desires. For me, a romance reader, consent is a must. Not drunken consent, not implied consent, consent given willingly and freely. WHY 3 STARS: I liked the setting, the time period, and the escapism of the novel. I liked Daphne as a heroine. I appreciated the complicated character that Simon was, I just didn’t think the author took the time to develop the character to the point where he was in an emotional place to share Daphne’s desires when he has drunken sex with her. WILL I WATCH THE NETFLIX SERIES? Not at this time. I love a good escapism series and Bridgerton could very well be that, but I appreciate more the realism of the escapism then the reimagining of it. The series itself would stand much stronger on its own if it was its own world and not a reimagined world of the ton. |
 Happy 247th Birthday to the USA. Boy, that’s a lot of candles! It’s challenging birthday as well. Gas prices are up, Food prices are up. Home prices are up. And there are more controversial topics as well, but this 4th I wanted to strike a patriotic note. Yes, we live in challenging times and if we don’t stick up for the values the founding fathers fought for, we may loose some of those of those things that make America unique. That said, If you love this country, own it. Be proud. Fly your flag. Sing those songs – God Bless America! Be proud of the patriots who have fought in past wars and the patriots now who fight for freedom. Never forget what makes this country special and step up. Never be afraid to say “God Bless America.” Fun Facts: The 13 original colonies are: New Hampshire Massachusetts Connecticut Rhode Island New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delware Maryland Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia There were 2.5 million Americans in July 1776. 56 people signed the Declaration of Independence. The first 4th of July parade was in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1785. In 1941, the US Government declared the 4th of July a Federal holiday. In 1776 Dunlap printing printed 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence Only 26 remain. Blue Fireworks are the hardest to make because the balance in chemicals has to be just right. This Independence day is low-key for me. We’re heading out to Ventura to enjoy a picnic dinner before watching the fireworks at the college.  Past traditions including visit Catalina Island and watching the 4th of July golf cart parade and the USC Marching band. Baking a blueberry pie and decorating it like a flag has been something we’ve done before. Buying 4th of July flowers and flying the flag has been something we’ve done. We’ve visited Pismo Beach and Cayucos California because there’s nothing like fireworks over the coast. In 2021 we traveled to New Hampshire and had a warmhearted friends & family get together complete with BBQ and pie! How do you spend your 4th? From the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. References: https://wallethub.com/blog/4th-of-july-facts/22075 https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-declaration-o... https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript https://selecthealth.org/blog/2016/06/7-things-about-fireworks https://www.energy.gov/articles/5-facts-about-fireworks From my Summer 4th of July story, Arrow Through the Heart  BLURB: Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is an innkeeper's son who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together, but each has their own plans for their life. Then disaster strikes Ella. Can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship? EXCERPT: They finished their meal and he collected their trash. Glancing at his watch, he discovered it was eight-thirty. Logan frowned, knowing he had to leave. "Thank you again for everything. I had a nice day, despite finding my room trashed." The corners of Ella's lips tipped upward. God, that smile was like an arrow through his heart. "I had a nice day, too." He paused, looked away for a second, suddenly nervous, then back at Ella. "I'm busy tomorrow at the inn, but I plan on watching your meet." "You don't have to, if you're busy—" "I want to." He drew in a breath. "Maybe we can spend the evening together? Go for a boat ride? I'll show you some of the islands in the lake. We could have a picnic dinner and watch the sun set." "All right." Her voice was soft and low, and her emerald eyes sparkled in the subdued room light. He stood and walked over to the door. She followed him. His jaw tensed when he turned to look at her. He wanted to kiss her, but it was way too soon. "I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered. "Good night," he said. "Good night." BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Through-Heart-Stephanie-Burkhart-ebook/dp/B0C5ZWD28...   |
 I love collecting hand knitted critters. Why? I suppose what I love about my little critters is that each one is made with love. Today's critter is "Octo." Octo's maker is my sister, Christine, who usually makes octos for her kitties to play with. Here, Octo has joined on vacay in April 2022. Octo can't wait to try the Wahlburgers. I liked my visit to visit Wahlburgers. It's not a chain that I see here on the West Coast, though I believe there's one in Los Angeles (kinda out of my way) . I had the tots and the "Our" burger. What's in an "Our" Burger: Beef Burger Government Cheese Lettuce Tomato Onion Pickles and Paul's signature Wahl Sauce I can honestly say Wahlburgers was a hit and I would go there again. Now, I've never seen the show, but I do appreciate a good Wahl burger. **** FOR YOUR SUMMER READING:  jThis is a retro cover and not the current cover of the book on Amazon Journey of the Heart is available on Amazon as an Ebook for .99 cents. BLURB: James DiMera returns to his home in California after World War II, only to find out he's lost his farm. His way of life gone, James becomes a journeyman, selling Bibles, looking for a sense of purpose. But after the loss of his dream, what can there be for him? Rachel Santori's family winery is in trouble. She's looking for someone to trust. When Rachel meets James, she can't deny how he touches her lonely heart and soul with his kindness and the way comes to her aid. How long has it been since she had someone to depend on? Can James find a place of belonging in Rachel’s life? Can love mend both their weary hearts? EXCERPT: "Wait a minute, Sir," James interrupted, and peered at Rachel's spellbinding eyes for a second before looking at Mr. Smith. "You've tasted this vintage before?" "I have." "So you know how much it's worth?" "I do." "You seem like a fair man, Mr. Smith. At least you were with me. I believe if you offer miss Rachel one thousand dollars, you'll recoup your investment and more." "Now young man, how much do you know about wine?" "Not much, but I do know human nature. You respected her father, and he, you, enough to share an expensive bottle of wine. Honor that respect now. I suspect if Miss Rachel didn't have to make this offer to you, she wouldn't have. She knew you and her father had a good relationship. Honor that like you honored my service." "You're good, Son. I'll give you that. I'll offer you nine hundred dollars for the wine," he paused. "I know I've been hard on you Miss Rachel. You should consider hiring a young man who can help you manage the estate." "Thank you, Mr. Smith. I'll accept your offer and take your advice to heart." Mr. Smith grabbed his ledger, wrote a check, and presented it to her. "Do you have someone to carry in the cases? It's just Vito and I." She tucked the check into the purse. "Well --" "I'll do it," said James. "Grab my stock boy from the back, Son." Rachel offered her hand to James. "Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your assistance. I'm Rachel Santori." "James DiMera." BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Heart-Stephanie-Burkhart-ebook/dp/B07S1VL7JZ/ref=... |
 The Valley Greek Festival in Los Angeles was back, and I was happy to visit. Opa! It took place at St. Nicholas Church on Plummer and Balboa. I grew up in a city with a prominent Greek community, so I’ve always had an affinity for Greek culture. In Germany, I loved visiting the authentic Greek restaurants. My favorites were the Gyros and Ouzo. Lol!! And Ouzo has a black licorice taste to it, which, generally, I don't care for, but it’s so smooth, it’s worth the shot for me. First thing we did was check out the food. They had a big food tent, but the line was forever! So, we had to pass. My son and I visited the drink tent. Ouzo and Kona for us! We found some pork souvlaki, zucchini sticks, and calamari as well as fried cheese which was remarkably good. Hidden secret there. Next, we explored the Greek Church, St. Nicholas. For me, I found a lot of things in common with a Catholic church. The vestments and ornaments seemed very ornate. There were differences, too. For me, I felt the reverence. My spiritual beliefs have been evolving as late, as I’ve been working on God/Source and that he is the vine and we are the branches. We are all one and yet separate. The reverence in church was humbling.  Next we watched some dancing, but the line for the Loukoumades was far too long to wait in so we headed over to the Arts and Crafts and found a Greek coffee booth. The coffee was smooth. The most impressive Arts and Crafts booth was the wood carving. It was advertised the carvings were from olive tree wood from the holy land. I was very impressed with the intricate carvings.  Overall, it was a fun day and nice to get out. A bit overcast in Los Angeles, but still nice weather. What are your favorite Greek things? Drop me a line. My story, Arrow Through the Heart is now avail on Kindle Unlimited. EXCERPT: Ella paused next to her room's door. "This is it." Her voice was soft, yet had a hint of awkwardness to it. Logan drew in a small, nervous breath and jammed his hands into his pockets, trying to appear casual. "Did you have fun today?" "I did." She cast her eyes downward for a second, and then glanced back up at him. Her gaze smoldered. His heart skipped a beat. "Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked. "I'd like that." She pulled out her cell phone and typed in his number. Logan did the same. "On the Fourth, would you like to spend the day with me?" he asked. "I—" Ella placed her hand on the door and it swung open. She glanced at him, surprise on her face. "Was your door latched?" Logan asked. "I thought it was." "Let me." A sudden urge to protect her swelled in him and he stepped in front of her, entering the room. The sheets on the bed were crumpled, bureau drawers were spread across the floor, and her clothes were tossed about. A rope had been tied to her tennis racket and it hung from the ceiling fan with a note attached to it. Find me at: FIND ME AT: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor/ AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephanie-Burkhart/author/B003R00R5I?ref=ap_rdr&st... 4RV PUBLISHING PAGE: https://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php YOUTUBE BOOK TEASER PAGE: https://www.youtube.com/@botrina |
| Well, I was looking around for something to inspire me and I glanced at my water bottle. It's nothing special. Just a 24 oz water bottle, plastic, Crystal Geyser with a blue flip top. So, I thought I'd riff on it. Why am I drinking water out of a water bottle? Well, I live in California and you learn pretty quick you don't drink the tap water. Straight up, the tap water in Cali tastes AWFUL. The tap is okay to brush your teeth and take a shower but you don't want want to drink it. Not all bottled water is created equal. There's filtered from local water supplies and spring water. Dasani is filtered from local water supplies. I suppose the filtering "saves" it, but it doesn't tastes great either. I prefer spring water. Out here it's Crystal Geyser and Arrowhead. Arrowhead doesn't taste all that great, but Crystal Geyser is good. Mind you I'm a sucker for alkaline water like they sell at Costco. That's plain water, but has a hint of flavor. Mind you, I put Crystal light ice tea in all my water because that makes it easier for me to drink. What's your favorite water? Tap? Spring? Alkaline? |
The California Strawberry Festival is Back!! One of my favorite festivals here in my neck of the woods in California is the Strawberry Festival. I think I started going when the boys were little, I want to say about 2010 around that time. I enjoy a good festival, and there's a little bit of everything at the Strawberry Festival - food, arts & crafts, strawberries, music, kiddie rides, and would could forget: The Strawberry Smoothie! In the past, the festival was held at Oxnard College in Oxnard, but every year it grew and grew and this year was the first year it was held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, a venue that fit the growing event. One of the first things I would do would be to buy the boys a smoothie and I would hunt down a margarita. This year, my son shared a margarita with me. How the time flies! After out smoothies, we were usually on the hunt for Arts & Crafts. You can usually find some great gems at Arts & Crafts and this year was no exception! I found some "dangles" earrings - my favorite was Grinchy earrings and mini flip flops, but they had everything under the sun. I also discovered lemoncello chocolate almonds. They were delicious! I didn't even know they were a thing! Now I know I can find them on Amazon! One year I got a really top with stretchy material that had a Paris theme.  After visiting A&C, it was time to find a snack. Usually I go for the Garlic Fries, but there's a whole variety of items such as strawberry tamales, nachos, turkey legs, corn dogs, and hamburgers. Garlic fries are my favorite because you can't get them all the time. If there was space, we'd sit down and listen to the music. If we had an opportunity, we'd take the kids to the kiddie area and take pictures with the mascots. After that, it was time to find some flats and head home. This year we had the cool opportunity to find Tony's Pizza in Ventura - it was a local place with live music and the pizza crust was the best I've had in ages! What I like about festivals is that it gets you out of the house, gives you an opportunity to explore and relax with no time constraints and you can always enjoy the strawberries! What's your favorite festival? My story, Arrow Through the Heart is now available on Amazon unlimited. EXCERPT: Logan couldn't deny Ella was a stunner, but there had been something else – a quality he couldn't quite put his finger on. Was it loneliness? Sadness? She had to be in her twenties. So why was she alone on her working vacation? He definitely wanted to spend time with her and get to know her better. "You're quiet all of a sudden," Ella remarked. "It's nothing. Say, you never told me what you do." She coughed. "Well—" "Don't be modest." She cleared her throat. "Spit it out." He flashed her an amused grin and playfully tapped her arm with his fist. Her cheeks turned red. "I'm a professional tennis player and I'm here to play in the invitational." AMAZON LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5ZWD28D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OT77BTTTW3XG&keywords=step... FIND ME AT: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor/ AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephanie-Burkhart/author/B003R00R5I?ref=ap_rdr&st... 4RV PUBLISHING PAGE: https://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php YOUTUBE BOOK TEASER PAGE: https://www.youtube.com/@botrina |
| Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've had an opportunity to update my blog. Forgive my absence. Most of the time I was busy supporting my boys with Scouting, but that chapter of my life is over and I'm ready to open a new chapter with getting back to my writing, blogging, and marketing, with some occasional posts on personal growth, recipes, flowers, traveling, and general overall fun things I like to do. WRITING UDPATE: I hope to have my short story, "Arrow Through the Heart" on the Amazon Kindle Unlimited format soon. I did a bit of an edit, but I didn't touch it up too much. It's summer based and focused on the 4th of of July, so it's a great read for summer and nice compliment to my other summer story, "Journey of the Heart." BLOGGING: Hope to be back on a more regular basis. A couple of weeks ago, I visited the local Cowboy festival. It was nice to get out again. The day was a bit sunny and a tad hot and I didn't really go prepared, but just getting out raised my vibes. The actual festival was compacted into a couple of blocks and it was a tad crowded, but I was happy. They had a Dutch oven peach cobbler booth, but the line was a forever line. I loved watching the blacksmith and the cowboy twirl his ropes.  SELF PUBLISHING: I hope to self-publish my back catalog in a more timely manner, starting with Arrow of the Heart. If anything, I wish there were 3 more hours added to the day. If you have any marketing tips, send them my way. Right now I use Fussy Librarian to get the word out, but I'd love to learn more. SHARING A LITTLE TEASE from ARROW THROUGH THE HEART: Ella's a tennis pro who wants to win. Logan's an easy going guy who loves his rural lifestyle. When a stranger threatens Ella, will danger bring her closer to Logan or drive them apart? EXCERPT: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire Ella strolled along the boardwalk next to the lake, exploring the shops. A store that sold beach gear caught her attention. Outside the door were several flyers and brochures in a display. After studying the flyers, she picked one up, and began reading it. Ella gnawed on her lower lip. Could she steady herself enough to allow the parachute to lift her? She stared at the parasailing brochure. The man on the front made it look easy, but if it was one thing she learned about life, it was that nothing came easy. "Hey, you want to try it?" The deep, masculine voice startled Ella. She placed her hand over her chest to steady her heart. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." He walked around to her side so she could see him. "I'm Logan Donovan." Ella's breath jammed in her throat. Logan's wide smile and kind sky-blue eyes sparkled in the sun. Tall, broad-chested, and well-muscled, his stance radiated confidence. Men rarely snuck up on her, but Logan had, and he'd taken her breath away. FIND ME AT: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor/ AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephanie-Burkhart/author/B003R00R5I?ref=ap_rdr&st... 4RV PUBLISHING PAGE: https://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php YOUTUBE BOOK TEASER PAGE: https://www.youtube.com/@botrina |
| Yikes!! It's a been a busy Summer and I'm just getting my spike proteins in order over here. Okay, let's catch up! GARDENING The dog keeps knocking over my basil but finally, I managed to save half a pot and I have some nice sprouting basil. One summer squash made it and I roasted it up with some zucchini and ate it. hehe. But, eventually, the heat pretty sucked the plant dry and despite a lot of blooms, I only got 1 summer squash. I ate the cilantro and planted oregano but it's not sprouting. The Marigold plant looks like something vicious attacked the stalk, but it's still blooming. I planted some pumpkin seeds but their not hatching either. With winter looming, I might take the season off. My bonzai is coming along, but it is still small. WEIGHT I was so busy in New Hampshire on vacation, I lost 6 pounds. Still doing Weight Watchers, but I've pretty much even out. Need to crack down on my carbs. I've lowered them a bunch, but there is more work to be done. The spike proteins are still hefty at 202.9 tho. ROMANCE Christmas is Bayeux is now avail on Amazon unlimited for your Kindle! It was published 12 OCT. If you can swing over and support, it's much appreciated. The 2021 version is more "meatier" than the 2010 version. I'm not starting work on "A Polish Heart" and "Matchmaking Amusement." Both are shorts. SUMMER TIME I took my younger son, who is 14 back to the homeland, New Hampshire for summer vacation. Let me tell you, big difference from Commiefornia. The biggest difference is the mask. In CA we still wear masks indoors. In NH, masks are optional. No option in CA. We kept the vacation low key. We visited the mansions of Newport. My favorite is the Breakers, but they are all a marvel. We visited Canobie Lake Park, a local amusement park, took a boat ride out to the Isle of Shoals and visited with family. Joey enjoyed spending time in Karen's basement when I visited her for coffee. It was nice recharging the batteries. When we came back , it was back to work. I've been pretty much working, sleeping, trying to find free time to read. There's dishes and laundry and really, we don't get out much. Finally we took a "family" and last Saturday, 16 OCT we went to Pismo Beach to visit the Clam Festival. We taste tested the chowder and trolled the vendors. It was very low key. The coast was cool and Pismo is a quaint CA beach town. Don't want to get into politics too much here, but not much has changed in the way of the homeless problem. Just yesterday there was a big fire next to the 101. Homeless fires are up. Tents are all over. Just the other day "Gutter People of LA" posted a video of a homeless person taking a poo at a bus stop and I've got to think we are better than that. Why can't we build affordable "assisted" living facilities for the homeless that offer 3 hots and a cot, along with in house programs for mental illness issues and drug rehab? It's not enough to build shelter. There needs to be another layer to it. All the best to you. Peace out. |
| Hi all! It's been a while since I was able to pop in. Forgive. I've been a busy little Spooky Bee. I'll do a seperate post to catch you all up on my summer adventures, but with all these containers ships sitting off the coast of California, I thought I'd research American Made products. I want to get into buying more local, more American products. If you have a suggestion for a great American product let me know. I'm always looking for coffee and chocolate! haha. No, I'll take anything at this point. I realize I will still need to buy off of Amazon and at Costco (which I love!) but I'm trying to minimize my foot print there. Again, if you know of a great product, please drop me a line. Today's product is about Toilet Paper! Enjoy ************* PRODUCT: QUILTED NORTHERN What is it: Toilet Paper Where is it made: Ft. Edward, New York (1 location I can find) by United Steel Workers Union 4-2. Owned by: Georgia Pacific Address of Georgia Pacific: 133 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 Georgia Pacific is owned by Koch Industries. Koch is a privately held multinational conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas. Follow the Money check: Info gleaned from https://www.followthemoney.org I like were they spend their money. Grants have been given to help fund public school robotics and reading programs, college scholarships, job training initiatives, equipment for local fire departments, conversation projects (Wisconsin’s Trees for Tomorrow) and educational programs for young, female and minority entrepreneurs. Grants have supported local chapters of charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity, United Way and the Salvation Army. They have a program called “Acts of Comfort” The 10 Acts of Comfort (from their webpage:) Comfort Cases: Backpacks with comfort items for foster kids. A Friend of Mind: Offers free yoga and meditation services to youth to combat mental illness and eliminate mental health stigma. Bow Wows & Meows: Hospice nurse helps shelter animals get exposure and get adopted. Haute Healing Foundation: Giving makeovers to chronically ill, homeless and disadvantaged youth. Everyone On: Computers and Wi-Fi for families in need. Veggielution: Volunteers cultivate and grow crops which are then donated to the hungry. One Warm Coat: Provides free coats to any person in need (adults and children) through coat drives. (maybe my son can make a BSA service project out of this. We'll see) My Block, My Hood, My City: Introduces teenagers to places in their own city they’ve never seen or experienced—showing them that their block should not be a boundary. Education Through Music: Work with schools to implement music programs as part of the schools’ curriculum. Danny’s Farm: Special animals for special kids with autism.Danny's Farm | Petting Farm Serving the Los Angeles Area Danny's Farm serves Los Angeles’ most vulnerable populations by providing a Petting Farm and a variety of Animal... My thoughts: I’m looking to buy Made in America products and I’m glad I found Quilted Northern. The TP is soft enough for me. I’m glad to support. As to where they spend their money, I see they have the "Acts of Comfort" and I'm okay with where they spend their money politically. I recommend this product!! |
| Another 2 weeks just flew by so I thought I'd post an update. I'm a busy little Virus. I won't get another day off until 19 MAY and that day is pay day so I'll be running around spending money. hehehe. GARDENING Well, the Marigolds and 1 basil didn't make it. Some "plant like bug" killed them. I managed to save one basil pot and the oregano is coming along. I will try to plant some more marigolds here in a bit. The cilantro is really coming along, young, but nice and full. I had two summer squash seeds sprout! They are very young, but nice and healthy. Still watering them. I'll try to get a pic here soon. My Bonzai Black Spruce finally hatched!! I have four of them. They are very small right now so I'm watering them and putting them in sunlight. As soon as they get bigger I'll move them to another pot. WEIGHT Since going back to in person meetings. (I've been to 3 now) I've lost 3.5 pounds. Still tracking. I've continued with the habit of walking during lunch. NEW TIP: Since I'm a little bit more on the heftier side for a Virus, I'm pretty achy. It's nothing I can't deal with but it's annoying. I discovered when I took 1 Advil, the achys went away, BUT I don't want to be taking Advil all the time to deal with my achys. ....Enter Pineapple Juice!! Come to find out Pineapple Juice is a natural anti-inflammatory. So I said why not try it? I got me one of those 6 oz Dole cans and I felt a big difference. Then I discovered that the enzyeme that is responsible for pineapple juice is called bromlain. So I bought some. Thank goodness for Amazon prime. Since using Pineapple juice and bromlain I have definitely felt less achy, which is very nice. ROMANCE My Romance/Love NL is due next week. Trying to work out an interesting topic. Taking suggestions. WRITING I'm in the editing phase of "Christmas in Bayeux." I'm anticipating about another week or 2 before it's finished and then I'll upload it to Amazon! Very excited about the story!! TRAIN RIDE I took the train to work today. I saw a bunch of tents along the freeway (the 101) but nothing on the sidewalks where I need to walk from the train station to work. I suspect they were cleaned out for the Oscars. We'll see how long it takes for them to come back. California is a socialist pit and there is a lot of homeless here. It's really outrageous. I get calls the time for drugged out homeless ppl who are usually naked and run into the middle of the street stopping traffic. Then we have ppl who find needles near schools. It's not so bad now as most of the kids in this area are doing online learning 5 days a week, but we do have some school districts doing a hybrid model. Then we have ppl who call and say a HUMAN BEING defecated and urinated on their front lawn (like a dog!!) and they want us to clean it up. We send a further request to sanitation to clean it up but they are so backed up it's takes 10-14 days to respond to requests. It's shameful out this way. |
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I love gyros. We have a Greek church and restaurant in town and a festival. But... I'm not there. 