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Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1051691

Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts.

WELCOME TO:

GEMINI RISING

Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising"
*Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1*

UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025:

Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire.

I've got 2 boys who are young adults.

I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that.

I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing.

I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football.

Here's a little bio 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.


BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

SEPTEMBER 2025:

FORUM
It's WDC- 25th Birthday Open in new Window. (E)
7 day Challenge to celebrate 25 years of this successful writer's haven.
#2343390 by Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon


SEPTEMBER 2025:

FORUM
Earn the Badge - CLOSED Open in new Window. (E)
You want it? Earn it. How? Complete these simple tasks and the badge is yours!
#2133333 by Purple writing writing writing Author IconMail Icon


Merit Badges collected and earned from "Earn the Badge 2025"
Merit Badge in WdC Supportive Friend [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 2nd Daily Task. Merit Badge in Earn the Badge [Click For More Info] Thank you for your donation to [Link To Item #2133333] - from Purple Princess. Merit Badge in Music [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 3rd Daily Task. Merit Badge in Contests [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 1st daily task. Merit Badge in Growth [Click For More Info] Good job earning the Growth Merit Badge in [Link To Item #2133333] Merit Badge in Word Searches [Click For More Info] Great job participating in [Link To Item #2133333] and completing the September 5th task. Merit Badge in Teamwork [Click For More Info] Great job for picking a teammate and completing the September 6th Task at [Link To Item #2133333]


SUMMER 2025:

FORUM
BCoF 's Virtual 50 State Bucket List Open in new Window. (18+)
We're going to explore one unique place in each of the 50 states in alphabetical order.
#2342653 by Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon


Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends:
Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing [Click For More Info] To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high! Merit Badge in Normal Is Boring [Click For More Info] here's to another week of creating adventures! Merit Badge in Blog Camping [Click For More Info] Thanks for completing [Link To User elusive4lyn] July 2025 blogging vacation!! Great job!! Merit Badge in Travel [Click For More Info] Woohoo! We’re halfway through! Merit Badge in BCoF 2 [Click For More Info] Thank you for your participation in BCoF's 50 States Virtual Blogging adventure. *^*Heart*^* Lyn Merit Badge in Endurance [Click For More Info] 51 days of blogging takes commitment, and you rocked it. *^*Heart*^* Lyn


SEPTEMBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Blogging event from September 1-7, 2025. CLOSED
#2277665 by WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger Author IconMail Icon
which was a big challenge for me due to my schedule, but I hunkered down and got it done. There's some great entries for the contest and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Nonfiction [Click For More Info] Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024

Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!

OCTOBER 2024 & 2025 :

I participated in the
FORUM
13 Poetic Days of Halloween Contest 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Let your spooky poetry shine. Oct. 13th 12:01 am WDC time. - closes 11:59 pm WDC Oct 25th
#2328177 by Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
in 2024 which honestly was a big challenge for me considering my schedule, and again I hunkered down and did it! Update October 2025: I had so much participating in the challenge last year, I did it again for 2025 and successfully completed it. There's some great spooky poetry to be found in October and the blog earned the following merit badges:

Merit Badge in Halloween [Click For More Info] Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween. Merit Badge in Determination [Click For More Info] You rose to the poetry challenges in 12 Poetic Days of Halloween in grand style. Merit Badge in Ghost [Click For More Info] Thank you for your successful completion of 13 Poetic Days of Halloween *^*Heart*^* Lyn

Big Thanks to Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!



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

*Exclaim* WARNING *Exclaim*

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" *Wink* check out the "Gemini Rising..."


Another Signature
September 20, 2020 at 1:29pm
September 20, 2020 at 1:29pm
#993785
Well, September is here. Things come, Things go. As usual, I'm a bit poky getting around to my blog, please forgive. (Though I am impressed that that I haven't been entirely negelectful and I'm finding time to pop in from time to time) Just sharing some misc thoughts about the world and events around me this September.

SOCAL
Well, things are pretty much still shut down here in SoCal, and I'm in LA County. Our county is in the Purple tier, so we are very resticted. No movies, No bowling alleys, Halloween is "not recommeded" bit isn't prohibited. I'm a tad "drained" from the restrictions. I go to work, I go home, I eat, I sleep. If I have a day off I do my errands and I go walking. Missing USC Football. COVID sucks. What else needs to be said?

HOPE, HONOR, HEAL VIRTUAL 5K WALK
September is National Suicide Awareness month and LAPD partnered with Hope, Honor, Heal to host a Virtual 5K to bring attention to suicide awareness. They used the "Just Move" app to record your progress. I signed up to do it and took my 13 yr old with me. We walked 5K's around Castaic Lake, but we did after work. I'm glad to walk and bring awareness to this issue. (FYI... I am a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. I take 911 calls for the city of LA as well as talking to the officers on the radio.)

Here's a video by LAPD.


FIRES

The air quality sucks. As usual, California is on fire. But just so you know, it's fire season and California is always on fire. It burned last year, and the year before that, and the year before that too. My governor says the number one reason is because of climate change. Now this is a divisive topic, and I don't mean to stir up the dust here. But I found this guy, Bijorn Lomborg out of Sweden, who makes a lot of sense. Climate Change is real, but it isn't quite the force some think it is.

Here's Bijorn's Article:
https://nypost.com/2020/09/14/sorry-solar-panels-wont-stop-californias-fires/?fb...

So Bijorn is my climate change guy. I believe part of California's problem has to do with the lack of forest management. Causes for some of the most recent fires have been lightening and a gender reveal party. While I believe like Bijorn, that the climate makes a favoritable enviornment due to the hot conditions and dry heat, the lack for forest management has made California a tinder box.

I say give Bijorn Lomborg a read and see what he says rings true to you. OUt of all the things I've read and watched, Bijorn rings true to me.

READING
I've been a bunch of political books trying to round out my thoughts and ideas. I read Mary Trump's book and I just finished reading Don Jr's book. I know, more division. Sorry. What's the saying? Knowledge is power? Well, I'm working on my knowledge.

Also reading "The Great Influenza" and "Carnegie's Maid." I like the historical stuff, can you tell?

WRITING
It feels good to be back writing. Mind you, it's slow, but due to COVID restrictions, I'm finding time. I am working on updating an "older" tale. It was published in the Victory Tales Press "Stimulating" anthology back in 2010. It was called "Christmas in Bayeux." Victory Tales Press went out of business in 2018 and it's taken me a bit to start to get my stories back out there.

Here's a little preview of "new" scene:

***

"But if the stock does well, it will earn you money."Annabelle buttered one side of her crossaint. "What did Marchand say?"

"Buy." Noel let out a long breath. "He says Amazon is the future."

"Have you asked your friend?"

Noel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean Aiden?"

"Yes."

Author's note: In 2010, the year the story takes place, Amazon stock was between 100-114 dollars a share. Hard to believe, but true.
**********


Hope September has treated you decent.
Smiles to all
Steph




A pic of me taken 2 years ago.
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