​I did Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days for the New Year again. I needed it – 2020 was a rough year!. On the last day, my assignment was to pick out my song for 2021. This year with Covid, and everything else, I picked two. The first one is a song that pops in my head on a bad day, a sad day. I may have even sung the words to my 2nd graders back in the day.
​

Part 1:  The song . . . TOMORROW.
It speaks to me. These words have popped into my head for years . . .
               The sun will come out
               Tomorrow
               Bet your bottom dollar
               That tomorrow
               There'll be sun!

It always makes me feel better, just to hear those words in my head. I hope they’ll help you too.
If you’d like to hear it, click on this link, and you can listen in. I picked the one with the girl and her dog. They were in Annie back in 2012, and she was wonderful!
Link: the sun will come out tomorrow annie - Bing
​

​Did you notice Annie in the link above this? It’s there because this song came from the musical Annie, and it came from the comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE. It’s been around since 1924. I wasn’t born until 1959.
​
In 1972 Martin Charnin talked to Thomas Meehan. Martin wanted Thomas to write the words for a musical about the comic strip. I was in 7th grade.

​Thomas looked back over prints from the comic strip, but couldn’t find a story so . . . he made up his own. Charles Strouse composed the music, and Martin wrote the lyrics, the words.

​The musical came to life in 1977, the year I graduated from high school. The photo is of the original cast. Andrea McArdle was Annie, Reid Shelton was Daddy Warbucks, and the dog was Sandy. That same year Columbia Pictures bought the rights to ANNIE, and in 1982 the movie came out. I was a brand-new teacher. There are other versions, but the one from 1982 is still my favorite, all these years later.

​Sources:
Tomorrow (Annie) - Wikipedia
Annie (musical) - Wikipedia

Tomorrow – my favorite pick-me-up song of all time.

Started 1/19/21                                                           On Chapter 2
I am a HUGE fan of Pride and Prejudice, and I bought this one back in 2013. I’m rereading it because I love how Linda weaves the language of flowers and human misunderstanding into this story.
Amazon’s Description:
“ Pride and Prejudice” and the language of flowers…
When Fitzwilliam Darcy leaves the inn in Lambton after a tense but fruitful visit with Elizabeth Bennet, her words cultivate his hopes. “Less naturally amiable tempers than Mr Bingley’s have found ways to forgive you.” Has she excused his flaws of character and errors in judgement? While dining at Pemberley, Elizabeth is confounded when Darcy says of her scent, “Now I find I am more fond of lavender than ever… certainly even more fond of it than I was in, say, April.” Has he pardoned her intemperate assault on his pride?

As her esteem blossoms into love and his desire flourishes into devotion, the meanings of every leaf and petal allow Elizabeth and Darcy to express emotions too vulnerable to speak aloud. But can messages in fronds and leaflets save their fragile hearts when scandalous news arrives from Longbourn?
​

Started 1/15/21                                         Finished 1/18/21
I picked this book because one of my writing mentors suggested it. The beginning confused me, but I’m glad I pushed on. It’s not my typical read. It’s way more character driven, but I liked taking a look at the world of the severely disabled and their caretakers. It wasn’t the ending I hoped for, but it fit this story, and I’m glad I read it.

Amazon’s Description:
They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .  Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

Started 1/13/21                                                       Finished 1/15/21
I’ve never read book 2, but I’ve loved Book #1 since 1980. Now I wonder why I didn’t.
​
Madeleine had me hooked in the first chapter. Something is wrong with Charles Wallace, and strange things are happening. I wanted to know what was going on, and why!
Good news for Charles Wallace – love was the answer! It always is.​

Amazon’s Description:
It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin's vegetable garden. That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn't a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes. It turns out that C.W. is ill and that Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros.

Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles' life as well as the balance of the universe.
​

Started book 1/6/21                                                    Finished 1/13/21
This is my 6th time through this book. The first time was in 1980 when I took my kiddie lit class. It’s required if you want to be an elementary teacher. For me, it was love at first  page!

I was disappointed in the movie. My advice, if you love a book, skip the movie. 40 years later – the book doesn’t disappoint. I remember how much I loved Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin, and IT feels more relevant than ever before.
​
Amazon’s Description:
A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.

Finished book – 1/5/21
I bought my kindle version in 2011, and I’ve read it at least half a dozen times.

I love this book because I remember the 70’s, Dick Clark, and the $20,000 Pyramid. I was transitioning from high school to college back then. I also love time travel, and Rebecca Stead had a great take on how it could be done.

Each time my next book is a Wrinkle in Time. That’s because Wrinkle plays a huge part in how Rebecca wove the story.
​
Amazon’s Description:
Shortly after a fall-out with her best friend, sixth grader Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, and she doesn’t know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter—a true story, and that she can’t share her mission with anyone.
 
​It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them has an uncanny ability to predict the future. If that is the case, then Miranda has a big problem—because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it.

​Part 3 – Aubade
Here’s the screenshot for aubade: Aubade (schoolofwordplay.com)
                        Its pronunciation  [ oh-bad  or  oh-bahd. 

I’m glad I had the pronunciation guide, or I would have guessed aw-bade. Not even close! If  you look at the guide, then think oh and bad, you’ve got it! Here’s the link to prove it! 
                        How to pronounce aubade | HowToPronounce.com

​Where did Aubade originate? Not from Latin! It came out of France and Spain in the late 1600’s, when America was being colonized. It came from the Spanish words albada and alba. It means dawn.

                                                 If Aubade is a morning song, which picture illustrates it?

It’s the second one, with sunrise. I couldn’t believe when I googled a morning song, that this is the only thing that came up. There are albums of songs to help our littles wake up, but no category of songs, just for morning.
​
For the evening – there’s a bunch – nocturnes, lullabies, moonlight serenades. I wonder – is it easier to write later in the day? That inspired my aubade sentence – I can’t write an aubade because I never wake up in time. No LOL!

​Did you notice The School of Word Play had 2 synonyms – song and poem? Power thesaurus had 31synonyms. The top 10 were morning words, but not a single one is a morning song. 

The School of Word Play had 1 antonym – nocturne.  Power thesaurus had antonyms, but they’re only night words, and I’m surprised they didn’t think of nocturne.

Here’s the photo from my screenshot of aubade. It looks like a lovely moonlight serenade. I just wish I could hear it.

Part 2 – TYRO
Here’s the screenshot for tyro:   Tyro (schoolofwordplay.com ] 

Its pronunciation  [ tahy – roh ].  I didn’t get this one right either. I thought it was tay-ro, like say plus row. I was close. It’s tie-ro, like how you tie your shoes.  Click the link to hear it said correctly.
              How to pronounce TYRO in English (cambridge.org)

Tyro is a noun. It’s a beginner, someone who’s learning something new. Which person would be a tyro? Someone who plays t-ball, or someone who plays major league baseball?

T-ball of course! That’s the first kind of ball a kid learns to play, usually in Kindergarten. The little girl in the picture is the tyro because she looks like she’s learning how to play the piano. ​

​Can you guess who’s the tyro now?

​​Yes, the little skiers! You don’t want your doctor to be a beginner!

Where did tyro originate? From the Late Middle English period. That’s the 14 and 1500’s. Someone crossed the ocean blue in 1492. Christopher Columbus, of course!

Tyro came from Latin, from the word ‘tiro.’ In the Middle Ages it was spelled ‘tyro’ and meant recruit.

George Washington and Abe Lincoln probably used tyro, but Teddy Roosevelt, probably not. ​

​Synonyms and antonyms are easy so let’s skip them.

The example sentence describes the piano picture perfectly. Mine – I’m not a tyro at writing, but I am at getting my stories published.

​Here are 3 new words. I know them all. The house is definitely dilapidated, in need of BIG repair.

The middle fruit it juxtaposed between the other two. That means it’s placed to show similarities or differences, to compare or contrast.

Does this title crack you up! I laughed – when I wrote it. Then I remembered I’m in the business of playing with words. That’s how I tell stories – by putting together characters and plots – with words.

It’s important to know words and use them when you read and write. I was surprised to start getting emails from this link: Home | School Of Word Play. Then I started having fun with it!
​
Part 1 - GELID
Now I look at the emails to see if I know the word. This is the first one I didn’t. In my head I thought it started with a hard g as in gate, short e as in ed, and the word lid. WRONG!
​
​
​​              Below is a screenshot of the top of the page for this link:  Gelid (schoolofwordplay.com)
​First up is the pronunciation, written the same way you’d see it in the dictionary.       [jel – id]
Click on this link, and you can hear it read in a poem.  Gelid | Pronunciation of Gelid in English (youglish.com)

If the gesture, from the poem, was gelid, what was it like –
Kind and caring    or     Distant and not friendly
​
If you guessed the 2nd one, you’re right. If someone talks to you in a gelid way,
​they are definitely not your friend. 

Now that you know the definition, which picture is gelid, the 1st or the 2nd? ​

​But there’s more to the School of Word Play. I love getting their email every day. The next screenshot is below.  Did you find the Origin of Gelid? It’s a word from the 1600’s that’s rooted in Latin. Its Etymology – it originated from ‘gelidus,’ which came from ‘gelu,’ and it meant frost or intense cold.

Latin is a dead language, but it was the language of the Roman Empire and of the Catholic Church. Mass used to be said only in Latin. Now it’s mostly used in science to name things, by lawyers, and in high school Latin classes. I took French!

Go down to the Usage graph, and let’s apply it. Which president might have used Gelid? Was it George Washington, Abe Lincoln, or Teddy Roosevelt?

If you guessed George Washington, you’re right. He became President in 1789. The one least likely to use it was Teddy Roosevelt. He became President in 1901. Abe Lincoln was in the middle, 1861.

​Synonyms and Antonyms are easy! I taught them in 2nd grade, but can you use gelid in a sentence of your own? Here’s the last screenshot:

My example: My new story felt ‘gelid.’  I know – YIKES!

I like looking at new words. I can guess what surly is. Sometimes when my writing isn’t going well, I feel surly. It’s definitely tortuous and hard to navigate when your words are twisting and turning. But puissant?  I had to look it up. It means all powerful. I definitely DON’T feel that way with new writing.

Click on this link, and you can figure out how to pronounce it: how do you pronounce puissant - Bing
           
​            
​                 
​Part 2 – TYRO
Here’s the screenshot for tyro:   Tyro (schoolofwordplay.com ] 

Its pronunciation  [ tahy – roh ].  I didn’t get this one right either. I thought it was tay-ro, like say plus row. I was close. It’s tie-ro, like how you tie your shoes.  Click the link to hear it said correctly. 
              How to pronounce TYRO in English (cambridge.org)

Tyro is a noun. It’s a beginner, someone who’s learning something new. Which person would be a tyro? Someone who plays t-ball, or someone who plays major league baseball?

T-ball of course! That’s the first kind of ball a kid learns to play, usually in Kindergarten. The little girl in the picture is the tyro because she looks like she’s learning how to play the piano. ​​

Can you guess who’s the tyro now?

​Yes, the little skiers! You don’t want your doctor to be a beginner!

Where did tyro originate? From the Late Middle English period. That’s the 14 and 1500’s. Someone crossed the ocean blue in 1492. Christopher Columbus, of course!

Tyro came from Latin, from the word ‘tiro.’ In the Middle Ages it was spelled ‘tyro’ and meant recruit.

​​Here are 3 new words. I know them all. The house is definitely dilapidated, in need of BIG repair.

The middle fruit it juxtaposed between the other two. That means it’s placed to show similarities or differences, to compare or contrast.

The last picture confused me. That’s because a zealot is a person, not a place. Zealots believe they’re always right, and they won’t change their mind. Ever. Many politicians are zealots.
 
                                                         

Part 3 – Aubade
​ Here’s the screenshot for aubade: Aubade (schoolofwordplay.com)
                   Its pronunciation  [ oh-bad  or  oh-bahd. 

I’m glad I had the pronunciation guide, or I would have guessed aw-bade. Not even close! If  you look at the guide, then think oh and bad, you’ve got it! Here’s the link to prove it! 
                  How to pronounce aubade | HowToPronounce.com

It’s the second one, with sunrise. I couldn’t believe when I googled a morning song, that this is the only thing that came up. There are albums of songs to help our littles wake up, but no category of songs, just for morning.
​
For the evening – there’s a bunch – nocturnes, lullabies, moonlight serenades. I wonder – is it easier to write later in the day? That inspired my aubade sentence – I can’t write an aubade because I never wake up in time. No LOL!

​Did you notice The School of Word Play had 2 synonyms – song and poem? Power thesaurus had 31synonyms. The top 10 were morning words, but not a single one is a morning song. ​

The School of Word Play had 1 antonym – nocturne.  Power thesaurus had antonyms, but they’re only night words, and I’m surprised they didn’t think of nocturne.

​Here’s the photo from my screenshot of aubade. It looks like a lovely moonlight serenade. I just wish I could hear it.

​Aubade’s usage has grown since 1850. George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt probably didn’t use this word, unless they knew French or Spanish.

The world has grown closer and more diverse thanks to technology. I wonder if that’s why aubade was used so much more in 2019.
​
I’ve never read or heard this word. Have you? Please message me if you have. I’ll share the results with my readers.

I live in Wapakoneta, Ohio. We didn’t get to go to Texas for Thanksgiving – that’s where two of my kids live. My son-in-law was exposed to Covid before Thanksgiving. His test came back negative two days later, but his insurance didn’t allow for any more tests  – so we really didn’t know if he had it, or not.

I’m 61 and a diabetic so I should be in one of the early groups to get the vaccine.  I didn’t want to risk getting covid. My son-in-law wouldn’t know, unless he had symptoms, that he was covid-free until December 5th. THAT was a WEEK after Thanksgiving.
​
I made the decision after we traveled 1/3 of the way to Texas – NOT to go BEFORE Thanksgiving. It was the first one that I’ve ever had with just  my husband. In 35 years of marriage, we’ve always seen both of our families, plus our kids after they were born.
​

​A​fter Thanksgiving I also decided not to go to Texas for Christmas.  Why? The nightly news was scary. Covid was everywhere! I told my daughter we weren’t coming. She reacted the way I do – she cried. Guess what? It worked! My husband caved so we were on the road December 16th, for a Texas Christmas! 

​

​​Look at the map of the US. Can you guess how we got to Texas?

I bet it’s not the route we took – we went to the lake in northeastern TN first, and then we drove to TX.
​
That was 3 days of driving, and I loved it! Why? I can sleep and read in the car because my husband drives. I’m lucky!

Part 2 – A Road Trip to Texas
​My husband and I broke our trip into 3 parts. It’s a long way to Texas! The 1st day took 5 to 6 hours to get from Wapakoneta, Ohio to Lafollette, Tennessee. We followed I75 south all the way to the lake exit. That’s the map on the left for the GPS route. (Global Positioning System). Don’t forget to look for Kentucky! Here’s the link: LaFollette, Tennessee to Wapakoneta, Ohio 45895 - Google Maps

On the 2nd day we spent about 8 hours in the car driving south-west from Lafollette to Vicksburgh, Mississippi. That’s where we stopped for the night. The next day it took about 7 hours to reach Temple, Texas. Don’t forget to look for Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana along the way. That’s 7 states in 1 trip!

We took lots of roads on the 2nd and 3rd day. Click the link, then enlarge the map, and you can see the roads we took. GPS is wonderful! It warns you about tricky places before you hit them.
LaFollette, Tennessee to Temple, Texas - Google Maps

​

Part 3 – Beach Family Christmas Customs, Texas Style
We arrived on the 20th. We stayed with my daughter and her husband. Ashley’s all about family traditions. We made Chex Mix one day. Next up were Christmas cookies. They’re both family recipes.

Christmas shopping is something my daughter and I do together.  With Covid we were in and out. Our masks were on the whole time.  

Part 4 – The Road Home
​It was a lovely Christmas vacation, but too short. We started the long drive back on the 29th, This time we took the northern route, the shortest drive. The link may look the same, but we drove all the way to Memphis Tennessee before we stopped for the night.

​We returned to Lafollette the day before New Year’s Eve. I’m glad I had a chance to rest before New Year’s Day. No Rose Parade, but the video they made was wonderful.
​
My Buckeyes played Clemson in the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day. I’m glad I rested! I shopped the whole game.  That’s my superstition. It helps me get through the rollar coaster of emotions.
​
It worked! OSU beat Clemson 49 – 28.

We made it back to Ohio a day before the National Championship. I didn’t have a day to rest. I was busy catching up on our mail, and my mother’s. Maybe that’s what went wrong!

On Monday January 11th the Buckeyes played Alabama. It wasn’t to be. I shopped my heart out, but it didn’t work. The Buckeyes lost 52 – 24.

It was a horrible loss, but if 3 plays had gone differently the score would have been 38-31. Alabama scored with two 4th down plays in the 1st half. OSU had a 4th down red zone play. They didn’t make it, but they’re winners in my eyes. They almost didn’t have a season, yet they wound up in the National Championship.
​
Guess when I’ll be making my next road trip to Texas? Probably May. That’s when my new grandboy is coming. Here’s to May, a covid shot, and cuddling 2 grandkids!

I’m lucky! I had four Facebook/Instagram friends who reached out to let me know something was wrong. I only know one of them personally, but I’m so grateful that all four of them saw, and then said something.

Here’s my story, just in case it happens to you. I would never have believed this could be true. I’m a retired teacher/writer from a small town in Ohio.

​

Part 1 – Two Cautionary Notes
​​This all started on October 16th, but I couldn’t find that message. I found this one from Karen on the 29th . . . Hi. I’m a friend of yours on FB, and I got a strange message from you on Instagram. Was it really you, or a fake you?

I answered back that I’d check. I did – no message, let alone a strange one.  I asked for more information. She answered  . . .

‘They’ sent a message to me today through Instagram. I am following you now twice. One account has 74 followers and no posts, which is the fake one. The other one, using your same photo, has posts.

I replied that I’d change my password again, like I did on the 16th.  I thanked her again, and I hoped this was over, but it wasn’t. 

​

On October 31st I got this message from Linda . . . Hi – Have you been contacting me via Instagram? I just want to double check that this is really you. ​

I apologized and said it wasn’t. I told her I’d changed my password twice already. That I was trying to figure out how to clean up this mess.

Linda wrote back . . . No worries. I just wondered because the messages are just a little off. Just now I got one asking if I know about some kind of domestic assistance grants. I’m going to block you for now, because I honestly think it’s a foreign bot. Will you contact me . . . when it’s resolved?
​
I couldn’t believe it! Domestic assistance grants? Foreign bots? I felt like I was in a spy movie. That’s when help arrived!
​

Part 2 – Help is on the Way
​​I messaged that night, the 31st . . . Linda, how did they get my name on IG? I just had a kiddo (I had her sister in school) who contacted me. I looked up my address and only found me. Do you have the address they were using? I want to get this cleared up, and you just can’t talk to IG. YUCK!
​

I’d forgotten – I messaged IG twice, and got no response.  But I got this from the kiddo, AKA My Hero, on FACEBOOK . . . RINDA! Get on your Instagram if you’re able. Someone is impersonating you and trying to push “grant information.” I’ve sent you several messages with what they sent me and asked my Grandma to reach out to you as well.

Her Grandmother wrote . . . Jessica just called me and said she has been getting messages from you on Instagram about federal grants. She thinks your account has been hacked. 

​

​Wow! Jessica went above and beyond a friend! She called her grandmother who was one of my teaching buddies.

These are the original messages from Jessica. I can read the first line – RINDA URGENT! And the second – Someone is pretending to be you! The rest of both screen shots are what the ‘fake rinda’ wrote. I would NEVER write either of those messages. Sorry, if they’re a little fuzzy.

Jessica’s explanation of how they did it (extra j in the middle) is on the bottom right. She also said she flagged it but Instagram did NOTHING, even though I’d  already filled out  2 reports. You’d think they would have pulled down the fake rinda. They didn’t. 
​

This set of messages came up after Jessica’s grandmother finally got my attention. I’m so glad I could ask Jessica. You can tell – I had no idea what I was doing.

The funny thing that I learned from later messages – I couldn’t search and find this fake me, the one with the extra j in the middle. Jessica said they must have blocked me.

I did another report about THAT, but I didn’t hear anything from Instagram. NOTHING. Jessica flagged the fake account again, and Instagram didn’t respond to her either. I was disappointed, but not surprised. I have a writing friend whose web site has been blocked by Facebook for a year. A YEAR, and she’s a retired Kindergarten teacher.

Part 3 – Solving My Own Problem 
​​​​​It’s now January, 2021, and Instagram never got back to me – I really don’t know if the fake me is gone. The last time I checked with Jessica was on October 31st. She pulled down her flag, and the fake me was still there. She flagged them again, and suggested that I report again. I did, but I have yet to hear anything from Instagram. It’s not a surprise – the only 2 social media sites that respond to me are Pinterest and Weebly.

The only proof I have that fake me isn’t operating - no one has messaged me about grants or strange messages since October.
​
I didn’t rely on reports to Instagram. I put up my own post with an image that reminds me of Darth Vader. I added a message that I was hacked on Facebook, my Facebook business page, Instagram, and Twitter. Here’s a copy of that post . . .  ​

Someone hacked me on IG so if you get a weird message from what looks like me, it's not. I only message people I know personally, and I don't do anything with grants.

My friend Jessica said - flag that weird account, and let me know. I'll keep reporting until this person leaves my account alone.
​
I’m glad I did! Here are my stats – I reached 11 people on my Facebook business page, 3 on my personal page, 16 on Instagram, and 0 on Twitter. Those are the ones that I know of. I wonder how many took a look and then scrolled on down.

Instagram is where I had the biggest response, 16. I also had 2 people who commented on my post. 

One wrote . . . I received a strange message as well. Sorry that happened to you. 

Another wrote . . .  Yeah, I got that message. Maybe that’s who hacked me. ​

Part 4 – IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
​​That’s what four people did for me. I only know one of them personally. It only took a few minutes, but the other three made a huge difference in my business. The squeaky wheel gets oiled.

I left a reporting trail. I don’t know if it made any difference, but at least it’s there. My conscience is at peace because I tried to do the right thing.
​
If I’m ever in the shoes of those friends who helped me, I’ll do what they did. If I see something off, I’ll say something. I’ll message them on a different account like Linda and Karen did. They saw the fake messages on Instagram, but they contacted me on Facebook. I so appreciated them and their help!

​​​ I’ll also do what Jessica did – I’ll flag the account and send in a report. Unfortunately, I don’t know the grandmothers of most of my friends, but I’d call them if I did 😊

​
Looking back the best thing I did was putting my message out on social media. I know there were at least 30 people who heard my story, and two of them were touched enough to write on Instagram. That’s where the original fake account originated from.
​
So if you’re ever in my shoes and you’re hacked, or you see something that’s not quite right, I hope you’ll take my advice – See something, say something.

​I haven’t written about the audition since mid-November, but I’ve been steadily working on it. I have four stories to get agent ready by February. Here’s the link for where I was back then . . . Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach
​
And now – here’s what my stories and I have been doing since November . . . 

1. The DUCK STORY went through 3 rounds of critiques and revisions. I almost sent if off for a 4th, but I spent Christmas with my Texas kids. Tomorrow I’m back to the lake and back to work. Job #1 is to finish those ducks and send them off by Friday.

It’s amazing to go through this process, to see elements of my original story in this new edition, and to see how the changes improve the plot and the characters.
​
Drake is now Liam, but it’s a deeper change than just a name. Liam drives the action. He thinks harder, finds better ideas when the ducks challenge him. And the ducks, they’re harder to beat.
​
The other HUGE change links Liam’s duck struggles to his sisters. The metaphor deepens the plot. I can’t wait to send this manuscript back to Lynne Marie, the Picture Book Mechanic, to see what else she suggests. She pushed me, pushed this story, and we’re better because of it. 

​
​

​​​3.  My Dog Story has spent the last 2 months with Callie and her Writing Magic Critique group. It’s been through 4 rounds of critiques and 3 rounds of revisions.
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​In the first critique Callie suggested a name change. Names are everything in a story, for characters and titles! My own dog gave me this story idea. She was a Border Terrier named Leia, like Princess Leia from Star Wars. Her full name was Leia Millennia Beach, and yes, my kids LOVED Star Wars! They still do.

Princess has been the dog’s name since I wrote the first draft back in 2012. I took a look at names over a couple days. I tried Rascal. Callie didn’t think it worked. I trust her opinions so I looked again. I picked Coco. She loved it! Woohoo!

One of the most unexpected changes happened after I left Princess behind. Princess said arf, arf, but Rascal and Coco went ruff, ruff. I didn’t plan it, but arf felt wrong when I listened/edited. Ruff felt right. Editing is magic because sometimes, characters tell YOU what they want to say. It’s interesting – neither Rascal or Coco could say woof – they’re too small for that sound.

The other big change was in the story mission statement. It helps me focus which road the story and its plot should take. When I wrote there’s a battle going on between Coco and her girl Marlee, it completely changed the plot. I didn’t catch it right away. Callie did! She suggested I try thinking of the story as a battle between these 2 characters. It worked!
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I used some of the same elements, but I turned the action into a zigzag (/\/\/\). At the end of one scene Coco’s winning, but Marlee wins the next. The best part of this new dog/girl battle is that I stuck the ending. The most important sentences/paragraphs/pages in any book, is the first, and the last.
 
Tomorrow – the last manuscript for the challenge, plus 2 more. I started working on them in December. LOL! It’s a good thing I love editing!


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5.  My Ant Story is 30 chapters long. Last year I finished chapter 26. When I saw this class, I decided to get a running start by going back to Chapter 1 and the revision notes Callie left for each chapter.
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I’ll go through those notes, make the corrections, and move forward. I haven’t started yet, but, if I read and revise chapters 1-16 by the end of January I’ll be back on track. Hopefully chapter 30 will be done by the end of February. Fingers crossed!


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In ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN, Zoe is searching for points for the lake scavenger hunt Mom designed. Can she come up with enough points to beat her older siblings and win the prize?

Zoo Scavenger Hunt Fun already has a problem - Zoe wants to win the hunt. I have the format – 7 chapters with 7 animals. I need to figure out what the three tries will be, how the action will rise/fall, and the animal order.  I know that the challenges must grow until that 3rd try/ 6th animal, when Zoe will think winning is impossible.

My plan – to work through Callie’s worksheets. They’ll help me figure out those 3 tries with 7 animals. My goal – to have the story outlined, and the first 3 chapters done by the end of January. Here’s to finding story magic at the zoo!

​This post started with an email. Janet Campbell at elderspark.com sent me some great links to help seniors. She also asked if she could write a piece for their families who live far away. I said ABSOLUTELY! I saved Janet’s links for a later post. Here’s the piece Janet asked to write, the piece she wanted me to share.

​In the past, someone who wanted to act as a caregiver for a senior relative would have to live close by. For seniors with serious medical conditions who require daily in-home care, that is still the case. But what about seniors with limited mobility who may need frequent doctor’s appointments, yet still manage to cook, clean, socialize, and take medications with little assistance? 
 
If this describes one of your parents or another relative, you may be able to handle basic caregiving duties even if you no longer live in the same area. This guide from teacher, speaker, and author Rinda Beach discusses the devices and technological support systems that will keep you updated on your loved one’s health and well-being no matter how far away you live. 
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​1.  ​Choose the Right Cell Phone Plan
When it comes to phone plans, many carriers provide plans that cover unlimited text, talk, and data. When you’re responsible for checking in on your loved one on a regular basis, you want to know that you can stay connected without racking up any overage charges.
 
Some seniors are very tech-savvy, but others may need assistance to choose the right cell phone and plan. You may want to spend an afternoon with your loved one and go shopping together to help them make an informed decision.
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​​2.  ​Alert Systems
When it comes to location and medical alert systems for seniors, you have several options. Your loved one may feel safest with a wearable device that sends out an alert in the event of a medical emergency, like falling. You should ensure that any wearable device you purchase has GPS - if your loved one gets lost, this function is invaluable.
 
Installing remote monitoring sensors in your loved one’s home can help you keep track of their daily routines and habits. According to Seniors Matter, these sensors should be placed in strategic locations around the house - for example, placing one on the refrigerator door can let you know if your loved one is eating at normal times. No matter which monitoring system you choose, you can rest assured that you will be notified if your loved one needs your help.
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​ 3. Install Security Cameras
If you would feel more comfortable seeing your loved one during the day, placing a few security cameras in different locations around the house could be an option. You will have the ability to live stream the video footage on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
 
While many seniors and their caregivers find that having security cameras around the house allows for peace of mind, your loved one may not be open to the idea of being recorded. Make sure to have an honest conversation with them about the pros and cons, and do not install any cameras without their permission. 
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​ 4. Financial Monitoring
Unfortunately, seniors are often targeted by online scammers who are hoping to make a quick buck. Kiplinger suggests helping your loved one protect their savings from scams and personally checking their accounts for any suspicious activity with a financial monitoring system.
 
These services will generally charge a monthly fee to scan an individual’s accounts and credit reports and catch any charges that seem abnormal compared to their usual spending habits. If you are alerted about any strange purchases, and it turns out that your loved one was not responsible for the charges, you can contact the bank and credit card companies immediately to remedy the situation.

​​Taking on the role of caregiver can present all kinds of challenges. But modern technology is making it easier for people to ensure the safety and security of their parents and relatives as they enter their golden years, even with hundreds or even thousands of miles between them.

​I remember hearing it in 4th grade. That’s the year I joined junior choir, and the adults sang it Christmas Eve. The organist was incredible. I’ve never forgotten that song, that night.

​​These are the three men who created O HOLY NIGHT. Their story starts in 1843 with the renovation of an organ in Roquemaure, France. The parish priest wanted to celebrate so he asked Placide Cappea to write a poem. Adolphe Adam put it to music that same year. O HOLY NIGHT made its debut 4 years later, in 1847.

Above are 3 sets of lyrics. The first set is Placide’s version in French. His title translates to Christmas Carol. The middle one is the literal English translation. It doesn’t flow at all! The last is John’s version. The 1st verse is the one I know, but I’m glad they changed the 2nd verse. 

Do you recognize Josh Groban? He recorded his version of O HOLY NIGHT in 2002. It reached #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary list. My search link is for Josh’s version.
 
Photo from 2009. By Christopher Simon from Pasadena CA, USA - Josh Groban, CC BY 2.0,
​https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19896028