​School’s out for the summer, and it’s lovely – more time for vacation and family – But it can also make it harder to get things done. If you need a little help, here are four tips from Justin Bennett. (@HealthyFit.info). I hope they’re just what you need.
​

​3. Stock Up on Toys and Books
Whether your kiddo is stationary, sitting, crawling, or running, having items to play with helps him or her stay busy while you work. Set up a play area in or near your office so you can monitor your child.
 
Fill the area with kid toys, books, and games. Wash the toys on a regular basis to prevent germs from spreading. Stock up on toys without spending lots of money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales.
​

4.  ​Make To-Do Lists
Many people find their lives run smoother when utilizing checklists. According to one article, 96% of those surveyed felt their lives were better when they used to-do lists.
 
To prevent personal and professional tasks from slipping through the cracks, make a to-do list at the beginning of each day. Check items off as they are accomplished. Create other to-do lists throughout the month, such as bills or chores lists. As needed, add tasks from these indexes to your daily list. This ensures big-picture items are not overlooked and get tackled during the week. 

While working remotely gives you more freedom, you need to take intentional steps to make sure your job and your little ones are tended to. Following these four tips brings balance to your workday while still loving on your children. Visit Rinda Beach for more.

School’s out for the summer, and it’s lovely – more time for vacation and family – But it can also make it harder to get things done. If you need a little help, here are four tips from Justin Bennett. (@HealthyFit.info). I hope they’re just what you need.

​Having a baby or toddler makes life exciting and exhausting. However, working from home while managing your children presents an additional layer of challenges. If you are looking for ways to be successful when working remotely while taking care of your kids at the same time, follow these four tips.
​

​1. Rely on Others
Having a support system makes a huge difference when it comes to taking care of your kids while working. Your partner, family members, friends, and neighbors are all excellent resources when you need someone to watch your child.
 
Sit down with your husband or wife and make a weekly schedule; it should note who watches your children and when. Do your best to include some child-free work time for yourself.
 
Maybe there are a few days during the week it would be helpful for someone else to watch your child. Perhaps you need someone on standby for extra busy days. Talk to people in your support system, and see if any of them can tend to your kiddos on a regular basis or as needed.
​

​2. Reorganize Your Processes
If you are a company employee, over time you have probably gotten into the habit of doing things a certain way. Taking a step back and reevaluating your processes helps you realize there are faster options that save you time.
 
For example, maybe your inbox is a mess, and you have simply gotten used to it being that way. Making a few teaks can make it easier to manage and track emails. Search online for articles and videos with helpful recommendations for reorganizing your inbox.
 
If you are a freelancer, you have more flexibility with revamping your processes. Maybe you need help tracking your income. Instead of sending a generic email to customers as a bill, better track the amount and accuracy of payments using free tools. Check out this invoice maker. This allows you to create professional invoices that feature your logo and brand. Simply select from a variety of pre-built templates, and customize your invoice with your brand colors, business name, logo, and other important information. 
​

​3. Stock Up on Toys and Books
Whether your kiddo is stationary, sitting, crawling, or running, having items to play with helps him or her stay busy while you work. Set up a play area in or near your office so you can monitor your child.
 
Fill the area with kid toys, books, and games. Wash the toys on a regular basis to prevent germs from spreading. Stock up on toys without spending lots of money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales.

4. Make To-Do Lists
Many people find their lives run smoother when utilizing checklists. According to one article, 96% of those surveyed felt their lives were better when they used to-do lists.
 
To prevent personal and professional tasks from slipping through the cracks, make a to-do list at the beginning of each day. Check items off as they are accomplished. Create other to-do lists throughout the month, such as bills or chores lists. As needed, add tasks from these indexes to your daily list. This ensures big-picture items are not overlooked and get tackled during the week. 

While working remotely gives you more freedom, you need to take intentional steps to make sure your job and your little ones are tended to. Following these four tips brings balance to your workday while still loving on your children. Visit Rinda Beach for more.

Started 6/7                                                           Finished 6/11
Anna’s story begins in 1530 when Katherine of Aragon was still queen. The first time I read it, I ignored the storyline in the first 2 chapters because they had Anna pregnant. This time I read the author’s notes that included a quote from Henry VIII. He said Anna wasn’t a maid when he married her, and evidently, he said it more than once. There’s no proof Anna was ever pregnant, but it’s an interesting theory.

By chapter 3, the story is historically back on track. It’s 1539.  Jane Seymour is dead, and Henry’s looking for a new wife. Anna isn’t interested. Europeans are shocked by Henry and his three wives. One royal said she’d marry him, if she had 2 heads.  

The Princess in the Portrait is the perfect title. Henry was so obsessed with Anna’s appearance that he sent his court painter to Kleve. Henry proposes after seeing the portrait, but he’s disappointed when he meets the real Anna. Enough that he doesn’t consummate their marriage. Within weeks he’s working on an annulment, and, seeking a new queen.
​
I’m amazed by the ending to Anna’s story. She kept her head, literally, and became Henry’s good sister. Odd, but true. Henry died in 1547. His last queen, Catherine Parr, died in 1548. As for Anna, she died in 1557. She lived longer than Henry’s other queens, except for Katherine of Aragon.
​

​ Amazon’s Description:
Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England, and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her.

What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that somehow had to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Will he accuse Anna of adultery as he did Queen Anne Boleyn, and send her to the scaffold? Or will he divorce her and send her home in disgrace? Alison Weir takes a fresh and astonishing look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone and fearing for her life in a royal court that rejected her almost from the day she set foot on England’s shore.

​

Started 5/30                                                    Finished 6/7
The Haunted Queen begins in the same place the other two did, with its main character as a teenager. It ends in the same place too, with her death. All three are historical fiction, but I got to know each queen and her character, enough to compare and contrast them.

Anne and Jane’s stories began during the reign of Katherine of Aragon, the true queen. Her value to Henry VIII – her dowry and connections to Spain. She was renown as a Christian, a devoted wife, mother and queen, but she couldn’t satisfy Henry . . . she couldn’t give him a son.

Both Anne and Jane started royal life as Katherine’s maids of honor. Jane arrived sometime during The King’s Great Matter, his obsession to divorce Katherine and marry Anne. Both were well educated, but Katherine remained Catholic. Anne turned to Protestant reformers, pushed to translate the Bible into English, and made the Church of England possible. She believed that women could rule. She might have kept her head and remained queen, if she’d only given Henry a son, and been a little nicer.

Jane stayed with Katherine until her family made her go to court, as Anne’s maid of honor. When Anne lost her fourth child, Jane’s family pushed her at Henry. It worked – they were engaged the day after Anne was beheaded. That’s when the haunting began, at least in this work of historical fiction. Jane would give him that all-important son, but die doing it.
​
Jane was a devout Catholic, but not educated like the others. She could read and write, but that was it. Her claim to fame – her obedience and kindness. She obeyed Henry and the Church of England. She brought his daughter, Mary back into the fold after Anne had her disinherited. Jane was remarkable.

​ Amazon’s Description:
Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and as an adult, Jane is invited to the King’s court to serve as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumors of Henry’s lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn—also lady-in-waiting to the queen—all the more shocking.  For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a haunting incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage.
                 
But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures Anne as his new queen—forever altering the religious landscape of England—he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King’s affection and earn favor for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son, or will she be cast aside like the women who came before her?
                 
Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Alison Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. At its center is a loving and compassionate woman who captures the heart of a king, and whose life will hang in the balance for it.
​

​A Tudor Family Portrait, circa 1545, from left to right: 'Mother Jak' (Edward’s nurse), Lady Mary, Prince Edward, Henry VIII, Jane Seymour(posthumous), Lady Elizabeth and Will Somers (court jester)

Last night I featured #2 and #3 from the list. Tonight, the finale, #4 and #5.

4.  Putting Yourself Down – Are you harder on yourself than you are on anyone else? Me too. It’s important to be honest with yourself, but you also need to give yourself a break, the kind you give other people.

5.  Overthinking – Do you examine every angle before you start something new? Thinking through consequences is a good thing . . . unless you freeze and can’t move forward.

​I overthink things, but I’ve learned to balance it by looking for problems, and then coming up with solutions. If they don’t work, I make a new plan. Life is about problem solving, not perfection. I want to enjoy both the journey, and the challenges.

​

​1.  Please yourself. If you’re not happy, no one else will be either.
2. Examine change. Look at it closely. Does it fit you and your style? Adjust as needed. You don’t have to change, for change sake alone.
3.  Live in the present. Learn from the past, and plan for the future, but enjoy the here and now. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.
4. Compliment yourself. Celebrate what you do well, and what mistakes can teach you.
5. Make a plan and test-drive it. Correct as needed. Remember detours can be a good thing. 
​

Last night I wrote about #1 on the list, trying to please everyone. Tonight #2 and #3.

2.  Fearing Change – No one likes it. Change is hard, but it’s inevitable. Everything changes. Kids do . . . they grow from babies to toddlers to high school graduates in the blink of an eye, and they’re excited about it. As a parent, I felt torn between being happy and sad.
​

Fear needs to be handled like anything else. I look for opportunities in it. Sometimes what I fear actually makes my life easier. Look at elementary age kids – no diapers. No terrible twos. It was my favorite time with my three kids.
​
Losing a job/failing to find a new one – those are hard changes to make. When I’m in the middle of one, I look for silver linings. I wait for them. I know they’ll come, but I have to be patient and wait them out. You can too.
​
​

3.  Living in the Past – You have no choice. You can’t stay in the past. It will quickly become the present, and eventually the future. Nothing stays the same forever. I’ve been a kid, an adult, a mom, and now a grandma. Each stage had things that were wonderful, and awful.

I spotted this on one of my Private Facebook Groups, and I saved it to share with you. It made sense to me because I’ve done all of these things, tried to quit, and found myself going back there again. Bad habits, they’re hard to break!

​​When I went back, my source had disappeared. I did a reverse picture search and found the original site on Tiny Buddha.com. I’m glad to give them credit.

1.  Trying to please everyone – Have you ever felt like this? Like everyone wants a piece of you, and you just can’t say no? You don’t have to be a doctor to feel this way. It happens to everyone, even kids.

I’m a retired teacher, and I used to feel that way all the time. I had kids at home and at school who needed me, and I tried to help everyone.
​

Fear needs to be handled like anything else. I look for opportunities in it. Sometimes what I fear actually makes my life easier. Look at elementary age kids – no diapers. No terrible twos. It was my favorite time with my three kids.
​
Losing a job/failing to find a new one – those are hard changes to make. When I’m in the middle of one, I look for silver linings. I wait for them. I know they’ll come, but I have to be patient and wait them out. You can too.

​

​3.  Living in the Past – You have no choice. You can’t stay in the past. It will quickly become the present, and eventually the future. Nothing stays the same forever. I’ve been a kid, an adult, a mom, and now a grandma. Each stage had things that were wonderful, and awful.
​

​That’s life. It’s interesting that #2 fearing change, and #3 living in the past can be the same. You have to change to move into the future. For me, the trick is to minimize what’s awful. Then I look for silver linings. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to look for them. Sometimes you have to work, and make them happen.
​
​

​4.  Putting Yourself Down – Are you harder on yourself than you are on anyone else? Me too. It’s important to be honest with yourself, but you also need to give yourself a break, the kind you give other people.

​I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve learned to forgive myself when I fall short. It’s hard. It’s easier to forgive someone else.
​
My advice – Put yourself up. Recognize one thing you’re doing well. You have to believe in yourself to get things done. Put downs can stop your forward progress.

​

​5.  Overthinking – Do you examine every angle before you start something new? Thinking through consequences is a good thing . . . unless you freeze and can’t move forward.

​I overthink things, but I’ve learned to balance it by looking for problems, and then coming up with solutions. If they don’t work, I make a new plan. Life is about problem solving, not perfection. I want to enjoy both the journey, and the challenges.

​

​1.  Please yourself. If you’re not happy, no one else will be either.
2. Examine change. Look at it closely. Does it fit you and your style? Adjust as needed. You don’t have to change, for change sake alone.
3.  Live in the present. Learn from the past, and plan for the future, but enjoy the here and now. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.
4. Compliment yourself. Celebrate what you do well, and what mistakes can teach you.
5. Make a plan and test-drive it. Correct as needed. Remember detours can be a good thing. 
​​

Do you have flower power? Test yourself with a few trivia questions . . .

1.    Which flower follows the sun across the sky? 

2. What makes them follow it?
​
Nectar      Water      Sunshine     Shadow

And the answers are . . . 
​

1. Sunflowers follow the sun across the sky.

2. Water helps them do it. 

​Did you know that as young plants, sunflowers actually follow the sun during part of their day. How? Why? Because of Heliotopism. Common sunflowers who are the same age, turn their petals in unison toward the sun. Before the flower opens or is pollinated, the young plants face the sun at dawn and follow it across the sky. At sunset they turn to the east and wait for the sun to rise again. Who knew sunflowers could tell time?!
 
 Heliotropism uses special cells at the bottom of leaves and flower buds. They’re called pulvinus. Those cells have tiny motors inside them, not the kind we have in cars, but they move the flower so it can follow the sun. Water inside the pulvinus creates turgor pressure. That means those cells get either bigger, or smaller. How do they know which way to go? That depends on the pressure, and it makes the stems bend toward the sun or away from it. Wow, who knew plants could measure air pressure too?!
​

Sources:
For More Info: homeguides.sfgate.com
Which flower follows the sun’s... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub
​

                                                                                                    Part 2
                                         3.  Why do people plant sunflowers close to nuclear accident sites? 

                                                          To monitor radiation                             To suck it out
                                                           To decorate the area                            To increase crop yields
 
                                                                     4.  What are sunflowers better at cleaning? 

                                                                               Soil                                                         Water
                                  
                                                                                               And the answers are . . . ​

​3. Sunflowers suck the radiation out of the soil.
 
4. They can do it better with water. 

Sunflowers suck the radiation out, but how? They grow quickly so they’re known as hyper-accumulators. They need to gather lots of nutrients, and FAST! They’re not particular about what comes in, so they absorb minerals, both regular and radioactive ones. They pull the nutrients into their roots, stems, and leaves.  If you travel to Chernobyl or Fukushima, both nuclear disaster sites, you’ll find fields of sunflowers growing and cleaning the dirt.
​
Scientists studied sunflowers first at Chernobyl in the 1990s. They were surprised by how effectively they could clean water sources. Soil is trickier because radioactive elements get more time to bond with the minerals down in the dirt.  

​ Sources:
More Info: www.askqotd.com
Why are sunflowers planted in... | Trivia Answers | QuizzClub

 5. The plant people eat . . . artichokes.
 
6. They’re from the Mediterranean. 
​

Sources:
More Info: en.wikipedia.org
https://quizzclub.com/games/bonus/which-of-these-plants-do-people-eat/answer/822763/
​

​Photo: Hellabore Argutifolius: By Daderot - Self-photographed, Public Domain,
ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3760755

​Started 5/20                                                             Finished 5/30
The best part of this series – seeing a critical period of history through the eyes of three different queens. Katherine of Aragon begins as Henry’s first queen. Then Anne Boleyn enters when Katherine can’t give him the all-important son. I just started Jane Seymour, and I’m amazed how their fates intersect and intertwine.

Anne’s story begins at age 12. Her father sends her to serve in the royal court in the Netherlands, then later onto France. Follow her through the next 9 years, and you’ll see how the Protestant Reformation, early feminism, and a few forward-thinking women shaped Anne, the woman who changed English history.
​
You’ll also see how those same strengths led to her downfall, and to her death. Anne was brilliant and independent, but not always kind. I’ve always admired her, but now, I’m not sure I would have liked her.

Amazon’s Description:
In this second novel of Alison Weir’s epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed author and historian weaves exciting new research into the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s most infamous wife, a woman ahead of her time whose very life—and death—forever changed a nation.

Born into a noble English family, Anne is barely a teenager when she is sent from her family’s Hever Castle to serve at the royal court of the Netherlands. This strategic move on the part of her opportunistic father also becomes a chance for the girl to grow and discover herself. There, and later in France, Anne thrives, preferring to absorb the works of progressive writers rather than participate in courtly flirtations. She also begins to understand the inequalities and indignities suffered by her gender.

Anne isn’t completely inured to the longings of the heart, but her powerful family has ambitious plans for her future that override any wishes of her own. When the King of England himself, Henry VIII, asks Anne to be his mistress, she spurns his advances—reminding him that he is a married man who has already conducted an affair with her sister, Mary. Anne’s rejection only intensifies Henry’s pursuit, but in the absence of a male heir—and given an aging Queen Katherine—the opportunity to elevate and protect the Boleyn family, and to exact vengeance on her envious detractors, is too tempting for Anne to resist, even as it proves to be her undoing.

While history tells of how Anne Boleyn died, this compelling new novel reveals how fully she lived.

​

​Started 5/13                                                               Finished 5/20
This is my 2nd time through this series. I started with Katherine both times, and I was amazed by what I didn’t know about her. I knew about all the children she lost. How she refused to give Henry VIII an annulment, and how terrible it got for her after she said no. Henry definitely wasn’t nice.

What I’d forgotten . . . was that Katherine was a princess of Spain. Her parents – Ferdinand and Isabella – the ones who drove the Moors out of Spain and reunited the country. Isabella funded Columbus’ trip to the New World.
​
I’d also forgotten how Katherine left Spain at age 15. Can you imagine leaving home for another country, knowing you’d never see your parents again? She married Prince Arthur at 15 and became a widow a year later. She was stuck in limbo for 7 years, with her father and father-in-law playing political games with her life.

During that time neither Spain or England had her back. I’m impressed by how Katharine held things together for herself and for her household. Henry finally married her at age 23. He was 18. She should have had a wonderful life, but Henry left her when she couldn’t give him a son. She’s a heroine in the best sense of the word, and I would have never known it, if I hadn’t read this book.

Amazon’s Description: 
Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir takes on what no fiction writer has done before: creating a dramatic six-book series in which each novel covers one of King Henry VIII’s wives. In this captivating opening volume, Weir brings to life the tumultuous tale of Katherine of Aragon, Henry’s first, devoted, and “true” queen.
 
A princess of Spain, Catalina is only sixteen years old when she sets foot on the shores of England. The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage—and Arthur, Prince of Wales, and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the

 future Henry VIII. She must wait for his coming-of-age, an ordeal that tests her resolve, casts doubt on her trusted confidantes, and turns her into a virtual prisoner.
​
Katherine’s patience is rewarded when she becomes Queen of England. The affection between Katherine and Henry is genuine, but forces beyond her control threaten to rend her marriage, and indeed the nation, apart. Henry has fallen under the spell of Katherine’s maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Now Katherine must be prepared to fight, to the end if God wills it, for her faith, her legitimacy, and her heart.

                              Photos from Wikipedia. 

​

Started 5/4                                                                   Finished 5/12
Wow! This book is timely, with war blowing up in the Ukraine, and Russia’s threat of nuclear war. I’m on my 2nd read. The Murrays are gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving. That’s when their dad gets a call from the president that Madog Branzillo has threatened to blow up the world.

That’s when Mom O’Keefe, Calvin’s Mom, pulls Patrick’s Rune from her memory. She recites it for Charles Wallace who sets off on a voyage through time. He never leaves his special star-watching rock as he moves within people and back out again.

The idea is to find pivotal moments when history can be changed by a single choice. Imagine if Hitler or Putin could be stopped by a few changes to their past.

PS – I found Patrick’s Rune and a bit about its history. The link: Poem: Patrick’s Rune (holyjoe.org)

​Amazon’s Description: 
In A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle, a companion to the Newbery Award winner A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door, the Murry and O'Keefe Families enlist the help of the unicorn, Gaudior, to save the world from imminent nuclear war.

Fifteen-year-old Charles Wallace and the unicorn Gaudior undertake a perilous journey through time in a desperate attempt to stop the destruction of the world by the mad dictator Madog Branzillo. They are not alone in their quest.

Charles Wallace's sister, Meg--grown and expecting her first child, but still able to enter her brother's thoughts and emotions by "kything"--goes with him in spirit. Charles Wallace must face the ultimate test of his faith and his will as he is sent within four people from another time, there to search for a way to avert the tragedy threatening them all.​

Started 4/29                                                                   Finished 5/4
I love reading a series! You know the characters and their personalities, but the author gets to spin a new plot. This time it starts with a car in the river and a ghost who believes her land was stolen. Bring in the regulars, Lexie, the reporter who sees and talks to ghosts, and Wes, the mind-reading policeman. Can you solve this mystery before they do?

I’m on my 2nd read, and it’s easier to see the plot develop this time. I love Shanna’s Enchanted Inc series more, but I like this series, a lot. I’m not into mysteries, but I love fantasy. I also think she’s building a relationship between Lexie and Wes, the same way she did in Enchanted Inc with Katie and Owen. I’ll have to read book 4 and 5 to see for sure.
​
Amazon’s Description:  
Was It an Accident—or Vengeance?
When a fisherman spots a car in the river, it’s the most exciting news during a slow week in Stirling Mills, and newspaper editor Lexie Lincoln is there to cover it. The cops think it was an accident, but a ghost on the scene tells Lexie the drowned driver got what he deserved for cheating her out of her land. Lexie figures the ghost got vengeance.
​
There are just two problems: A ghost can’t be prosecuted for murder, and the person the ghost named isn’t one of the people found in the car. Still, Lexie thinks it’s worth digging into, and she discovers that someone has been taking advantage of elderly landowners.
She’d have thought the town would rally behind her investigation of a real estate scam, but she finds herself standing alone. Her suspect has an eerie hold over everyone he encounters. If she doesn’t find concrete proof that he committed a crime, she may get run out of town. That’s a real challenge when no one still alive will talk to her.

And then there’s still the case of the drowned driver and his passenger—was it an accident, or did the scheme lead to murder?

My grandkids have given me a couple of book ideas, but I never thought my grandmother, Rinda Hoskins Wilson would inspire one. I never met her, ever. She died when my mom was two. Then I read a book, and my grandma inspired this blog post, and eventually a story, I hope. 

Part 1 – A Mentor Book Gives Me Inspiration: This book is beautiful, inside and out. It’s a grandma story I found for Saturday Reads, but I didn’t read it. Why not? The story wasn’t about my grandmother.

It was about the author’s, or one she’d heard about. Suhalla, the main character, asks her Mama what her Grandma Annie was like. It’s funny, I’ve always wondered about mine too.

Mama answers. She tells Suhalla how Grandma loved the moon. How she’d help anyone who needed a hand. Then the most amazing thing happens . . . Grandma comes down the ladder to Suhalla’s window, and they have an adventure . . . on the moon!

It’s a lovely story, but it doesn’t have my grandmother in it. I tried to find her, but I couldn’t. I was hoping somehow, through the power of story, I’d see a tiny piece of her.

Then a few days later I got an idea. . . . Why not write a grandma story about mine? I don’t know where it’s going, but I have to flesh it out . . . Story magic keeps nudging me to figure it out.

​

Part 2 – The Search for Inspiration in Two Old Blog Posts: Inspiration is the spark, but it needs fuel to grow. My only source right now is two old posts I wrote about her, but it’s a start . . .

​When I moved to the lake, I also found three stories my mom had never heard about a switch, a rabid dog, and a handkerchief. If I’ve made you curious, here’s the link to those stories: 
​Link:  http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/a-chair-for-my-grandmother-or-me-and-my-grandmother
​

​​One of my cousins sent these two photos after I published the first post. I’d never seen them before. The first one is my grandmother, grandfather, and their four oldest children. My mom and her brother Don aren’t there . . . They weren’t born yet. 
​

The second one is my Great Grandfather George’s family. He was a widower with two daughters. He married my Great Grandmother Mary, and they had two little girls and two little boys. They’re in the light-colored clothing. Grandma Rinda’s on the far right. Mom said I looked like her when I was 7.  I think it’s because she fixed my hair that way for school pictures, on purpose.

This post, Tracing Rinda’s Roots, took me backward in time. I followed my grandfather’s family back to 1772 when they left Scotland. Here’s the link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/tracing-rindas-roots

​

​Part 3 – Finding a Story for Me and My Grandmother: Here are the two of us together. Now my challenge – to find a way to put us into a story together.

It’s funny, the last thing I wrote in my July 2017 post was a bucket list. I said stories have a way of finding me, and that I hoped to find a few from visiting the past. This one came from a Mother’s Day picture book that didn’t make it into Saturday Reads. It feels like Story Magic’s giving me a prompt, again.

​                            To develop the story, I’ll need to ask myself a few key questions.

* What kind of book should this be?  A picture book, chapter book, or middle grade?
It depends on the story and its audience.

*  Who’s the best audience for it? A young child or a teen?

*  How will I find my grandma? Will I see her in the mirror, hear her whisper in the wind, see her in the clouds, or find her in my dreams? Any of these are possible.
Maybe I’ll combine them, or maybe there’s a better idea I haven’t thought of, yet.

*  What’s at stake for me/my main character? What do I get if I find grandma?
What do I lose if I don’t?
​
For now . . . I’ll let my ideas marinate . . . until I can find my way into the story.
​I hope it’s soon, for Me and My Grandmother.              

I tried reading Twenty-One Steps like I’ve always done, but reading in a video isn’t the same as reading live. I felt like I was the star, and it should always be the book. Then I remembered eBooks. I can read them on zoom. I’m tiny, and the book is the star. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

​

​​Step 1 – Picking the Book: On Sunday afternoon I post a new vlog. By Sunday night I have the next post picked for the following week. Coming up –  Leaving on a Jet Plane – Surviving the Bumpy Ride. It was about my trip home from Texas. How it took me two days to get back to Ohio, when it was supposed to take one.

Once I pick a post for the vlog, I look for a book that’s on topic in The Ohio Digital Library. Sunday night I searched planes. I didn’t like the fictional picture books, but I found three nonfiction ones. I checked them out, read all three, but kept the one that was just right. 
​

​ This is the book I kept. It doesn’t talk down to kids. It has great information about how planes and helicopters work. AND, it shows how they’re alike and different.

Step 2 – Writing a Script: I always use a script when I make a video. I don’t have to read it word for word, but it keeps me on track with what I want to say. I write a single page for Saturday Reads.
​
I start with a question about the topic. Add in another sentence or two. Then I introduce myself. I tell you a little about myself, the book I’m reading, and why you should stay tuned. Next I transition into the book itself. After reading, it’s time to say goodbye, time to invite you back for Sunday’s vlog and for next Saturday’s Read.
​

​
​Step 3 – Revision: I revise everything! I use narrator to listen to the script. I make at least three rounds through my words. I want to make sure that I’ve said what I wanted to say, that I said it clearly, and that it sounds good to my ear.
​

​
​Step 4 – Video Taping: I video tape my script and book on zoom. But first, I practice going through the whole thing one time, without hitting record. Even though I’ve gone through the script 3 times, I still practice.
​
​

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught a mistake, something I thought was in the script, like a sentence, but I forgot to write it in. Or maybe it was a slide that was in the script, but I forgot to make it.

Practice helps me move from slide to slide, from page to page. It also helps me transition from Zoom to the book, and back out again. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it sure helps me do my very best Saturday Reads for you.
​
​

​Step 5 – Social Media: The final step! I do 3 rounds on social media. On Thursday afternoon, I put out an announcement on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the title of Saturday’s book, plus a little more. Think of it like a tease – something to get your attention so you’ll tune in.
​

​On Friday or Saturday depending on my schedule, I tape the video and put it into my business Facebook account. On Fridays, I schedule it for Saturday at 4. On Saturday afternoons when I’m running late, I let it go live as soon as Facebook processes it. Usually it takes at least 30 minutes. If I’m at the lake, I head to McDonald’s to schedule it. The lake is heaven, but the internet stinks.
​
Once the video goes live on my business page on Saturday, I post it on my personal Facebook account, Instagram, and Twitter. Then . . . I’m done! Sometime Sunday night I start thinking about my vlog for next week, and a book to match. By Monday . . . my book is checked out.