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Part 1 – Neil Trivia:  Meet Neil Armstrong! He was born in my hometown of Wapakoneta. His claim to fame – he was the first man to set foot on the moon. That was over 50 years ago, and I still can’t believe that someone from Wapakoneta could do something so history-making. Here are two trivia questions about Neil when he was16. Would you believe he was a school year away from graduation?! 1. Which license did Neil Armstrong earn first? Driver’s license Pilot’s license 2. What did he start building a month later? A Wind Tunnel A Generator The answers . . . 1. Neil earned his pilot’s license first. He started taking lessons at age 15, and he paid for them himself! Neil worked at the local drug store, stocking and sweeping. He earned 40 cents an hour. When he turned 16 on August 5, 1946, Neil took his solo flight, and he earned his pilot’s license. He didn’t get his driver’s license until the following spring, just in time to drive to prom. 2. Neil built a wind tunnel. He had dreamed about it for years. He’d studied them in aeronautic magazines, taken notes on how they were put together and how they worked. Neil modeled his wind tunnel after the Wright Brothers, the ones who were the first in flight. BTW – Neil build his generator when he was in Boy Scouts in Upper Sandusky. He was probably in middle school, but it was definitely before he moved to Wapakoneta in 1944.  Sources of Information: Neil Armstrong - Wikipedia Neil A. Armstrong - Ohio History Central Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream By Me, Rinda Beach Part 2 – Wind Tunnels – What are They? What do They Do? Why are They Important?  This is one of NASA’s wind tunnels. It’s 12 feet or 12 floor tiles long. It has a model of a D-11 airplane inside. It was made to scale so it’s a miniature version of the real plane. I think this picture of the wind tunnel was taken in January of 1996. Why is it a wind tunnel? 1. It’s a large tube. 2. Large fans blow air through it. 3. The tube is used to test how a plane that’s anchored in the tunnel, reacts when wind moves around it. It’s the same reaction the plane would have when it’s flying through the sky. Why are wind tunnels important? It’s easier and cheaper to test a model and correct the design before the real plane is built. Some tunnels are model-size, but there are some big enough for real planes and cars to fit inside. This is one of the earliest wind tunnels. It helped Wilbur and Orville Wright design and fly the first airplane. Obviously the Wrights never put the real plane inside. But testing a scale model of the Wright Flyer in that wind tunnel, helped them get the real one off the ground.
The Wright Flyer was the first heavier-than-air powered plane to take flight. Wilbur and Orville flew it four times on December 17, 1903. They picked the sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina so they’d have a softer landing pad. They hoped there’d be less damage to the plane, and fewer repairs. The first flight took the plane 105 feet in 3.5 seconds. That’s 35 yards down a football field. Their best flight was the last one that day. It took the plane 852 feet in 59 seconds. That’s 284 yards or almost 3 football fields they flew over, and they stayed in the air for almost a minute. If you’d like to see the Wright Flyer, go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.  Take a look at this wind tunnel. The photo was taken in 1935 when it was part of a German aviation lab. I couldn’t find anything else about this wind tunnel, but I wanted to share it so you can see how big they can be. I’d love to walk inside, and take a look around.  This is a photo from 1990. It shows fan blades from a 16-foot transonic wind tunnel. Transonic means the plane reached or broke the sound barrier. Those flights used to get bumpy, but transonic wind tunnels helped make them smoother. Look at the dark bar in the middle. Shift your eyes to the right. Then look for a person who’s walking around inside the tunnel. Can you imagine a fan blade that’s taller than you? I can’t! Sorry, you can’t walk inside this tunnel any more. It was retired in 2004 from NASA’s Langley Research Center. I wonder what they have now.   Photo Sources: - Replica of the Wright brothers' wind tunnel: By The original uploader was Axda0002 at English Wikipedia. - Photographed by uploader, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3780674 - German Aviation Laboratory in 1935: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-17158 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5415574 Part 3 – How to Build a Wind Tunnel This is my wind tunnel. I built it – actually my husband did, but I could have. It’s actually really simple to do – if you know how to use duct tape!  I built a wind tunnel because I wrote about it in my first book, Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream. If you’ve read my book, you know that building a wind tunnel was Neil’s first step into the future. He never planned to be the first man on the moon. He started out to become an aeronautical engineer – the kind who build great airplanes. His first step – to build that wind tunnel! I never thought my first published book would be about Neil Armstrong. I thought they’d be about ants or dogs or ducks. Surprise!  I got interested in Neil because I used to volunteer at his museum in Wapakoneta. This is from one of their cases. The wooden square is part of a generator Neil built, probably in middle school. The red dog is his Boy Scout scarf, and the tub – that’s what’s left of his wind tunnel. Neil built it when he was 16. His fan didn’t come from his house . . . Neil used a propeller from an airplane, a real one! Neil was an incredible thinker and explorer! I never thought my first published book would be about Neil Armstrong. I thought they’d be about ants or dogs or ducks. Surprise! I got interested in Neil because I used to volunteer at his museum in Wapakoneta. This is from one of their cases. The wooden square is part of a generator Neil built, probably in middle school. The red dog is his Boy Scout scarf, and the tub – that’s what’s left of his wind tunnel. Neil built it when he was 16. His fan didn’t come from his house . . . Neil used a propeller from an airplane, a real one! Neil was an incredible thinker and explorer!  Next put the tubes inside the box. Start where the white boxes begin. End before the window. I used golf tubes, the kind that you put into your golf bag so your clubs don’t scratch each other, but you could use any kind of cylinder. Just make sure they’re the same length, then stuff them into your box. Why do you need the tubes? To straighten the wind so you can control the way it hits your model. 
You could do this step next, or the one below it. First, get a fan. Pick one that’s strong enough to feel 30 feet away. This one disappeared. I bought another . . . it was too weak. The wind couldn’t lift my plane, at all. Once you have a fan, find a box that fits around it. Duct tape the box to the fan. Then tape it onto the white boxes so they look like my tunnel below.
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There’s gold at rindabeach.com . . . not the shiny metal kind. Mine is in the posts and reviews I’ve written. How many gold nuggets could you find on my web site? I just checked my spreadsheet . . . I have written 357, sorry, 358 posts now, across science, social studies, and language arts. I’ve reviewed 264 books altogether – 83 chapter books and 181 picture books. Sorry, 265 now.  Pinterest used to be the easiest way to find my content. Now I’ve found a better way . . . a spreadsheet! The pieces for each blog post are listed across one line for me, AND they’re searchable. I wish I could put it online for you, but I can’t lock the content to make it safe and tamper-proof. But, if you need something, message me, and I can look it up!  Part 1 – Posts in ABC Order – This is a screenshot of my spreadsheet. It won’t fit in one line on this screen so I took 2 shots of it. I’ve been working on it all summer. I typed in all my blogs. Look at the photo below, and you’ll see the first 4 categories – Post titles, Pinterest boards, Links/location, and Hashtags. Can you tell which one has the least entries. . . Hashtags. I’m just learning how to use them so I’ve only done them for my newer posts. The old ones will have to wait.  The 2nd screenshot is the other half of the spreadsheet. It has a list of the book reviews I’ve done. I write one for each post. I pick a book that fits the post. The spreadsheet lists the Book, Link/location, and Pinterest Board. I thought it would be easy to find each book on Pinterest. But not always! Sometimes I look in 2 or 3 places before I find it. That’s why I’m so happy to put this spreadsheet together . . . for me . . . and for you!  Part 2 – My Videos, Interviews, and Podcasts – I have a spreadsheet for each of these. I wish I could share it with you, but I need to keep it secure. My Videos – If you look below, you’ll see the screenshot of all the videos I’ve taped. It tells me the title of the post it came from and its link, where you can find it (, anything extra I’ve shared with you), and the link for the video on Facebook. I’m up to 15 videos that I can share with you! PS – If you look up at the screenshot from yesterday of the Posts in ABC Order, I note the ones with live videos in red. It’s nice to have it saved twice on the spreadsheet. The whole spreadsheet is saved on my Google drive. It’s good to know that I can find the things I need for you and for me.  Interviews – The sheet below lists the interviews I’ve done so far. I have eight I can share. Six of them are in print. The other two are podcasts. I have two more yet to find, but it’s great to gather my resources in one place. I have interviews for each of my three books – Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream, Lake Fun for You and Me, and Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun. They’ll give you some behind the scenes information, plus photos. If you’re looking for information, just message me. I’ll look it up and send you the answers either the same day or the next one.  Podcasts – The final screenshot lists two of the podcasts I’ve taped. They both support Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun, but I have 3 to find from Connie B. Dow. I talked to her about all 3 of my books.  Tomorrow – Beach Girl’s Treasure Trove of posts, videos, interviews, and podcasts
And how you can find them. Summer is almost over, but there’s a little time left for one last road trip. Here are 3 sets of trivia questions for you to answer. Maybe, there’s still time for that last summer get-away!   Part 1 – Trivia Question #1 – Which state is home to the world’s largest convenience store? California Texas New Jersey Colorado Trivia Question #2 – How many gas pumps can you find at its biggest service station? 80 100 120 140 Answer #1 – Everything is bigger in Texas. Look for TX, its abbreviation, on the map. Answer #2 – It has 120 pumps. My Texas kids made sure I went inside Buc-ees the first time I visited. They’re HUGE! Think grocery store size! They’re that big! Buc-ee’s opened in 1982, and it owns 36 stores across Texas, Alabama, and Florida.  Buc-ee's in Terrell, Texas If you don’t like waiting to get gas, try Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels. It has 120 pumps, making it one of the world’s biggest gas stations. Inside – it’s the largest convenience store in the world – with 67,000 square feet. That’s big enough to fit 22 regular 7-Eleven’s inside. If you want to visit, it’s on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio. It’s true – everything’s bigger in Texas! PS – Don’t forget the Alamo in San Antonio!  Photo Sources: 1. Buc-ee’s in Terrell, TX - By Jameywiki - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47876613 2. Inside Buc-ee’s - By JamesRuddy93 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82979699 3. Buc-ee's - Wikipedia Information Sources: Source: The Balance | Date Updated: April 23, 2021 Which state is home to the world's largest convenience store?: Texas | Travel Trivia Part 2 – Trivia Question #3 – What is a Dark Sky Park? Trivia Question #4 – What state has the most internationally identified parks? Nebraska Utah Maine Colorado  Mt. Rainier at night Answer #3 – It’s a park that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the sky, to keep it dark enough for stargazing. Answer #4 – The International Dark Sky Association said it’s Utah, UT. The International Dark-Sky Association was born in 2001. Its first action – an initiative to preserve and protect the sky. To keep it dark enough that people can still look up and see the stars, generations from now.  Dark desert sky at night When I drive at night, I see the lights of each town I approach. It’s getting harder and harder to see the stars. I’m glad the darkest nights have IDSA protection now! That’s the International Dark-Sky Association in initialism (not an acronym). Thanks to the Association there are now 90 International Dark Sky Parks. This is Joshua Tree National Park, and it’s one of the 21 International Dark Parks in Utah. That’s impressive – there are 90 around the world, and 21 are in Utah. Would you believe Utah added three new parks this year?  Utah is perfect for stargazing because most people live along the Wasatch Front. That leaves most of the state without light pollution. Utah is also dry. That means there’s less water vapor and clouds to block the night sky. Looking for stars – head to Utah! Don’t worry if you live hours away from Utah! There are 66 Dark Sky Parks in the US. Geauga Observatory Park is in Ohio, and there’s a Dark Park in Michigan to the North, Indiana to the West, Tennessee to the South, and Pennsylvania to the east. To think that I’d never heard of Dark Sky Parks, and now I found five in and around Ohio! Take a look on the map at the top, and see which states you can find!  Information Sources: - Source: The Salt Lake Tribune | Date Updated: April 30, 2021 - What U.S. state has the most International Dark Sky Parks?: Utah | Travel Trivia - Dark Sky Parks in the United States - WorldAtlas Part 3 – Trivia Question #5 – Which state gets the most sleep? S. Dakota Montana Colorado Minnesota Trivia Question # 6 – Which gets the least? Florida Hawaii Nevada California
Answer # 5 – If you live in South Dakota (SD), you get the most. Answer # 6 – Hawaiians (HI) get the least. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends seven hours of sleep a night, but only about half of Americans manage that. If you’d like to find out how your state’s sleeping, click on the CDC link below. It’s under Information Sources.  Five states are real sleepers! They had 69 – 70% of their people averaging seven hours of sleep each night. South Dakota came out on top, followed by Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Idaho. If you need sleep, you know where to go! Can you find SD, CO, MN, NE, and ID on the map at the top? Six states don’t sleep as much as they should! They had 56 – 61% of their people getting their nightly seven. Hawaii scraped the bottom with Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan and Georgia creeping in above them.HI, KY, MD, AL, MI, and GA on the map at the top?
Information Sources:
- Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Date Updated: May 10, 2021 - Which state's residents get the most sleep?: South Dakota | Travel Trivia= Part 3 – Rock the Boat – They’re at it again! The folks from Applebee’s have another great ad on TV, and it’s a blast from my past! Have you heard it yet? I have, and my toes still tap to that beat! Now, let’s rock that boat – but don’t tip the boat over!
Meet the Hues Corporation! They’re the voices behind the song. From left to right – Fleming Williams, H. Ann Kelley, and St. Clair Lee.  Would you believe Rock the Boat was almost a flop? The trio released it on their debut studio album in 1973. The first two singles didn’t go anywhere on the top 40 charts. Rock the Boat was their 3rd single in early 1974, and it didn’t look good either – no radio airtime or sales activity. Then somehow it became a disco favorite in New York City dance clubs, and radio picked it up. The almost-failure hit the top 40 and reached #1 on July 6, 1974. Rock the Boat was one of the earliest disco hits. I was nearly a sophomore in high school back in 1974. Disco wouldn’t hit Ohio until I was in college. That’s when Saturday Night Fever struck. Funny, I don’t remember it from high school, but I do – from college. Disco was HUGE.  Fun Fact # 1 - Wally Holmes wrote it, and first lines are important. Wally’s was “Ever since our voyage of love began.” The producer John Florez thought the lyrics were trite and overused, and he got Wally to change that first line. Now you know how they got the notion.” #2 – H. Ann Kelley, the girl in the band, was supposed to sing lead, but someone thought bands with female lead singers weren’t commercially successful, so they gave it to Fleming Williams. He left the group soon after the recording. I wish someone had the notion to give the lead to H. Ann.  #3 – John put Rock the Boat out on the B side of the record. Back in the day, singles came out as 45 RPM records. The A side was the hit. The B side, not. After it did so well in dance clubs, John remixed it. He boosted the bass and rhythm instruments. Then he re-released it, and the rest is history! Here’s what I found when I looked up Applebee’s new commercial. Take a look at the promotional information. I’ve never seen it written out like this before, but I like having all the important information in one place.   OOPS! I almost forgot the most important part – the link! How else can you see the Hughes Corporation in action singing their #1 hit Rock the Boat?! Google: Hues Corporation - Rock the Boat - Bing video  Photo Sources: 1. Restaurant image - By Michael Rivera - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40559229 2. Applebee's TV Commercial, 'Jungle Cruise: Rock the Boat' Song by The Hues Corporation - iSpot.tv 3. The Hughes Corporation - By RCA Records - www.album.it, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45459572 
Part 1 – Meet Simone Biles – This photo was taken in 2018 at the Voice of America (VOA). It’s the largest and oldest international broadcasting company. It didn’t say why Simone was there, but maybe she stopped into say she was back in the gymnastics game again.  Did you know she took 2017 off? I didn’t! That was the year after the 2016 Brazil Olympics, and Simone won 4 gold medals, the most ever for an American gymnast. I’m glad she took a year off. Simone probably started training nonstop in 2011. That’s when she became an elite gymnast. Imagine training as your full-time job, and school what you fit around it. And Me Too – I never found her training schedule, but I considered going into music. I played 2 instruments, and I was told to practice an hour a day, per instrument. That was the minimum to go into music, not to become a GOAT. I wonder what Simone puts in, on 4 pieces of equipment, per day.  Can you imagine the stress of being a GOAT? You always have to deliver. There’s no room for mistakes, and everyone makes those. Did you watch Simone in team qualifications, or in the preliminaries? She was GREAT, but not perfect. She looked unhappy after each performance, even though she was at the top of the leader board. I wonder, if Simone’s a perfectionist. I’m a recovering one. I’m learning to be OK with mistakes, but I used to go over them, over and over, endlessly. Now I stop when they teach me something that will help me grow. I have a feeling Simone does that too.  I was shocked, when I heard Simone dropped out of the team finals. She put endless hours into each of her 4 routines, for 4 years. You don’t invest that kind of time, that kind of effort into something, then quit. I don’t, and I bet Simone doesn’t either. You keep going, whether you’re injured, or sick, until you hit a wall that tells you, YOU HAVE to. For me, it used to be losing my voice. Then I could call in sick and get my kids a substitute teacher. For Simone, it was the twisties, and they don’t look like this photo. Part 2 – What’s a Twistie? – It happens when a gymnast is flying through the air. They can’t tell where they are, or where to land. Planes have the same problem in fog. They don’t know which way is up, or down. I discovered twisties on July 28th when USA Gymnastics announced Simone’s withdrawal from team competition. I was shocked till I learned more. Simone said her mind and body just weren’t in sync. She also said she didn’t think many people understood how dangerous gymnastic surfaces can be.  Take a look at the picture above. It doesn’t look dangerous. Then look at the one below. It is! I thought Simone was upside down. NOT – she was in the middle of one of her twisty-airborne moves. If she lost focus, she might have landed on her head, or neck. YIKES!  Simone also talked about not having an inch of control over her body, not knowing where she was in the air. But even scarier, she had no idea how she was going to land . . . or where. I can’t imagine being brave and talented enough, to keep going after that first twistie.  I didn’t know Simone had the twisties before Tokyo, on floor and vault. This year the bars & beam piled on too. YUCK! I’m glad she took a break, but I’m also glad she came back and won bronze in the balance beam. I read that she did it for herself. Yay, Simone! Here’s to your new life beyond gymnastics! Part 3 – Daring Young Gymnasts – Do you remember the song about the daring young men on the flying trapeze? Now they’re flying around equipment in the gym. They’re defying gravity and some of the laws of physics. It’s crazy good, also a little scary.  Did you know that about 100,000 gymnasts are injured every year? The most common injuries are wrist fractures, cartilage damage, and ACL tears. Did you also know that gymnasts are starting earlier and doing more difficult moves?  Death is rare in gymnastics, but it happened to Melanie Coleman after a fall from the uneven bars. It also happened to Julissa Gomez in 1988. She was vaulting and slipped off the springboard. Falls are dangerous. Adriana Duffy and Sang Lan were both paralyzed by vaulting accidents 11 years apart. I’m glad there’s a new, safer springboard and horse for athletes today.  Men and women both vault over them, the gymnastic kind. Men also twist and rotate around pommel horses. It’s amazing what gymnasts can do, and they make it look so easy! Here’s the new springboard and horse. Look at the old one, then the new one. Can you see how they’re different, and why the new one is safer? I’m so glad someone figured that out.  Take a look at all the positions this young man rotated through in a few seconds. WOW! Gymnasts are amazing! How Can You Protect Your Young Gymnast? – I picked 10 tips to share. To read all of them click on this link: Safety Tips: Gymnastics (for Teens) - Nemours Kidshealth  1. Wear the proper equipment – wrist straps, guards, grips, and footwear. Use spotting belts for new moves. 2. Warm up and stretch. That’s true for any sport. 3. Only practice on padded floors, not a hard surface. 4. Find a good coach! Somone who knows the latest in safety. A good coach will spot you when you try new/difficult moves. 5. Tell your coach if you’re uncomfortable with a skill. If you can’t, tell a parent or an adult who’ll help you. Kids don’t want to tell anyone. I saw it with my own, and with my 2nd graders. Sometimes parents had to tell me what their child wouldn’t. 6. Don’t try a new move at a game or competition, UNLESS you’ve practiced it A LOT. 7. No jewelry, gum chewing, or clothes that can get caught on equipment. 8. Never train alone. 9. STOP! If you get hurt or feel pain. Then get it checked out by a grown-up. 10. Play other sports so that you don’t overuse the same muscles. That leads to injuries. CONGRATULATIONS to the Olympic athletes from all over the world! Win, lose, draw, or withdraw – you played the games and did your best. Thank you for the memories, for the inspiration you’ve given us, especially to the young athletes waiting in the wings for their turn. THANK YOU!   PS – OOPS! I forgot to write about mindfulness, but lucky for me, I already did! The link below will tell you what it is, and show you a few exercises that are great for kids. PPS – They can help us grown-ups too! Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach  Photo Sources:
Take a trip to three of them. Why are they special? They all welcome those who create, those who make art. I’m a writer so I’m glad I qualify . . . because all three make me feel like I’m home! #1 – Welcome to Riverside Art Center! It’s in my hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio.
They invite in artists of all ages! They’re known for their bucket of chalk at the door, ready for any artist to begin a new creation. Riverside helped me launch my first book back in 2019, and they’re still helping me today. I’m grateful!
They also support other local artists. Look around the store. and you’ll see so much creativity – from paintings to stained glass. Pottery to woodwork. If you’re looking for something unique for yourself, or for a gift, Riverside is the place to go!
Riverside is also known for celebrating Wapak’s most famous citizen, Neil Armstrong. Come in and find a way to remember the first man to land on the moon. Look at the photo below on the left . . . The house at the top was Neil’s home when he was in high school. The basement is where he built the wind tunnel that launched all his dreams.
Below it is the picture of the Wapak movie theatre. I saw my first movie there . . . Mary Poppins. I think it’s old enough that Neil went there too. I wonder what he watched?! The other photo is my favorite table in Riverside . . . jewelry! Riverside has some incredible jewelry makers. One of them makes things like elephants and octopi from silverware. WOW! If you’re ever in Wapak, stop into Riverside and the other stores on Auglaize Street. There are so many great shops within a couple blocks. PLUS – the Summer Moon Festival is coming . . . July 13th – 18th. I can’t wait!  Postmark has both of my lake books. I dropped them off in June, and this is the first time I’ve been back. I looked all over the shop, but had trouble finding them. Do you see either book? The first time I took a walk through the shop, I found a shelf of books, but I didn’t see mine. I looked a second time, and that’s when I found them! We’re on a table with another children’s book. Its cover is gorgeous! Zoe is to its right, and Lake Fun is under Zoe.
I wandered through the shop taking pictures of the things that caught my eye. I admire artists, especially those who paint. Me, I draw stick figures! But I have a good sense of color, and what goes together. The bird on the left caught my eye! I love the colors! I wish I had a place for it, but maybe that place is at someone else’s house.
I love woodwork, like the bowls and cutting boards. I admire people who create things I can’t. Buying their work makes me happy. I can’t do pottery either. The mushrooms caught my eye because they’re whimsical and full of color. I’m glad I can share them with you! The third shelf’s full of children’s toys. The giraffe’s my favorite. The rocking chair is close, if only I could tell who, or what, is sitting in it.
I love jewelry, and it was scattered through the shop. I couldn’t leave without another pair of earrings! I also love whimsy, like the purple bear, the golden seahorse, or the blue birdhouse. So cute! If you’re near Lafollette, stop inside Postmark, and do your own treasure hunting! #3 – Welcome to rindabeach.com!  Welcome to my home online! Usually I share my blogs and book reviews with you, but now I want to show you how to shop with me, online. Hover over Books, and you’ll find my three titles. Follow along, and I’ll show you where to find each one!  Here are my books in website order. Lake Fun came out last year and it’s found its niche on Amazon. It’s my highest-ranking book, but the only place you can buy it online – Amazon. Click on their link, and in seconds you’ll be in the checkout line. You can also buy it from me at any event, or, by sending me an email. I’ll work with PayPal and USPS to get a personalized copy right to your house, without ever leaving home! My favorite part – autographing it to you and your favorite lake!  This is my 2nd book from the dropdown menu, but it was my very first, from 2019. I finished it in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Did you know building that wind tunnel was the first step Neil took towards fulfilling his dreams? I have the directions for a simple one in the back matter. It’s the length of your kitchen table. Neil’s – it took up most of his basement! There are 2 online links to buy Neil from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but it’s also on IndieBound. And like Lake Fun, you can buy an autographed copy from me. I’m only an email away. Neil is my favorite book to autograph – I always personalize it with something about your dreams.  This is my newest book, the last one on the link. Zoe is a chapter book with journal pages at the end. You get to be my co-author and illustrator. You can buy Zoe online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or BiblioKid Publishing. Or, you can use the PayPal link and get a personalized autographed copy from me.  Pick one, two, or all three of my books to finish your summer of reading!
Don’t forget to pick up your free printable page and bookmark when you visit me online! Part 1 – The Back Story – I’ve thought about this for a year or two, but didn’t . . . I was too afraid.  First learning something new isn’t easy. I also hate looking and listening to myself, almost as much as I hate nails on chalkboards. Publishing NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM in 2019 helped me get used to having my picture taken. This year in May I signed up for a marketing class with Yong. We talked about what I was doing to help people find me. She suggested video as one way to connect to my audience, as a way to show what I can do as a speaker. I started by diving into Yong’s Super 7 Live Streaming Video Challenge. I watched a video each day that modeled something new. Then I had homework. Can you guess what it was?  Making videos! They were terrible at first, but I got used to them. To seeing my face, to hearing my voice. I started to feel comfortable, and the videos got better. I also learned to look for what I did right. I saw progress, and that kept me going. I also looked at what wasn’t right, not to pick on myself, but to look at how to improve.  The setup – I start with notes about my latest post. I didn’t use images on the 1st one, but pictures help! They give you extra information. They help me remember what to say. I added them to the 2nd. I printed out pictures, but they were hard to hold. It’s like looking in a mirror and trying to point to the right spot. Last week I surprised myself by going to Zoom. I didn’t plan to, but it worked! After the words and images are done, I run through them a couple times until I’m ready to try them on video. I record, watch, and repeat until I’m comfortable with what you’ll see. Then I save it.  No matter how hard I try, I’ll never make perfect videos. It’s like writing with permanent marker. You just can’t fix a mistake. It’s easier to start over again. I’m trying not to be a perfectionist. It’s over-rated! I think close enough is good enough. So is your best. At some point we all have to decide the work is OK, and let it go. Part 2 – My First Two Videos – The Madisons was the first video I posted. I was so nervous! I thought I was ready – I did seven videos as part of Yong’s class. OH MY! It was scary, but I’m glad I forced myself to take that step.  To get ready I wrote my script, then practiced talking through it. I made practice tapes to see how I did, and to see how I could improve. Then I finally made that final tape. OH WOW! My secret – you never saw what I was looking at . . . my script. It was my security blanket. The only thing I had to remember was to focus on my camera. It’s the dot of yellow at the top of my computer. I also looked at the length of the video. My first try was 11 minutes. I cut out a whole section about Dolley. I’m glad I did!.  I kept in the part about Little Jimmy, how he wrote the Constitution, and last, how he got Aaron Burr to introduce him to Dolley. I like to find the fun quirky details about people. The HARDEST part – saving and downloading it. YIKES! I was supposed to go live at 3:00. I was 10 minutes late, but I was still sweating it out. I didn’t start taping until 1:30 on Sunday, and time flew, LITERALLY! I finally finished taping my video at 2:40. Then I had to wait for it to download, find the notice in my email, and save it. FINALLY I could post it on Beach Girl Press. By the time I finished, it was 3:15. That was too close for me, and, no fun! It was enough to make me move taping to Saturdays.  I learned my lesson for the second video, The School of Word Play. I recorded it on Saturday, and I thought I was on track. I practiced my script. I made practice tapes so I could manage those vocabulary cards. I felt OK with everything, so I recorded and saved the video. THEN I hit a problem – I had to download it onto my Beach Girl Press account on Facebook. That’s my business page. I think I started downloading around 2 on Sunday. I thought I’d make my 3PM deadline, but my video didn’t post on Facebook until 4:22. I had two terrible hours, full of panic and frustration! But, live and learn . . . I discovered a few tricks to make that download go faster! BTW – here are the four words that I tried to say, and on video . . . OH MY!  Part 3 – Videos #3 & 4 – I felt comfortable talking my way through this one. It was my third video, so speaking to an audience that I’ll never see, it felt OK . . . until I held up pictures like this refrigerator.  I didn’t have trouble with the picture. I had trouble pointing to things I wanted you to notice . . . like the top left corner of the fridge. It’s the new one with my son’s family. How do I know? There are 4 names up there, not 3 . . . 2 go across, and 2 go up and down. My grandson is now officially family! His big sister was there already. It’s HARD to point things out! Every time I tried, I was pointing at the wrong side. It’s a lot like trying to point something out when you’re looking in the mirror. Everything’s reflected . . . but in reverse. It’s the same with the reflection in a swimming pool. You think you’re reaching for a coin, but you miss . . . by a lot! TRICKY!  This came from video #4. It was about service dogs, financial literacy, and responsibility. I was planning on doing it on Facebook Live, but when I went to record, I switched to Zoom. I didn’t plan it . . . it just happened. I’ve done classes and critiques on Zoom, but I’ve never been in charge of the meeting or the video. THAT – was a whole new element. When you have a new variable, it throws everything off balance. You don’t feel comfortable. You’re on edge, trying to keep things under control while trying to look calm, cool, and collected. TRICKY! When I practiced, I worked on what I wanted to say about the pictures, and on moving from Zoom to Microsoft Word, then back again. It took a little longer to practice, but I got it done! PS – My newest challenge – adding another site to share during the video. The last one was about editing and revision. I had it done, only 6 minutes long! Then I went back to save and trim the beginning and end. That’s when I discovered the problem. I could hear me talking about it, but no pictures, and a picture’s worth 1000 words! I took you home, to my author page on the international worldwide web so I could show you how to find my books, and the free journal pages.  When you make a mistake, you need to figure out where you went wrong. Mine – I didn’t click on Share New. I practiced switching around a few times and I recorded my efforts, only a minute or two to see if I could get that part right. I did! I reshot the video. I slowed down, took my time, and was happy with what I’d shot . . . until I saw the time . . . 11 minutes! OOPS! Live and learn! Shorter is always better!
See you on Sunday at 3PM! I’m still debating if I’ll share this post, or the next one I start writing. I guess we’ll both find out on Sunday! Part 1 – The Price of the Dog I love dogs! The first one is a border terrier like my dog Leia. The second is a doodle, the kind of dog I’d love to have. I’ve never thought of the price, beyond the fee you pay the breeder or the adoption fee, but there’s more. Much, much more.
I didn’t realize until I got an email from Abby at Bankrate.com. It was all about how to buy a service dog. Abby asked if I’d add her link to a post I did about working dogs. I said I could do even better . . . I’d share her information with my audience, with Abby’s permission, of course! Here’s her link: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/how-to-afford-a-service-dog/  Meet a real service dog! How do I know for sure? From its vest! Service dogs don’t come cheap! The average price – from 20,000 - $60,000. Why so much? Because of all the training they need. A service dog needs to know what to do, whether it’s assisting someone who’s blind or someone who has seizures. The dog has to perform every single time. He has to do his job. Imagine if you’re blind and your dog stops guiding you in the middle of a street. If you have seizures, a dog can warn you ahead of time so that you can get yourself into a safe position. Can you imagine how much better a dog could make your life? It’d be miraculous! But there are more costs involved, and you need to make sure you can take care of your dog and keep it safe and healthy!  1. Dog Food – The cost per year – about $400, depending on the brand you buy. My Leia only got dry dog food, but we were an Iams family, because that’s what our breeder recommended. When she got older, and pickier, we probably paid more for her dogfood, but we never bought the canned or refrigerated stuff. That was too expensive!  2. The Veterinarian – Average vet care per year is about $260. That’s for both regular and emergency cases. Our dog had yearly checkups, shots, and medicine. We did have one emergency – she dragged some chicken bones out of the trash and tried to eat them. Oh my! I have never seen anyone or anything in so much pain! We took her into a doggy emergency room. I didn’t know there was one! They gave her something to help her pass the chips. She was better than ever! She lived to be 15, which is a really old age for a dog.  3. Health Insurance – If I had a dog worth $20,000, I would definitely get it health insurance. My granddog has it. My daughter says it’s a lot like human insurance. I also wondered if it worked like cars do – if your dog died, would it help you buy another service dog? I don’t know! I couldn’t google the answer.  4. Heartworm protection – I did this for my dog. I don’t remember how often, but the link price was about $120 a year. Cheap compared to having your dog die because of worms. Yuck! What an awful way to go!  5. Flea and Tick protection – I did this for my Leia. $200 or whatever I paid was a small price to keep her safe. Fleas are insects that live on dogs. They bite and make them itch. Ticks bite dogs too, but they stay attached so they can live off the dog’s blood. Yuck! Even worse, fleas and ticks can also leave pets to come live on you. They carry diseases that can make you or your pet sick. That’s another reason it’s important to protect your pet from these tiny insects!  6. Toys and Treats – Dogs need to have fun, just like you and me. $75 is a small price to pay to keep you and your service dog safe and happy. The grand total, to take care of your service dog, is $1280 per year. No wonder my husband doesn’t want me to have a dog. That’s half the reason why. The other half - a pet’s like having a kid. You have to take care of it. You don’t just leave it home alone.  Part 2 – The Steps to Finding Your Dog – Now that you’ve decided a Service Dog is in your future, there are a couple steps to take ahead of time before you pick your dog. Step 1 – Find the Program that Matches You: One kind of program helps veterans who served our country. They train dogs to meet the needs of soldiers whose service left them scarred.  Another program is for people with autism. They have trouble with social, emotional, and communication skills. Dogs help them too. There are still other programs for people with physical disabilities. Moving, seeing, or certain health problems are difficult. There are dogs for them too. Children can have autism or physical disabilities too, and there are dogs who are trained just for them, not for grown-ups.Bankrate.com has links for each program. Theirs again: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/how-to-afford-a-service-dog/  Step 2 – Determine Your Eligibility: Did you know you have to qualify for a program? Your level of severity (difficulty) has to be high enough. Did you know some breeds fit some medical conditions better than others? People who train service dogs want to make sure they find the best match for you, and for their dog. Knowing your program can help you decide if you’re a good fit. Your doctor can help you and answer questions along the way. When you’re doing your search, make sure that the program fits ADI standards (Assistance Dogs International). You want to make sure you get a dog who has the skills you need, not a fake.  Step 3 – Gather Supplies: Not sure what to get? Ask the people who are training your dog. They should have a supply list. My breeder did. She wanted to make sure her dog went to a good home. Don’t wait until your dog arrives! Doing a little bit at a time spreads the cost, and the joy. You’ll need things like toys and bowls and medication. Some things like dog food can wait until the very end. Another question to think about – do you want a service dog certificate, and can they get you one? If you travel, a paper might offer proof, and make your trip easier.  Part 3 – Financial Considerations – This is where the rubber meets the road. You know what your dog will cost. Now – to find the money! How? Here are some options for you. 1. Grants – This is like free money, sort of. You don’t have to pay it back, like you do with a loan, but there’s a catch . . . You have to fill out an application, and you might get the money . . . you might not. If it’s basic information, that’s easy. But it could be a lot more work, with no promise of a payday. Just hope!  I wrote a couple grants to get money for science equipment for my second graders when I was still teaching. It was WORK! I researched my topic, the equipment I wanted, and the experiments the kids would do. It was a LOT of work! And I didn’t know until a month later if it would pay off. It did! Twice! Click on the Bankrate.com link again to find their grant information. https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/how-to-afford-a-service-dog/  2. Fundraising – Look for ways to raise money in your community and beyond. I saw an author put out a call to the kidlit community. She needed help buying a service dog. I donated money, and so did a lot of other people. She didn’t have to pay me, or anyone else back, and I felt good because I helped her. There are places online like GoFundMe where you can find help. There are also groups in your community who might help. It never hurts to ask! People love to help good causes. I do!  3. FSA Accounts – Huh? What’s that? I had to look it up. FSA stands for Flexible Spending Account. A lot of people have this as part of their regular insurance coverage. That means X dollars come out of your check every time you’re paid, and it goes into a special account. It’s still your money, but it can only be spent on medical care. The big advantage – you can’t be taxed on that money. If the government takes out 10% from your paycheck, you get to save that money in your account. If you have $100, you save $10. You’ll get a little interest, but the big advantage is that you get $100 in your account, not $90. Over a year, that’s an extra $120 for your medical care. That’s a great thing!  4. Personal Loans – Yes, you can borrow money. As long as you meet the bank’s loan requirements, you’ll get the money you need. The catch – you’ll have to pay the bank back, with interest. If you borrow $100, and they charge you 10% interest on that loan, each month you’ll pay money on your loan, and on the interest. At first you pay mostly interest. The longer you pay, the more you pay towards principal. That’s the money you originally borrowed. You’ll also pay the bank back more money than you borrowed. If you pay $20 a month, your loan would be paid off in 5 months, but you’d owe $50 in interest. Pay $50 a month, and you’d only owe $20 in interest. The lesson – pay back your loan as quickly as possible!  5. Other Financial Considerations – Bankrate.com had 8 tips to consider, but I picked out three. #1. If you can’t get full assistance, buy your own dog, and find an independent trainer who’s certified. It’s a lot cheaper! #2. Some dog food and vets will give you a discount if you have a service dog. #3. If you need financial aid, try places like the Humane Society. They might be able to help. Want to read the other five? Click on bankrate.com!  6. The Bottom Line – Service dogs are expensive, BUT you’ll get a lot out of them. You’ll have a friend for life, and that life will be easier and better. Close your eyes and imagine trying to get around your house without help. No peeking! Then imagine having a dog to guide you. A dog would be priceless!
Part 2 – Cheers! Have you seen the new Applebee’s ads that use old TV theme songs? Last night I wrote about ‘Welcome Back.’ Tonight, “Cheers – Where Everybody knows your name.”
The picture to the left shows the cast for seasons 1 -3: At the top – Shelley Long and Ted Danson. Rhea Perlman, and Nicholas Colasanto are in the middle. George Wendt and John Ratzenberger finish out the bottom row.
The one on the right is the cast starting in season 6. Starting at the top, from left to right, are Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson, Kelsey Grammer, and Bebe Neuwirth. The bottom row includes George Wendt, Kirstie Alley, Ted Danson, and John Ratzenberger. The show started in 1982 when I was a brand-new teacher, and it ended in 1993. By then I had been teaching for 11 years. I was also married and had 3 kids – 6, 4, and 1. Life was busy, but the theme song stuck with me, all these years later. It reminds me of my life as a young adult. Cheers! The Cheers theme song ‘Where Everybody Knows Your Name’ only reached #83 on Billboard’s top 100, not #1, like Welcome Back. But, ‘Name’ still has a great back story, and here it is . . .  In the spring of 1982, the producers of Cheers, Glen and Les Charles, heard a song they loved, but it was already legally tied to a musical. The brothers asked the songwriting team to try writing another, just for Cheers. They tried two different songs . . . but Gary Poytnoy and Judy Hart Angelo failed, but they didn’t give up. Their 4th try succeeded, and the rest is history!  Would you like to hear the Cheers theme song? Click on this link for Applebee’s: 2021 Applebee’s Commercial Songs – TV Advert Music Find the image to the left. Click the one that says ‘Cheers’ and you’ll hear the original theme song. Now, let’s do lunch at Applebee’s!  Photo Sources: - Restaurant image - By Michael Rivera - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40559229 - Cheers logo - By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3372212  - Original cast - By Paramount Pictures - Original publication: Published to print sources in 1983 Immediate source: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEERS-ORIGINAL-TV-PHOTO-CAST-PORTRAIT-1983-/110717709523pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c74a2cd3, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40960975 - 2nd cast picture - By NBC / Paramount Television - Original publication: Non-primary media in circa 1991Immediate http://screencrave.com/2011-05-16/tvs-best-series-finales-comedy/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36031890 
 Part 1 - Welcome Back Have you seen the new Applebee’s ads? They’re using two old TV theme songs to invite people back to their restaurants. I almost wrote about one of them last fall, but the ad stopped, and I forgot about it. Now it’s back! And I’m glad! I get to hear the song again, and it makes me want to go back to Applebee’s!  This is a shot of the cast of Welcome Back, Kotter from a DVD cover. The show ran on TV from 1975 to 1979. That was my last 2 years of high school and my first 2 years of college. I loved it, and so did my friends and family! The show was about a teacher who returned home to his old high school, the one he’d left behind for better things. He came back to take on the kids who were expected to fail. The show struck a chord across the country. Meet the characters from the top – Juan Epstein, Mr. Woodman (the principal), and Arnold Horshack. In the middle are Julie and Gabe Kotter (the teacher and his wife). Vinnie Barbarino and Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Washington are at the bottom. Epstein, Horshack, Barbarino, and Boom Boom were the students, and they were as interesting as their names.  Meet John Sebastian! In the 60’s he was the lead singer of the Lovin’ Spoonful. My favorite song – “Do You Believe in Magic.” The Kotter producers wanted a theme song like that, so he hired John. I have loved “Welcome Back” since I heard it in 1975, but I didn’t know the story behind it. John tried using the main character’s name in the lyrics, but nothing rhymed with Kotter. When you hit a wall, try something new. That’s what John did! He turned to the theme – leaving to find your dreams, returning home, and trying to do something good.  It worked! The producers even changed the show’s name to Welcome Back. They added Kotter to the end. John only wrote one verse for the series, but the song became such a hit that he came up with a second verse and a harmonica solo. It sold over a million copies and hit #1 on Billboard’s Top 100. Now 44 years later, his song is still earning him money. A songwriter gets paid whenever a business uses it in their commercials. Welcome Back, John! If you’d like to hear it, click on my search link and pick the version you want: welcome back kotter theme song - Bing Want to see John today? Click on this link to his website: John Sebastian (johnbsebastian.com)  Photo Sources: - Restaurant image - By Michael Rivera - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40559229 - Cast from Welcome Back, Kotter – Source: Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2221632 - John Sebastian - By Reprise Records - Discogs, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64534344  Information Source: - Welcome Back, Kotter - Wikipedia - Welcome Back (John Sebastian song) - Wikipedia |
AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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