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.
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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.
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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.

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​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.
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​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.
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​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.
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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.

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​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.

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​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. 
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​Have you traveled on an airplane since Covid? I hadn’t, not until last week. It was an airline I’ve never flown, but it’s the worst trip I’ve ever taken. Ever! It was that bad!

I was flying to Texas to see family. I had a delay, but I made it to my next flight on time. Thank goodness! But going home to Ohio . . . it was awful! Here’s the story of that flight, and what I learned. ​

​​ Part 1 – Delays, Cancellation, and Falling Apart:  It all started with one delay. It rolled through the whole afternoon. Four hours later we finally boarded the plane. We made it out to the runway, sat there for like 15 minutes, then returned to the airport. It was so depressing. An hour later my flight was cancelled.

I thought I was handling it. I read my kindle all afternoon, snacked on popcorn, and made jokes about sleeping in the airport. It all fell apart when I was waiting in line for fast food that wasn’t. When I finally got mine, there was no place to sit and eat.  
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I was at the end of my rope, close to tears. That’s when my husband texted me some great advice. He said I should get a room for the night. I listened. I’m glad I did. The 6 or 7 hours of sleep helped me get through the next day. Would you believe it was even worse?
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​ Things I Did Right:
1. Bringing my kindle so I’d have something to do.
2. Taking a walk every hour or so. Exercise is always a good thing.
3. I listened when my husband had a better option.

Things I Did Wrong:
1. I ate junk food. It was popcorn, but it didn’t fuel my body. It let me fall apart. Next time – I’ll eat a better lunch and dinner, so my body’s fueled for speed bumps. They’re all over the airport.
2. I planned to sleep there. I’m a diabetic with insulin shots and pills to take. Stress and lack of sleep will increase my blood sugar level. That’s a terrible thing for me. Next time – I’ll look for a hotel as soon as my flight is cancelled. Self-care is important when navigating an airport.

​Part 2 – More Delays, A Missed Flight, and A Lost Phone:  The next day, well, it got even worse. It was a downhill slide that didn’t stop until I got back to Detroit at 10:00PM.

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​It started with an early wake-up call. My alarm got me up at 5:30 so I could be at the airport by 6:00AM. I thought my flight was at 8. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time. If you know me, you know that I’m not an early bird. My worst nightmare – waking up at 8 and missing my flight.

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​​ By the time I arrived at the airport and grabbed a light breakfast, OK, Chex Mix, my flight time moved back to 10:10AM. I wished they’d told me earlier. I would have slept another 2 hours. But I thought let it go.

Within 10-15 minutes, someone stopped to chat. She remembered me from the night before and asked why I was there so early. Would you believe my flight was delayed the night before, after I left the airport? My airline, whom I won’t identify, and whom I will never fly again EVER, didn’t message me. URGH!

​​So I settled back into my kindle and waited. At 9:30 . . . nothing. At 10 . . . the flight was delayed, again. I kept reading. I tried to remain calm and focused. Thank goodness I got at least 6 hours of sleep! I also picked up some popcorn to get me through. It helped, a little.

At 11:10 . . . nothing. No change, and my plane had been sitting outside since it cancelled the night before. I watched and waited. About 11:30 the airline announced we’d be leaving soon. I wondered when soon would come . . . this afternoon . . . this evening . . . maybe tomorrow?!

​​There was another flight arriving from Dallas, departing again in the gate next door. The airline announced they’d be leaving as soon as their plane arrived, and, prepped for departure again. They also announced anyone who had early connecting flights leaving before 12 should speak to the desk. Mine left at 1:15. I knew it’d be close, but I thought I’d be safe. NOT!

​We finally left at 12:30 after sitting on the runway for 30 minutes. There were 4 planes ahead of us. The flight to Dallas took 1 hour and 30 minutes. TROUBLE AGAIN! My flight left without me!

​​By the time we finally took off, I was hangry. I’d gone through worry over my next flight, plus hunger. Chex Mix and popcorn won’t keep you going when you’re stressed out.
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​Then the airlines did it. They served first class. I was the row behind, and I got nothing. They cancelled my flight and made me pay for a hotel room, but they couldn’t give me a coke and pretzels. URGH! When they finally did, I was the last one served. Surprisingly the first-class flight attendant could take away my trash – even though she couldn’t serve me. URGH again!

The first employee sent me to gate 28. No one was there. Figures! Then I ran into my favorite flight attendant from 1st class. At least she pointed out a gate, and it had someone there. SAVED!
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I went over, got my flight changed, and thought I was on the road to recovery. I found my gate, then stopped to find a place to eat. I lucked out! I had the best waitress, best food . . . but that’s when disaster struck. AGAIN!

​​ I settled in with my drink, food on the way. I had time to text my husband my new flight information. The only problem . . . NO PHONE. I made myself sit still. With my heart pounding and panic gushing through me, I could barely do it once, let alone twice.
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After the 2nd search, my waitress came back. She asked if I was OK. I said no. That my phone was gone. It was all I could do not to cry. I didn’t have my food yet. She offered to let me go look. I thought for 2 seconds, then decided I needed to sit, to eat. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I needed food, badly, and I needed to gather my composure.

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​​Part 3 –The Search and My Return Home: After lunch, I began the search for my phone. First up – finding the lost and found. My waitress couldn’t help, but I remembered seeing an airline information room.

I stopped by a gate along the way and asked the attendant to try my phone. It rang, but no one answered. His guess, my phone got turned into a supervisor who locked it away.
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My next stop, the airline information room . . . it was absolutely useless. They couldn’t help with the lost phone or with calling my husband. But at least they gave me the terminal and gate number for the lost and found. 
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​I made it to the right terminal, the right gate, but the wrong room for the lost and found. Would you believe it was next door? They hadn’t gotten in any phones all day either. I asked to make a call but wound up going next door again. Do you ever feel like you’re chasing your tail?
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I finally made my call. My hero made sure I gave my husband the flight number, passed me a couple tissues, and looked up the arrival time for Detroit. She brushed off my thanks, but I repeated it. Kindness means the most when your life is just plain horrible. 

​I fought to keep back tears during the call. Afterwards I took a minute to gather myself together, to figure out what to do next. I had 2 hours before my flight. I decided to take a few minutes to backtrack to see if I could find my phone. Nothing, but walking off anxiety helped. So did a kind supervisor who checked her gates. Kindness makes everything easier. 
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​It was time to head to the gate. I was over an hour early. My flight wasn’t on the screen, so I settled in to wait, and to read. Finally about 30 minutes before my flight, the screen lit up . . . Denver. Not Detroit! I panicked!

I ran to the nearest attendant for help. He said I had time, then sent me on to the right gate. I had another 30 minutes to wait. Another delay, and the gates changed on me. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get home.

​When I finally got on that last plane, I was thrilled! I was in the back row of an airbus, but I didn’t care. I was finally going home after 2 days of delays and cancellations. My husband was in Detroit, waiting on me. I got in at 10PM, then home to Wapak at midnight. My trip was finally over! The next one – I’m driving!  

​​Things I Did Right:
1. Eating a good meal, especially after I’d lost my phone.
2. Retracing my steps to find it. Exercise is good for your body and your brain.
3. Repaying kindness with a sincere thank-you.
Things I Did Wrong:
1. I carried my phone in my hand when I got into Dallas. Next time – I’ll keep it in my bag. Losing things is too easy when you’re stressed out.
2. When I left the gate with my new flight, I didn’t double check to see if I’d left anything out. Next time – I’ll make sure I have everything in my bag, before I take a step in any direction.
3. Losing my phone upset me. Next time – I’ll start looking for that silver lining sooner. I got a new phone, and it’s better than my old one.
Scheduling Flights:
1. I will stay away from small airports. They’re having trouble staffing their flights.  Next time – If I’m flying into Hobby, I’ll take Southwest. It’s their Houston hub.

​If you’re like me, you could try this . . . I window-shop with my emails. Looking makes me happy. It’s like a treasure hunt, and the treasure is finding a dog who makes me click on his picture.  

My emails start with a header from Adopt a Pet. Underneath are photos like Mini’s. All you have to do is click, and you can read more about her. Sometimes there are more pictures. Either way it’s fun to look, and it’s free!
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I used to look at poodles and doodles, but now I search for pugs  and bulldogs. I clicked on Mini, but she’s already been adopted, and that  makes me happy. I love looking!
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​Here’s one of the dogs who tempted me. The tilt of her head, the look in her eyes. She seemed curious, like she wanted to know what was going on.

She also reminds me of my dog Leia. She used to lay with her back legs in the same position. It looks like it’d hurt, but it was her favorite way to relax. I always read the information below the picture. It’s fun to look, to imagine her as my dog. 
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​This pair of dogs caught my eye. They’re bonded, like best friends, so they should be adopted together. My favorite part – how they’re alert, but also ready to chill out. Me too!
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Puppies are just plain cute! I love this one’s face and imagining what he’s up to. Plus looking beats adopting. No puddles!
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If you’re like me and you can’t have a dog, looking through emails is the next best thing. You get some of the fun, but none of the work. And who knows where it might lead?!

Part 1 – Me and Storyworth:  Have you seen Storyworth in ads on TV? I have. I almost got it for my mother for Christmas. There were things I wanted to know about her, but my husband and I thought it would be too hard, even if I did the writing. Now I’m glad I didn’t. Mom died in early December, but I wish I’d been able to do this five years ago.

​It turns out someone in our family got Storyworth for Christmas. Me! It was from my daughter, and now every Monday, she gives me new homework . . . every Monday! That’s when I get a new email prompt from Storyworth. I’m 4 behind, and I’ve never been late on homework . . . ever!
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​The first photo was from Storyworth’s Facebook page. This one is from the top of their webpage. I’d never seen it, until I started putting together this post. It’s a treasure! It’s a letter from the founder of Storyworth that tells their story. I’ll let it speak for itself. It’s worth reading!

​You can read the letter, but you can also listen to the video. I didn’t, but you can go to their website and listen. I believe that the young man is one of the founders, Nick Baum, and the older man is his father. I love their story, even though I didn’t listen (I had this blog to write).

​Meet the founders, Nick and Krista Baum. I love mom and pop businesses! I read that Nick’s from Stockholm and grew up in France. I bet he has some stories to pass onto his own family. I hope they find time to write them down. Their kids will love them!

Meet Sarah Christian, the customer care lead. Her team is easy to work with! I’m known for my questions, and someone from Storyworth answered within 24 hours.

Both questions were about formatting pictures. BTW – I learned the best strategy is to put all your photos at the bottom of your answer. If you have 2, 3, or 4 pictures, then take a screenshot. Put it at the bottom.
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Part 2 – My Storyworth Account: This is my homepage for my year-long adventure on Storyworth. Normally I don’t see it. The question I’m answering has a link. I click on it, paste in my answer and a photo or two. Then I click save. But if I’m editing, or want to know where I’m at, this is where I go to check-in.  

​Here are the first five stories I wrote for my daughter. I answered them back in January. That’s when I was able to keep up with my Storyworth homework. 

​Post 9 is about my childhood pets. When I submitted it, Storyworth sent my daughter an email. She’s my editor. She started this project so I want her to be happy with the results, but I also want to make sure my writing is clear to her. And to anyone else who reads it.

She knows some things from my childhood but not everything. I wanted to make sure I wrote enough . . . not too much, or too little. When I wrote about my childhood pets, she wanted to include our dog Leia. I almost added it into post 9, but then I decided question 11 was a better fit.

#11 asked, ‘Who inspires you?’ I answered, ‘The characters in my work in progress (WIP).’ Then I wrote about Leia and her picture book story. It took 11 years to get it agent-ready. That’s super hard!

Then I added in Leia’s history with our family, like how she came to be Leia Millenia Beach. OOPS! I forgot about the name part for Storyworth, but I can’t tell everything! Even here. I don’t want this book to be Harry Potter long. Then my kids wouldn’t read it either!
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​Part 3 – How I Write and Edit My Posts: Here are the basic steps I take to answer a Storyworth question.
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1. I jot down a list of things I want to write about. It’s quick, fast, and dirty. For Leia, I wrote picture book, choosing her, coming home, and best things.

2. Then I start writing, first sentences, then paragraphs, about each idea on the list. I don’t worry. I just put my answers into the computer.

3. Next, I edit. I listen to each paragraph on my computer. (I use narrator.). I don’t move on to a new paragraph until it feels right. I add and delete words. I move sentences around until I’m ready. It’s better, but not perfect.

​4. Then I do another round of revision. It’s never just right on the first round, or the second one either. Every time I make a change, it uncovers something else. When I listen to my writing, I hear my mistakes and change them. I’m done when those mistakes are gone, when I like how the words sound altogether.

5. Next I find photos to fit the post. Usually I pick one or two, and I take a screen shot of them together.

6. Now I’m ready to go into Storyworth. I find the right question, paste in my words, add in the photos, and click submit.
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7. Storyworth emails my daughter, and she checks my work. If she finds an error, I do another round of edits until it’s just right.

​Here’s a finished question. It looks like a chapter book to me, but my daughter likes them this length. I need to go back and edit my early pictures. I couldn’t get them side by side the way I wanted. Now I know how – screenshot them together. 

If you want to remember your family’s history, I’d take a look at Storyworth. Your posts can be as short or as long as you’d like, and you’ll have your family history, plus photos, in one book.

Part 1:   Have you ever wanted to escape? You can – if you’re in Wapakoneta, Ohio on April 2nd. Just stop in Riverside Art Center anytime from 10:30 – 1:30. I’ll be doing a brand-new activity for kids – Escape to the Lake. I’ll be their guide. Your kids will write and draw about how they’ll have fun, and best of all – it’s free!

If you can’t make it to Wapak, you can schedule an event with me. I can come in person, or I can zoom with you. I love to work with kids! It’s why I still substitute – to stay connected to kids, families, and schools.  If a visit isn’t possible, try one of my lake books. They both have a story with illustrations from me, and journal pages for you. You’ll get to be my co-author, my co-illustrator.
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Part 2 – Escape with Lake Fun for You and Me:  There are two ways you can escape to the lake, and your child can choose their own way to go, whether they meet me in person, on zoom, or in one of my books.
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Lake Fun for You and Me is one choice. It’s my lake picture book. My story and illustrations are on the left side of each page. The right side looks a lot like this journal page, except it includes the family scavenger hunt results. There’s room for you to write and draw about your escape. There’s also room to do your own family scavenger hunt too.  If you have a copy of my book, you’ll get to be my co-author and co-illustrator. 

I don’t know how many revisions I did to get Lake Fun ready to publish. I started in June of 2020 and finished in April 2021, so it was quite a few. I can help your child do a first draft and encourage them to keep working until it’s just right, whether they put it in Lake Fun or into a journal of their own.
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Here are a couple of the ideas that made their way into my book. Every one of them was something my family did whenever we escaped to our lake. They’re the things that Zoe and her family did in Lake Fun and in Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun too.

When Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun launched in 2021, I used my illustrations to make a top 10 list of ways to have fun at the lake. Take a peek at #8 Cannonballing off the Dock and #7 Kayaking. My family did both on our vacations, and I hope yours will too, when you get the chance to escape to your lake.
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Part 3 – Escape with Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun: This is the second way to escape to the lake with me – in person, on zoom, or in one of my books.
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Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun is my other lake book. The chapters and illustrations are at the front. I saved room at the back for you to write and draw your own escape. Your pages as co-author and illustrator are altogether. 

I don’t know how many revisions I did for Zoe either. I had an editor at BiblioKids. We started work in September and finished in November. First we converted my picture book into chapters. Then we did a couple rounds of revisions to make the story fit its new format. We did the same thing with the illustrations. I’ll help your child revise their first draft, and I’ll work with them until they think their story is just right, just like my editor did.
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Here are a few more ideas that found their way into my lake books. My family had fun with them and so did Zoe, in both stories. 

These illustrations came from that top 10 list of ways to have fun at the lake, and they were two of my kids’ favorites. #5 is Tubing. My husband used to play ‘Crack the Whip’ with the boat and the tube. The kids loved it.
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#4 is Wakeboarding. My adult kids and husband still do it. I’m their spotter. My job is to shout when they go down. Then we swing around to pick them up. Safety first – you don’t want another boat to get too close when they’re alone in the water.

If you’re free April 1st, I hope you’ll stop by Riverside Art Center in Wapakoneta, Ohio. You’ll find me at the kids’ table, helping them escape to the lake. I hope I’ll be busy!

If you can’t make it to Riverside, we can escape together in a zoom session. It’s the next best thing, but if that’s impossible, try out one of my books. Your kids can contact me on my website, and I’ll be sure to answer. I love to help readers, writers, and illustrators.
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                               PS – This is my family’s favorite illustration from the book. Mine too!
​                    Here’s the link if you’d like to watch this post as a video.       Link: Watch | Facebook

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​Part 4 – An Unexpected Ending:  I thought I was done with this post. I already did my video. Then after taping it, I realized I’d forgotten something you might want – my top ten list.

​My post from March of 2021 started with the chapter book version of Zoe’s scavenger hunt. Here’s the link to her top ten images to help you escape.                    Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach

Part 5 – Striking Gold:  I couldn’t believe what I found last night when I was updating my vault . . . a video of Zoe’s Top Ten list.  Here’s the link for a final escape.               Link: Watch | Facebook
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Part 6 – A Photo Finish: 
​Meet a few of the kids who came to Riverside Art Center to escape to the lake with me. 

All they needed was me, my lake books, and their imagination.
Riverside Art Center supplied everything else.

Now it’s time to send a big thank you to Riverside!
​They let me try out my new activity for kids, and they were the perfect hosts!

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​Tonight, I have a Guest Writer, Justin Bennett, from  Blog – Healthy Fit. He asked to write a post for me about Reset Trips. He sent me this post at the perfect time. I think we all need a reset from Covid, gas prices, and now the news from the Ukraine. ​

​Everyone loves a vacation, but a self-care reset trip provides another level of benefits. According to researchers, many travelers are looking for places to de-stress and relax. Any place you decide to go for your next vacation should have an element of soul-filling and self-care benefits. Here are five suggestions, each with something special to offer, brought to you, courtesy of author Rinda Beach.

​                                                                    1. Crowd-Free Vacation in Wapakoneta
For some, the perfect self-care getaway is full of quiet spaces and interesting local history. Wapakoneta, Ohio, is the perfect small-town experience with plenty to do and learn. It's home to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, known as The Moon Base, and you can stroll through the community without all the stress of crowds. If you've been thinking about living the peace of small-town life, Wapakoneta has all the charm of the midwest and isn't far from Lake Erie. 

​​If you can’t make the drive to Wapak, click on the link above, ‘The Moon Base.’ It’s the next best thing to being here. Don’t forget to take a look at the local museums where you live. It’s a great way to reset, support your local community, and save gas money!

                                                                          2. Beach Vacation in the Caymans
What is more relaxing than hearing the ocean waves, and where is a better beach vacation than the Caribbean? Palm Heights in the Cayman Islands is a place for culture, cuisine, and overall wellness. This beautiful resort rested on Seven Mile Beach offers spa treatments and ocean views from every room. You may never want to leave. Thankfully, that isn't a problem because the island offers a thorough guide to help you relocate to Grand Cayman.

​Can’t make it all the way to the Cayman Islands? Me neither, but I love looking at it online. Or, hopping in my car and driving to the nearest beach or water view. My favorite is my lake in Tennessee. I hope you can reset too. All you need is a great view.

​                                                          3. Natural Spa Vacation in Mystic Hot Springs
If you want to combine the relaxing elements of nature with a spa retreat, Mystic Hot Springs in Utah has everything you need. It offers bathtubs in the middle of the natural hot springs that are open 24 hours and only cost $15 per adult. It's also easy to fall in love with the town of Monroe, Utah, where the hot springs are located. If you want to stay, it's a perfect place to live for those who love to hike and ski.

​We don’t have natural hot springs in Ohio, but I could find one in Indiana, Illinois, or Tennessee. If you’d like to try one, try this link: Hot Springs Locator (hotspringsofamerica.com)  If you have a family, I’d look for a great hotel like Great Wolf Lodge. Kids have told me about it for years. 

                                                                            4. Mountain Vacation in Denver
Mountain vacations offer a cozy environment for rest. If you love to ski or just want to sit by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and look at the mountains outside the window, Denver, Colorado, is the perfect place. The famous Rocky Mountains are right there in Denver's backyard. The Rockies offer year-round fun, and Denver has a vibrant art scene. If you consider moving there, you can find affordable apartments for rent in Denver CO. Scout homes and apartments for rent and filter for the number of rooms you need and the amenities you want. Don't waste your vacation taking in-person tours. Most rentals and realty companies offer 3D tours online. 

​If you can’t make it out to Colorado, try some mountains around you. I can find them in Ohio, up north in Michigan, and down south in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee. There’s something special about being in the mountains.

​                                                                           5. Animal Therapy in Tucson
Some of the best luxury hotels and spas offer a connection with animals. This very special kind of therapy is good for the soul. The Purple Sage Ranch at the Miraval Spa and Resort in Tucson, Arizona, offers equine experiences to help you unleash creativity and improve communication. If you need more sunshine in your life, consider relocating to Tucson. It's pretty warm in the summer, but the evenings and early mornings are perfectly brisk. It doesn't hurt to have a beautiful desert mountain view around you at all times, either. 

​​Tucson sounds wonderful! Who wouldn’t want to spend a week with horses? I might not be able to get out west, but there are animal opportunities all around us.
I’ll close by thanking Justin for all of these great suggestions! I hope they inspire you to find a way to have fun. To find time to take care of yourself, and your family.

​Justin’s Conclusions: Everyone has a different definition of what constitutes a relaxing getaway. Sometimes a getaway isn't enough, though. Self-care should be a year-round priority. Consider what you can do to make every day as much like a vacation as possible. 

November of 2021 is when I started reading for other reasons. I did it to help my writing. I was trying to find a way to revise my 2nd bat story. I saved it in my computer back in 2011, and now a decade later I pulled it out.  

I’m only sharing the books I picked as mentors, and I’m cutting out the parts that don’t apply to the bat story. Here’s the link if you’d like to read from those titles. Link: ​Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach
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Part 1 -  Me as a Reader, and a Writer – This is me, at a book event. I’m not just a reader anymore . . . I’m a writer. It changed the way I read, the way I write. Reading and writing are like opposite sides of the same coin. They work together.

I wrote my 2nd bat story ten years ago, and I haven’t touched it since. I pulled up the first chapter last week and revised it. It was easy . . . I’ve grown as a writer in the last ten years. My critique partners said I needed to push the characters, but I knew that. Ten years ago they were flat, and they still are. I was surprised that a couple people thought I should grow the story, a lot. I didn’t see the potential, last week.

This week I outlined my five chapters (I designed it as an easy chapter book) and sent it in . . . The response was universal! I need to grow this story . . . it’s way bigger than my original plot. I knew I needed to up the stakes and add complexity, but now I know . . . if I want this story to find its own depth, I need to let it grow. To become more than I can imagine now. WOW!
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After I finished my critique group, I didn’t know where to turn, where to find ideas. Then I remembered that books have always been my mentors so I found it. My next read is imaginative, creative, and a fantasy. It’s a great place to start rebuilding my story. I also thought I should look at fractured fairy tales, fantasies with princesses and witches. Maybe even bats and bugs. Here’s to my new voyage, and however long it takes! Here’s to the new series – The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. 

​Part 2 – The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, plus a few PSs: Most of my book posts are about my reaction to the book and the plot. The PSs are where I wrote my thoughts about revising my bat story.
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Book 1 - PPS – I’m three days in, and dragon magic is working! I moved the setting from Lienen to Tecklenburg. It has history and atmosphere, from the ruins of an old German castle to the Teutoberg Forest where Herman the German battled ancient Rome.

My story’s grandmother changed too. The bats called her a witch in the old version. Now I think making her into a real one, opens a world of possibilities. I also changed her granddaughter’s name from Hannah to Anna, because a real Countess Anna lived in Tecklenburg Castle. She didn’t want witches burned, and my grandma and her Anna won’t either.  Imagine what I can do with that angle!
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Finally, I did some research and picked out one kind of bat. I also discovered that all bats need help. Did you know they’re in danger worldwide because of wind farms? In Germany too! I read that if they turned the fans off when bats are out, it would save their lives! AND we’d only lose 1% of the power wind farms produce. WOW! Who knew this book could get my juices going and fill my head with ideas? WAHOO! 
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Book 2 - PS – I decided to rewrite/revise my bat story with the original five chapters. I need to explore it first before I look for ways to grow it. I believe in story magic, and I’m willing to let it take me wherever my story is meant to go.


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Book 3 – Time for the December Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach

​PS – I just finished the first two chapters of my bat book. The witch’s part is the most fun to write. It all started with a throwaway line in the 2011 version. A bat thought that the grandmother was a witch. Originally I said she was a nice old lady, but this time I decided to play with it. I’m having so much fun that I can’t wait to see where that witch takes me!
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​Book 4 - PS – My critique partners said the 1st two chapters are heading the right way. Their biggest piece of advice – GROW THAT PLOT! I’m working on it, but I’ll finish the last three chapters of the almost original story first.
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Then . . .  I’m moving the story across the ocean to my lake in Tennessee. That’s the setting where I’ll work to imagine the fantasy, I believe it can be.
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Part 3 – A Witch, Three Queens, and a Sorcerer – Follow me through the next 5 books. As I read each one, I left myself notes about where the bat story should go. 
December Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach
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William - PS – I picked this story because I need to reimagine my bat story. It’s keeping me in the middle grade range, but I haven’t found the perfect path to stretch it out. I think the witch character is the right way to go, but I think I need to look into some bat lore to help me push my story farther. Here’s to my new quest!


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​Three Queens – I wrote this when I started reading the Hundredth Queen,
​and it’s what I noticed through the whole series . . . 

Harry Potter, My Writing Mentor - I’m still reading the Hundredth Queen series to look at world building, but my mentor suggested I look at Harry Potter for my bat book. Why? She thinks the tone and complexity are what my story needs. I’ve worked with her since 2018, and I trust her advice.

Harry Potter – that sounded so intimidating until I wrapped my head around it. I don’t have to write 800 pages or sound like J.K. I’ll write my story, and I’ll follow Harry’s footprints. Not exactly, but in a way that fits my bats and 2 humans.

Reading Harry as a mentor text is different than reading it for fun. It’s like taking a road trip. You read as fast as you can and enjoy the scenery. But now that Harry’s my teacher, I read a chapter at a time, then take notes. I’m looking at how Jo put the story together, and the elements I want to remember. I just finished chapter 3. Here’s a peek at my notes.

Chapter 1 is all about setting the stage – introducing the setting and characters. Jo doesn’t show the inciting incident between Harry and Voldemort. We’re told about it through the fallout. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on one incident per chapter. Chapter 2 takes place 10 years later, and Jo uses a birthday to show how Harry’s treated in the family. Chapter 3 focuses on a letter, and all of Mr. Dursley’s attempts to keep Harry from reading it.

PS – I got stuck on Chapter 4. Harry’s a great mentor text, but he’s not helping me picture my story.
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Part 4 – One Last Queen and a Spindle  - They’re the last two books in my journey, so far.
January Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach
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The Last Queen - I wrote this after I finished The Warrior Queen. It tells you the direction I thought I needed to go with the bat story. The interesting part – I’d forgotten I wrote it . . .  
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I pick my books by author, and I’ll take a look at Emily’s, along with my other favorite authors. It’ll be a while. I have book 1 of Harry Potter to read. Then I’ll skip to another magical book, and it takes place in the Smokies. I have the where for the story, but I need to figure out a problem for my bats to solve. I’m hoping Story Magic will point me down the right path. Fingers crossed!
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 Spindled – This is the first thing I wrote about it . . .

Shanna Swendson is one of my favorite authors, and that’s why I picked this book. I’m rereading it to uncover details I missed the 1st time through.

 - And this is how it’s helping me with my bats . . .  

​This book was written for kids aged 11-18. That’s the range I want to hit with my bat story, so this is another good mentor book for me. I’m also happy to announce – there will be a sequel. Dawn’s parents, the true king and queen, are hiding somewhere in east Texas. I can’t wait to read it!
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​Part 5 – What I’m Reading and Writing Now – I’ve never posted this before. It’s new material that I put together, just for this post.
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​Writing Now - This week I finished revising the last chapter of my Almost True Bat Story. Next week I’ll hear what my critique partners think about it.

The old version’s pretty much what happened to me in 2007 when I held a bat on a mop in Germany . . . Really! What’s interesting is that this new version is still flat, and that’s the same comment an editor told me in 2011 . . . so I mothballed it, until now.

This weekend I’m going back to Chapter 1 for another round of editing, and I’m changing just ONE THING in the story. I’m moving it from Germany to the US . . . to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
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But I decided to change something else– the characters. I’m aging the girl. In the original she was 5-7 years old. Now she’ll be 11-13. That will turn it into a middle grade novel. I’m also making the grandmother a real witch. It was a throw-away line in the original chapter book, but now I’m ready to play with it in the new and improved story. And the bats, they’ll become American of course.
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​Food comes from all over the world. I picked three classic dishes for this post. Can you guess where they came from?

Part 1 – Swedish Meatballs
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Where did they come from?
Sweden looks like the logical answer, but is it?

Italy       Sweden       Turkey     Norway

Take a look at the map. Then choose the right answer.

                                                                              And the answer is . . .  Turkey!

I know! I missed it too. In 2018 Sweden’s official Twitter account said that “Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century.” That always confuses me. Early 18th century – that really means the early 1700’s, when America was still a British colony.

The meatballs came from Turkish ‘kofte.’ You start with ground beef, lamb, chicken or pork. Mix in some onions and a few spices, and you have kofte. But the Swedes needed a little more flavor – so they added gravy! Everything’s better with gravy!
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King Charles didn’t stop with those meatballs. He brought home Turkish stuffed cabbages and coffee too. Now coffee’s so popular that Sweden is one of the top coffee-drinking countries in the world. 

This is how the Swedes eat their meatballs – with mashed potatoes, brown sauce, lingonberry jam, and pickled cucumbers, AKA pickles.
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​​Coleslaw
Where did it come from?
Italy     Holland      Turkey    Germany
Take a look at the map. Then choose the right answer.

​                                                                                And the answer is . . .  Holland!

Coleslaw came from Holland, AKA the Netherlands. It’s two Dutch words, combined. Kool is cabbage, and sla is their abbreviation for salade.

Dutch settlers brought cabbage to New Amsterdam in the 1600’s. It didn’t exist in the New World so the Dutch started growing cabbages along the Hudson River. When they made coleslaw, they drenched it in melted butter and vinegar. Later the British took over the city. They renamed it New York, but they kept the Dutch coleslaw.
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Coleslaw was on the table in Ancient Rome. They soaked it in vinegar before they ate it. As their Empire spread, so did their cabbage salad, to places like Germany, where they decided to add sour cream to some of their cabbage recipes. 
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​Coleslaw is part of restaurant platters from sea to shining sea, but with a small change in the recipe that came from Richard Hellman. He owned a deli in New York, and he bottled mayonnaise.  Would you believe his company is still making it for you today?        
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This question came from one of my trivia sites, but I forgot to copy the address. They got the idea for this question from . . . www.wikipedia.org   

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​Sponge cake is dry, but you soak this one in Kirschwasser or kirsch. That’s a special kind of brandy bottled only in the Black Forest. Don’t put any other kind in your cake if you’re in Germany or the European Union. It’s been against the law since 2013. Use cherry juice if you want it without alcohol, but whatever you do, don’t call it Black Forest Cake in Europe.

PS – if you want to make Black Forest cake, go to the link for Britannica. It has a video and text with the directions included.
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Sources:  Britannica                                                     Black Forest gateau - Wikipedia                                                 
https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer/where-did-black-forest-cake-originate/YZKS6XCprcEU2Kxs

​Part 1 – Talking Money – The Must-Have Conversation:  This is a tough conversation . . . I had trouble writing my post last night for you. Talking money anytime is difficult, and doing it with your parents is even worse. If you’d like some advice, try this link. They have some ideas that might be helpful for you. Link: 6 Ways To Help Your Aging Parents With Their Investments | Bankrate
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I was lucky . . . I didn’t have to initiate the talk. My parents did – after my dad’s heart attack. It changed their lives. They survived quadruple bypass together. Then they patched the potholes they found during that experience. They organized their important papers and told us where to find the things they’d need, like insurance and bank accounts.

Then they made out their wills. They set up medical and financial powers of attorney to take care of each other. They added clauses to allow my sister and I to help them, if they couldn’t help themselves.
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I didn’t want to look at that information when they first put it together, but now looking back, I’m glad my parents made me do it. At some point in the last few years, I realized . . . that it’s my turn. My husband and I need to have that talk with our kids. We need to put our information together. We need to set up wills, and power of attorneys, but for now, my husband and I are putting it off, like we’ve done for years. It’s easier to put things off, than to push through to do them.

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My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s back in 2011. He lived with it until he died in 2015. Mom managed the house, the finances, and watched over Dad during those years. She was sharp as a tack then, and she still is!

​Mom’s mind is sound, but slowly, over the years, her body has weakened. Now she can’t live alone, so she moved into a senior citizen home in 2019. Mom still makes her own decisions, financially and otherwise, but I do her shopping and pay her bills.

These tools helped me help her.

• A Living Will
• A Durable Power of Attorney (POA) for Finances
• A Durable Medical POA

 
The Financial POA helps Mom the most. Through it she grants me the power to do the things she needs done. If she ever changed her mind, she could take my name off and put someone else’s on. Over the years we’ve learned to work together; to listen to each other. I try to give her room to make choices, and I try not to make them for her. She tries to listen to what I can do for her, and what I can’t. It takes teamwork from both of us. It will take the same for you and your parents.

If it’s hard for your parents to make good choices, you can set up a Revocable Trust. It limits how much your parents can spend, but it may change your relationship. No parent likes to be told what to do by the child they raised.
 
If your parents are no longer of sound mind, you can set up a conservatorship by going to court. You’ll have to prove your case to a judge. If they agree, they’ll set up a guardian to make decisions. The guardian would control their checkbook and credit cards. It’s a last resort; one I didn’t have to use. My parents helped me into this world, and now it’s my turn to help them leave it behind. ​

Part 1 - A Little Family History: Do you recognize these characters? The Addams Family? I thought this post would be about two commercials, but whenever I start researching something, I find cool facts and images.  ​

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​This story started with Charles Addams. He created the original cartoon back in 1938 for the New Yorker Magazine. Charles drew another 58 cartoons in this series, and almost all of them were published in the 1940’s and 50’s, long before I was born.

​ The Addams family has come back in a few different incarnations since 1938. These photos are from two different TV shows from 1964. I was 5 back then.

 The 1st one is The Addams Family. I didn’t watch them, but this is their cast photo. Clockwise from the back left – Gomez (John Astin), Lurch (Ted Cassidy) Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax), Morticia (Carolyn Jones), and Wednesday (Lisa Loring).

​ ​ Photo Source:
- Cartoon By Charles Addams, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15992920
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- Cast: By ABC Television - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19464844

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​The real theme came from the 1964 TV series. It was written and arranged by Vic Mizzy, a famous TV and movie composer. I knew Vic used finger snaps for the percussion section, but I didn’t realize he used harpsichord for the rest. Amazing!

​​If you’d like to hear it again, search out Addams Family Theme song, and you should see these two images. Click one, and listen. Don’t forget to check out the harpsichord!
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BTW - This is a harpsichord! I think it looks a lot like a piano. What do you think?

Information Sources:
​The Addams Family - Wikipedia 
​The Munsters - Wikipedia
​The Addams Family Theme - Wikipedia


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​​If you watch TV, you probably saw both commercials. I did, repeatedly! They got a lot of air time during October, when the movie, The Addams Family 2, came out.  

​I found the Progressive Addams Family commercial first. It used the original music, but changed the lyrics to add in the Progressive characters. They’re as funny and quirky as the Addams Family, and the contrast between them is clever!

My favorite moment – when Morticia asks Flo how long they’re staying. Morticia looks positively horrified when Flo says forever. If you love clever, search out this commercial and watch it one more time! Enjoy!

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​Information Source:   Go RVing Uses Real RVers To Create RV Orchestra Commercial To Promote Addams Family 2 Movie | RVIA