In 1965 a song came out about Henry VIII. I thought Henry was the king who’d had 6 wives. This Henry, but I was wrong. I just looked up the song and reread the lyrics. It turns out the song’s Henry married a widow from next door, and she’d married seven other Henry’s. That made him the widow’s eighth Henry. Here’s the cover from that 1965 song. It hit #1 on the US charts, and it was the fastest selling song in history, back then. It’s still one of the shortest songs in chart history. That’s because it only used the chorus. There are actually three verses, but Herman’s Hermits didn’t use any of them. I guess they wanted their song short and snappy. The Hermits skipped the verses, but they kept the Cockney accent from the original song. It was written back in 1910. Their Henry is pronounced Enery, with three syllables. Would you like to hear The Hermits? Click this link. Link: henry viii i am song - Search (bing.com) Would you like to learn more about the song, Henry VIII? Click this link. Link: I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am - Wikipedia Photo Source: By MGM Records - Stereo Gum, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62053039
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My grandkids have given me a couple of book ideas, but I never thought my grandmother, Rinda Hoskins Wilson would inspire one. I never met her, ever. She died when my mom was two. Then I read a book, and my grandma inspired this blog post, and eventually a story, I hope. Part 1 – A Mentor Book Gives Me Inspiration: This book is beautiful, inside and out. It’s a grandma story I found for Saturday Reads, but I didn’t read it. Why not? The story wasn’t about my grandmother. It was about the author’s, or one she’d heard about. Suhalla, the main character, asks her Mama what her Grandma Annie was like. It’s funny, I’ve always wondered about mine too. Mama answers. She tells Suhalla how Grandma loved the moon. How she’d help anyone who needed a hand. Then the most amazing thing happens . . . Grandma comes down the ladder to Suhalla’s window, and they have an adventure . . . on the moon! It’s a lovely story, but it doesn’t have my grandmother in it. I tried to find her, but I couldn’t. I was hoping somehow, through the power of story, I’d see a tiny piece of her. Then a few days later I got an idea. . . . Why not write a grandma story about mine? I don’t know where it’s going, but I have to flesh it out . . . Story magic keeps nudging me to figure it out. Part 2 – The Search for Inspiration in Two Old Blog Posts: Inspiration is the spark, but it needs fuel to grow. My only source right now is two old posts I wrote about her, but it’s a start . . . When I moved to the lake, I also found three stories my mom had never heard about a switch, a rabid dog, and a handkerchief. If I’ve made you curious, here’s the link to those stories: Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/a-chair-for-my-grandmother-or-me-and-my-grandmother One of my cousins sent these two photos after I published the first post. I’d never seen them before. The first one is my grandmother, grandfather, and their four oldest children. My mom and her brother Don aren’t there . . . They weren’t born yet. The second one is my Great Grandfather George’s family. He was a widower with two daughters. He married my Great Grandmother Mary, and they had two little girls and two little boys. They’re in the light-colored clothing. Grandma Rinda’s on the far right. Mom said I looked like her when I was 7. I think it’s because she fixed my hair that way for school pictures, on purpose. This post, Tracing Rinda’s Roots, took me backward in time. I followed my grandfather’s family back to 1772 when they left Scotland. Here’s the link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/tracing-rindas-roots Part 3 – Finding a Story for Me and My Grandmother: Here are the two of us together. Now my challenge – to find a way to put us into a story together. It’s funny, the last thing I wrote in my July 2017 post was a bucket list. I said stories have a way of finding me, and that I hoped to find a few from visiting the past. This one came from a Mother’s Day picture book that didn’t make it into Saturday Reads. It feels like Story Magic’s giving me a prompt, again. To develop the story, I’ll need to ask myself a few key questions.
* What kind of book should this be? A picture book, chapter book, or middle grade? It depends on the story and its audience. * Who’s the best audience for it? A young child or a teen? * How will I find my grandma? Will I see her in the mirror, hear her whisper in the wind, see her in the clouds, or find her in my dreams? Any of these are possible. Maybe I’ll combine them, or maybe there’s a better idea I haven’t thought of, yet. * What’s at stake for me/my main character? What do I get if I find grandma? What do I lose if I don’t? For now . . . I’ll let my ideas marinate . . . until I can find my way into the story. I hope it’s soon, for Me and My Grandmother. This is how I imagine reading aloud . . . an adult, a couple kids, and a book. I used to read to a whole classroom of kids. I miss it now that I’m retired . . . until I thought of Saturday Reads. I tried reading Twenty-One Steps like I’ve always done, but reading in a video isn’t the same as reading live. I felt like I was the star, and it should always be the book. Then I remembered eBooks. I can read them on zoom. I’m tiny, and the book is the star. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Step 1 – Picking the Book: On Sunday afternoon I post a new vlog. By Sunday night I have the next post picked for the following week. Coming up – Leaving on a Jet Plane – Surviving the Bumpy Ride. It was about my trip home from Texas. How it took me two days to get back to Ohio, when it was supposed to take one. Once I pick a post for the vlog, I look for a book that’s on topic in The Ohio Digital Library. Sunday night I searched planes. I didn’t like the fictional picture books, but I found three nonfiction ones. I checked them out, read all three, but kept the one that was just right. This is the book I kept. It doesn’t talk down to kids. It has great information about how planes and helicopters work. AND, it shows how they’re alike and different. Step 2 – Writing a Script: I always use a script when I make a video. I don’t have to read it word for word, but it keeps me on track with what I want to say. I write a single page for Saturday Reads. I start with a question about the topic. Add in another sentence or two. Then I introduce myself. I tell you a little about myself, the book I’m reading, and why you should stay tuned. Next I transition into the book itself. After reading, it’s time to say goodbye, time to invite you back for Sunday’s vlog and for next Saturday’s Read. Step 3 – Revision: I revise everything! I use narrator to listen to the script. I make at least three rounds through my words. I want to make sure that I’ve said what I wanted to say, that I said it clearly, and that it sounds good to my ear. Step 4 – Video Taping: I video tape my script and book on zoom. But first, I practice going through the whole thing one time, without hitting record. Even though I’ve gone through the script 3 times, I still practice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught a mistake, something I thought was in the script, like a sentence, but I forgot to write it in. Or maybe it was a slide that was in the script, but I forgot to make it. Practice helps me move from slide to slide, from page to page. It also helps me transition from Zoom to the book, and back out again. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it sure helps me do my very best Saturday Reads for you. Step 5 – Social Media: The final step! I do 3 rounds on social media. On Thursday afternoon, I put out an announcement on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the title of Saturday’s book, plus a little more. Think of it like a tease – something to get your attention so you’ll tune in. On Friday or Saturday depending on my schedule, I tape the video and put it into my business Facebook account. On Fridays, I schedule it for Saturday at 4. On Saturday afternoons when I’m running late, I let it go live as soon as Facebook processes it. Usually it takes at least 30 minutes. If I’m at the lake, I head to McDonald’s to schedule it. The lake is heaven, but the internet stinks. Once the video goes live on my business page on Saturday, I post it on my personal Facebook account, Instagram, and Twitter. Then . . . I’m done! Sometime Sunday night I start thinking about my vlog for next week, and a book to match. By Monday . . . my book is checked out. 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. 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? 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. 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. 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. 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! I did make friends with a family from 1st class. I’m not a frequent flier so I asked them what to do. They said go to the nearest gate with an airline employee. Any of them could reschedule me. 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! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. Part 1 – Time to be Born: Meet Vivian Kirkfeld, former Kindergarten teacher and writer extraordinaire! She’s published six fabulous books, with more in the pipeline. She’s also the creator of the #50 Precious Words Contest. She started it back in 2016. Since then, it’s grown and grown. This year 724 people entered. Over 200 people, including me, earned an honorable mention. It was the thrill of my writing life, so far! 57 people won great prizes that included the chance to work with well-known authors, editors, and agents. No wonder 724 people entered! Here are the two entries from 2020 and 2021. Writing something with just 50 words, it was a challenge! A Story, 2020 Time to Be Born Baby, can’t sleep? Baby, do you remember – Here’s a story about you – Laying safe and warm Tucked safe and warm in your mama’s belly. Beneath my heart? You twisted and turned. You twisted, But it still wasn’t time. Turned side to side. Hours passed. You stretched, Then a day. Was it two? Tried to kick. You twisted, tried turning. No room for you. You needed more room. Time to be born. That’s when you knew it was time to be born. You rushed out, Hello, Baby! Welcome home. Found a family 55 words – OOPS! Too many! And a home. Where we’ll always keep you safe and warm. This time – only 47 words – with 2 extra lines! If you’d like to read the posts I wrote about #50 Precious Words in 2020 and 2021, here are the links: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach - #50 Precious Words – the 2020 Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach - Grandma Inspiration – Stories to tell - Stories to Write – 2021 Part 2 – Becoming You: I decided to skip #50 Precious Words this year. I was writing other things. I ignored Vivian’s announcement in February. I helped friends with their March submission, and I wasn’t going to enter . . . Until March 6th. The deadline was 11:59PM, that night. I don’t know why, but at 3PM I decided to write something. I had ten minutes till lunch, and an idea kept nudging me. I thought why not give it a try. My idea – to write about how babies develop inside their mothers. I found a source with photos and descriptions that showed the baby grow month by month. I tried to write it last summer, but I got stuck. Too many words! I wrote that story on March 6th. The framework was easy. I wrote my 50 words in ten minutes. It took another ten minutes to revise it. I reached out to a few critique partners, got their feedback, and did my final changes in ten minutes, again. I’ve never written or revised anything that fast – 30 minutes total! I posted Becoming You at 10:30 PM. It felt like magic! Becoming You Four weeks Bean-size you. Eight weeks Two eyes appear. Twelve weeks Ten fingers to count. Sixteen weeks You winked at me! Twenty weeks You’re a girl! Twenty-four weeks You moved?! Twenty-eight weeks You sucked your thumb. Thirty-two weeks A somersault, really?! Thirty-six weeks And here you are! PS – Becoming You has gone through 4 revisions already, and it will go through a few more before my writing friends think it’s submission ready.
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! 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! 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. 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! Puppies are just plain cute! I love this one’s face and imagining what he’s up to. Plus looking beats adopting. No puddles!
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! 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. 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! Part 3 – How I Write and Edit My Posts: Here are the basic steps I take to answer a Storyworth question. 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. 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. 3/26/22 – Te Ata: I watched this movie about a month ago. Then a second time a week later, and now it’s on my list to watch again. It wasn’t just a good movie. It let me peek into Te Ata’s world and understand her point of view. Two scenes stayed with me. The first – a young Te Ata sees an argument between an Indian and a white settler. I knew something bad was coming, but when she returns, the Indian was dead. The settler gone. I can’t imagine seeing that as an adult, let alone as a teen. The second – Te Ata is at the theatre watching a cartoon with a funny Indian chief. At least the audience thinks so, but Te Ata has tears in her eyes, and she runs out of the theater. I realized that two worlds and two points of view collided in that moment, and I had tears in my eyes too. I’m grateful for those insights, but I think the theme of the movie is more important. It’s about being true to yourself and finding the people who support you in your journey, whatever their race happens to be. Te Ata and her relationships gave me hope that people from different worlds could care about each other, could work together. Amazon’s Description: Te Ata (TAY' AH-TAH) is based on the inspiring true story of Mary Thompson Fisher, a woman who traversed cultural barriers to become one of the greatest Native American performers of all time. Born in Indian Territory, and raise on the songs and stories of her Chickasaw culture, Te Ata's journey to find her true calling led her through isolation, discovery, love and a stage career that culminated in performances for a United States president, European royalty and audiences across the world. Yet of all the stories she shared, none are more inspiring than her own. The Real Te Ata: The only place I could find the real Te Ata without violating copyright – on two book covers. The first – Te Ata: Chickasaw Storyteller – American Treasure: Collector’s Edition by Richard Green. It’s online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The second, Te Ata: Oklahoma Cultural Treasure by Pati Hailey, is no longer available on Amazon, but I wish it was. The cover makes me want to open it up and learn more about her. A few reviewers commented about the photos inside, but it’s a children’s book, and they’re known for their illustrations. A Story from Te Ata: I reviewed Baby Rattlesnake for My Reads back in June of 2018. I picked it because of the illustrator. Mira was one of my teachers back then. I also noticed the attribution – told by Te Ata and adapted by Lynn Moroney. I wondered why it was done that way. Now I think I understand, after learning who Te Ata was. She told her stories outloud, the way folktales have been told for centuries. My guess is that Lynn heard that folktale and wanted to write it down. Telling a story is different than writing it. I wish I had Te Ata’s original story, but I’m glad that Lynn adapted it so it won’t be lost. Here’s the link to my review of Baby Rattlesnake: Rinda Beach - Beach Reads - Rinda Beach To learn more about this American treasure, check out these sources: - Te Ata: An Oklahoma Treasure | Chickasaw.tv - Te Ata | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (okhistory.org) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. #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. 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 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 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! 3/9/22 - Darkest Hour: I watched this movie over the weekend on Netflix. I was struck by how timely it was. This week President Zelenskyy of Ukraine used Churchill’s speech at the end of the movie, to speak to the UK Parliament. It feels like history is repeating itself, that this is Ukraine’s Darkest Hour. Will our leaders act like Churchill who pushed to keep fighting, or will they act more like Neville Chamberlain? If you haven’t heard of him, he’s the one who gave away Czechoslovakia and Poland, who wanted to negotiate peace with Hitler. This is my 2nd time watching this movie, but I’ll watch it one more time . . . because there’s so much historical detail. And so much heart. These are Amazon’s Description of the movie’s Key Historical Figures, along with their biographies. I hope you read and discover who led the UK successfully through WWII, Churchill or Lord Halifax? If you want to go a little further, who is today’s Churchill? And, today’s Halifax/Neville Chamberlain? PS - The movie is in COLOR! Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) A longtime member of parliament, Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain in May of 1940 as Nazi troops are spreading across Europe. As the battlefront nears closer to England and with the entire British Army trapped at Dunkirk, he is immediately faced with a daunting choice: attempt a peace treaty with the Nazis to save his citizens or rally the war-weary nation behind the continued fight against tyranny. Clementine Churchill (Kristin Scott Thomas) Churchill's wife of 31 years at the time is both his emotional support and his intellectual equal. His adored 'Clemmie' is his most trusted confidante as well as critic, and is essential in helping him shape his strategic policy. King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) King George reluctantly appoints Churchill to Prime Minister in May of 1940 as the threat of a Nazi invasion of Great Britain looms. Elizabeth Layton (Lily James) Elizabeth is Churchill's extremely loyal and attentive secretary. She begins working for him early in his appointment to Prime Minister as he writes several extremely important speeches crucial to bolstering the morale and patriotism of the public as the war rages on. Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane) Lord Halifax is Foreign Secretary of the U.K. when Churchill is appointed Prime Minister. Not trusting Churchill's instincts, he advocates for negotiating a peace treaty with Germany at odds with Churchill's belief that any treaty would endanger the U.K.'s sovereignty and would radically change the balance of power throughout Europe. |
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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