Make Way For Ducklings won the Caldecott Medal back in 1941. It’s the story of Mrs. Mallard’s search for a home for her eight little ducklings. Where does she find it? At the Boston Public Gardens.
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Be Strong is a brand-new book. I thought it came out in December 2023, but I was wrong. I forgot I got it early because I was part of the author's crowdfunding project. But don't worry! It's out now, since March 5. 

Be Strong is the story of Nancy Schön, of how she created statues of Mrs. Mallard and all her little ducklings. Then she did what the book did – she took them home to the Boston Public Gardens

                                      If you’d like to check out my book review for Be Strong, here’s the link:
http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/be-strong-the-rise-of-beloved-public-art-sculptor-nancy-scho

If you can’t make it to Boston, take a look at this photo. Mrs. Mallard is leading her ducklings across the garden. And the best part about public art, you can interact with it. Take a picture with a duckling, or give each one a hug. It doesn’t matter. This is public art, so you’re allowed 😊
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Part 2 – Have you ever seen public art in person, or taken a photo beside it?
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I have! Do you recognize the first statue? It’s public art from the Bremen Town Musicians, and you’ll find the statue in Bremen, Germany. When I was there in 2008, I had my picture taken beside it. So did everyone around me.

The second statue is at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Do you recognize this piece of public art? It’s a young Neil Armstrong holding his favorite thing – an airplane. He’s a hero in Wapak and beyond. Why? He was the first man to set foot on the moon. I haven’t had my photo taken with him yet, but I’ve seen lots of people take advantage of this photo op.
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​I found these three pieces of public art on Pixabay. My grandkids would love the first and last statue. They look like the ones they play with at their favorite zoo. Then it’s time for a photo. They LOVE public art!

I didn’t recognize the pair in the middle. I went back to Pixabay to find their names, Dogman and Rabbitgirl. Who knew? Google did! I looked them up, and they’re actually famous pieces of public art scupted by Gillie and Marc. Who knew? They’re stories for modern times, and you can find them in places like New York City or London. If you’d like to look for yourself, or buy a piece of art, here’s the link for Gillie and Marc: I Am (Rabbit) Woman – Gillie and Marc®
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                                 Part 3 –  Where in the world can you find Nancy Schön’s public art?
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​I bought this book last September, in 2022. I shop whenever I’m watching an OSU football game. It’s a superstition, but it makes me feel like I’m doing my part to help the Buckeyes win.

                                                               My Stats from Last Year: 
​​                              Trivia score              Name Recognition
Chapter 1              5 of 20                                  --
Chapter 2                 7                                    14 of 28
Chapter 3                 11                                 11 of 20
Chapter 4                  5                                      9 of 22
Chapter 5                  5                                      7 of 21
Chapter 6                  5                                    12 of 38
Chapter 7                  8                                    10 of 26

That means my best scores came in Chapter 5 for both trivia and name recognition. It was all about catching the ball, AKA the receivers. Here’s my link to last year’s trivia:
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                              http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/trivial-pursuit-the-ohio-state-football-way


                               Game Day Saturday, September 16 - Chapter 8 - How I did, and what I learned. 

Chapter 8: Coaching Carousel: I thought I’d do better on this chapter than I did. I’ve been following Ohio State football since the 60s. I can name the coaches in order . . . Woody Hayes, Earle Bruce, John Cooper, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, and Ryan Day.

I double checked, and I missed one. Luke Fickel was coach for less than a year. He came between Tressel and Meyer. I have a soft spot for Luke’s wife, Amy. She comes from Spencerville, Ohio. That’s just up the road from my house in Wapak.

In spite of knowing all that, I was back to mediocre again, 7 right out of 20. YUCK! And on name recognition, I knew 11 out of 23. Yep, mediocre, but, these questions are hard!

These are my four favorite OSU coaches. I don’t know any of the ones before Woody.  I was born in 1959, and Woody became head coach in 1951. He was still there during the fall of 1978 when I was a freshman. I feel sorry now for the next two coaches . . .  There was no way they could compare to Woody, and the three that followed . . . I loved them like Woody 😊
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   Now for my Pick 3 questions, they’re all about the best OSU coach ever – Wayne Woodrow Hayes!
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I got it right . . . 7! You can double check the answer in the first paragraph. I named those 7 coaches in order, and I only forgot 1. Not bad!

​Shucks! I guessed 17. Too high! The answer . . . 13. I guess even Woody couldn’t win them all, but he sure tried. 
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I missed it! I said true, that two coaches could produce more All-Americans than just one. Wrong! I forgot that Woody coached for 28 years, while Jim and Urban only did 15, altogether.  Wow! What a coach!

                             Fun Fact: Before Woody came, OSU was known as the coaches’ graveyard.
                 
                                                    
Game Day Saturday, September 23 – Chapter 9 - How I did. 
I started Chapter 9 during the Notre Dame game, and it was quite a game . . . I only managed to answer the questions. That’s it. Today the Buckeyes are playing Maryland so I’m going to try to do the writing.

Chapter 9: Championship Caliber: I had no idea how I’d do this time. Who remembers championships after they’re over? Not me!

I was surprised I actually did a little better . . . up from 7 to 8 on the multiple-choice questions. On name recognition I knew 10 out of 20. Woo-hoo! That’s 50%. Still mediocre, but a little bit better!

​- Ray noted that in 2018 ESPN ranked the national champions from the BCS years, and they put the 2002 Buckeyes last. The reason, the Buckeyes had a lot of close games as they finished out the season. ESPN said they just weren’t dominant enough. Gee, I thought winning was everything!
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It didn’t matter that the Buckeyes were the first to win 14 games in a season, or that they were 1 of 9 teams on the list to go unbeaten and win the national championship. When you’re ranked high, you have a target on your back. Add in that 2002 team were the first #2 to beat a #1 during the BCS years, but that didn’t matter to the powers at ESPN that made the rankings. (Like always, Ohio against the world)
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                                                   Game Day Saturday, October 14 – Chapter 10 - How I did 
I didn’t! I went to a baby shower, but I kept track of the score. When I got home, the game was still on, but we had company, so no chapter 10 ☹ But the Buckeyes beat Purdue 41 – 7 . . . Woohoo!

               Game Day Saturday, October 21 – Chapter 10, Finally! How I did & What Resonated with Me
​     
Chapter 10: Going Bowling: I had a bad feeling about this chapter . . . It’s either the kind with one ball and nine pins, or the kind that involves holiday football games in warm destinations. I figured I’d be terrible at both ☹

I’m glad I was prepared. I went down, 5 out of 20 on the multiple-choice questions. FIVE! That’s like a 25%. OUCH!  On name recognition I knew 7 out of 20. A 35% is a little better, but not much. Double OUCH!

What Resonated with Me:  1. I recognized two names – William White and Bobby Hoying. They were both local boys, from the county right next door. William grew up in Lima and played football for the Spartans. Northwest Ohio was thrilled when he became a Buckeye, and so was I.
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2. Bobby grew up in St. Henry, and he played for the Redskins. He was chosen as Mr. Football back in 1990, out of all the high school players from across the state. Bobby went from playing quarterback in a small town in Mercer County to playing at The Ohio State University. It’s incredible when a local boy succeeds, and both Bobby and William made it all the way to the NFL.  WOW!

3. I found a not-so-good memory in this chapter about bowl games, with Clemson. They were the team that got Woody Hayes fired. He was and still is my favorite coach ever. It began when Clemson intercepted a pass near the end of the game.

Woody was known for his temper, and he grabbed the player’s jersey and hit him. The Buckeye team captain pulled Woody off the kid, and he was fired the next day.

It was a sad end for Woody and his coaching career, but he was forgiven, and I’m glad his contributions have not been forgotten.

PS – OSU lost that game in 1978. They’d lose again to Clemson in 2016 and 2019, but they finally beat them in 2021 . . .  49 – 28. There’s nothing like the thrill of victory after those 3 defeats.
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                                  Game Day Saturday, October 28 - Chapter 11 - How I did, and what I learned.

Chapter 11: Draft Day: I had no idea how I’d do in this chapter. I’ve never paid attention to the draft, ever! My results – I went up one, to 6 out of 20 on the multiple-choice questions. That’s 30%. Guessing stinks as a strategy, but it’s all I had ☹

On name recognition I knew more names than last time, 22, but there were 30 I didn’t know. My score – 22 out of 50, for a 42%. YIKES! ☹

I discovered after reading this chapter that draft day doesn’t always lead to a contract. It means nothing, until that contract is signed. Here are 3 stories about 3 superstar Buckeyes. 
​​

#1. Have you heard of Paul Warfield? The Cleveland Browns drafted him in 1964. I was only 5 years old, but somehow, I remember he was fast.

As a Buckeye he was a halfback. That meant he lined up with the offense, and he ran the ball down the field.  Funny, I thought that would make him a running back!
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Cleveland picked him as a defensive back, but they also knew he could catch the ball. So, they decided to try him as a receiver. The result – Paul learned how to catch the ball that first year in the NFL. I guess your team gets a HUGE say on what position you play.
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  #2. Tom Skladany is another name I remember. He left OSU before I came in as a freshman. He was a gifted kicker, the first specialty player to ever get a scholarship to a Big 10 school. The Browns picked him in the second round of the 1977 draft, but he never signed with them. He wound up sitting out the whole 1977 NFL season. Why?

Evidently Art Modell called his agent ‘the biggest thorn in the side of professional football.” Art put Tom on the trading block, first with the Rams in return for two second round picks. Later he shipped Tom off to the Lions for a second and seventh round pick for 1978. OUCH!
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​#3. Terry Glenn’s story from 1996 caught my eye. I was a mom with three kids by then, and I had time for football again. Terry had great hands . . . he was a receiver, and he was the seventh pick, in THE first round. Talented, right?!

Well not enough for Bill Parcells, the coach for the New England Patriots. He said, “If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries.” Evidently Parcells didn’t want Terry, but two higher ups did . . . owner Bob Kraft and general manager, Bobby Grier. I have a feeling Parcells was happier with Terry by the end of the season . . . He set a rookie record of 90 catches, and they helped the Patriots into the Super Bowl that year.
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                             Game Day Saturday, November 4 - Chapter 12 - How I did, and what I learned. 

Chapter 12: Writing the Record Book: I had no idea once again how I’d do on this chapter. I would hear someone set a record, then promptly forget about it. My results on multiple choice questions – I went up one again, to 7 out of 20. That’s another 35%. Guessing isn’t the best strategy, but it’s all I had, again ☹

On name recognition this was one of my best scores, I knew 20, and I didn’t recognize 12. My score – 20 out of 32, for a sky-high 63%. That’s still a D or an F. YIKES! ☹

​Game Day Saturday, November 11 - Chapter 12 – Three Record-Setting Stories

​#1. What would you do if you were the quarterback, and your passing game was off? Duh! You’d hand the ball to a running back. In 2020, that’s exactly what Justin Fields did in the Big Ten championship game. He handed the ball to Trey Sermon who had just transferred in from Oklahoma.

I’m glad he did! Trey carried the ball 29 times, right into the OSU record book. He ran 331 yards that day against the Northwestern Wildcats. His best two plays, in the third quarter. Trey ran 65 yards, then 33, right into the end zone for a touchdown. That gave the Buckeyes their first lead in the game.
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Imagine, the Buckeyes behind in the third quarter?! OUCH! In the fourth quarter Trey’s running game gave OSU another touchdown and a spot in the College Football Playoff. He was the MVP, duh! Thanks, Trey, for saving the game!                                                                 
​                                                                             Bonus Source: Trey Sermon - Wikipedia
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But I did end up with the fun and Buckeye pride Ray wanted readers to have. I found it when I picked 3 stories from each chapter to write about. Now I’m even more amazed by what my Buckeyes have accomplished throughout my lifetime, and beyond.
​
For my pick-3’s, I always go hunting for pictures, and it’s a trip down memory lane whether I find a picture from their OSU days, or from later on. Then I take Ray’s stories and give them a Rinda-spin . . .   by adding in my memories.
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Meet the Quarterbacks: (Chapter 3 – Calling the Signals) I know each and every one of these names, except for Les Horvath. He was before my time. Rex Kerns is the first one I remember, but I can only recall hearing his name on TV in the ’60s.

Art Schlichter is the quarterback from my college years, the ’70s. He had his ups and downs over the years, but the important thing about him – he was a Buckeye.

Craig Krenzel was playing when my baby sister was in college, the ’90s. Would you believe he went to the same church she did after they both graduated? She was impressed by his behavior. He acted like everyone else. He was just one of the church faithful, not a star quarterback.
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Today was THE GAME – the one with Michigan. They won the last 2 years, but I was hoping today would break the pattern. It didn’t ☹ Michigan won again, but only by 6 points. It could have swung the other way, but it didn’t ☹
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                  My question from last week’s post – the one I still remembered after 2 years of trivia –
                                                  What charm do OSU players get if they beat Michigan? 

Gold Pants! It makes me sad this is another year without that charm for my favorite team.
The Story: In 1934 OSU hired Francis Schmidt as head coach. When the local media got a chance to ask about that team up north, Schmidt said, “They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.”

That’s when two Columbus businessmen formed the ‘Gold Pants Club.’ They created gold lapel pins, shaped like football pants. Each player and coach on that winning team gets a gold pin, engraved with their initials, game date, and the score.
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                                                                 What kind of trenches do football games have? 

​The one between the offensive and defensive lines. They’re manned by lineman. The offensive ones fight to keep the quarterback safe, and he fights to gain yards/first downs/touchdowns for the team. He can either hand off the ball to a running back or throw it to one of the receivers.

The defensive lineman fight to stop the quarterback. If they sack him, he loses yardage. If they stop the running backs, the offense might not get that all important first down.
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As for those receivers, there are also defensive backs who do whatever they can, within the rules (and sometimes outside them too) to stop the play. If they intercept the ball, that’s even better. It’s the only way a defensive player can EVER score a touchdown.
​

​Last year the linemen failed in THE GAME, but they tightened their lines, and the Buckeyes almost beat the #1 team/national champion – Georgia. I was so proud of those linemen.

This year they were just as tough. OSU and Michigan were well matched, even with a brand-new quarterback. Kyle threw 2 interceptions, 1 near the beginning of the game. A defender caught it, and it gave Michigan a touchdown. The 2nd was the last play. Another defender caught it, and the clock ran out.

The Buckeyes lost by 6 points – the cost of that 1st interception. Many of us think the Michigan pass/touchdown, was actually intercepted. This time by the Buckeyes, but the referees refused to change the call.
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Oh well, there’s always next year . . . See you at one of the New Year’s bowls! My team is sure to accept an invitation to one of them 😊

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Game Day Friday, December 29 -  Final Memories from 2 Years of OSU Triva
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Last night was the Cotton Bowl, the last game of the 2023 season. So many changes have happened since the Michigan game. Our starting quarterback left through the transfer portal. Other players did too, or they declared for the NFL like Marvin Harrison Jr did. I miss the old days when the players finished the WHOLE season.

The Cotton Bowl didn’t end the way I hoped, but there were some bright spots . . . the defensive line was excellent. Our second-string quarterback gave his all and tried to play past an injury, but he wound up back on the sidelines.

A third-stringer who’d only thrown 5 passes wound up leading the team, in a Bowl game. Incredible! The last time that happened was with Cardale Jones. He led the Buckeyes to a national championship. Here’s to the future, whatever it brings. Life is never dull when you’re a Buckeye!

    The last trivia question is from Chapter 4 – Between the Tackles, where the running backs rule.
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​The answer . . . 5 games. Both Eddie and Ezekiel had 5 games with over 200 yards.
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So where are they now? Eddie retired in 2006. He played for the Houston Oilers, who became the Tennessee Titans. Then he went to the Dallas Cowboys. Over his 9 years in the NFL, he rushed for 10,441 yards and scored 68 touchdowns. That’s 408 points he put on the scoreboard. Eddie was NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1995 and a four-time Pro Bowler. The Titans retired Eddie’s #27, which is a huge honor, and he’s a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
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After Eddie retired, he went back to OSU to get his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. He earned his master’s degree in Management at Northwestern. Eddie hasn’t left football completely behind . . . he was named head coach at Tennessee State in April of 2021, and this is him in 2022. 

Bonus Source: Ohio State's Eddie George Named Pro Football Hall Of Fame Semifinalist - Sports Illustrated Ohio State Buckeyes News, Analysis and More

As for Ezekiel, he’s still playing. He started with the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. He was an instant star. He was the NFL’s top rusher as a rookie, and players ranked him at #7 in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2017. Not bad for a beginner!

Ezekiel remained a Top 100 Player for the next 3 years, through 2020. He played for the Cowboys for 6 years, through the end of the 2022 season. In 2021 Ezekiel began dealing with knee and ankle injuries, including a torn ligament in his knee during Week 4, but he refused to sit on the sidelines. He’d play one last season as a Cowboy before they released him in March of 2023.
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Ezekiel signed a one-year contract with a new team in August, the New England Patriots. He ran third down and red zone plays behind one of the starters. I don’t know where he’ll land in 2024, but I wish him well as a running back, and in life after football. I hope the best is yet to come for him.

                                                                  Bonus Source: Ezekiel Elliott - Wikipedia

​I’ve been wanting to write this post since the night I got home from the Northern Ohio SCBWI conference, but somehow life got in the way. Post after post came up, and they needed to go first. Now it’s November 20, and I’m finally going to write this post all the way to the finish, I hope 😊
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​​Part 1 – Critique Guidance:  I took part of my middle grade novel to the Cleveland conference, and I had an author/agent take a look at the first ten pages from Chapters 1 and 2. She gave me a lot of great advice – like what didn’t make sense to her (I only had 1 or 2 spots – Yay!)
 
She also pointed out places where I needed to push up the writing. How? There was one place I remember where she wanted more historical detail.  I wrote about the green tablecloths at the Pennsylvania State House. She wanted to know what kind, so I googled colonial tablecloths . . . I found many were made from damask. If you’re not sure what it is, it’s a woven fabric with a pattern you can see on both sides of the cloth. It’s mostly used in table linen and upholstery, and it was used in colonial times.
 
There were a lot more places where she wanted me to show emotion. I went back and labeled each paragraph with a feeling like happy or sad. I have a writers’ book that’s set up according to emotions, and it has a list of ways that people show it in their faces, in their body language, and by their reactions. I picked one for each paragraph, and then went back to edit them in. I’m still polishing. I’m on my 14th revision of chapter 1, but it’s worth the time to get it right. If an agent or an editor isn’t engaged by that first chapter, they’ll stop reading. Then they’ll send an email that says thanks, but no thanks. I know – I’ve gotten a lot of those over the years ☹
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Part 2 – New Chapters – Where I Am Now:  In September before the conference, I just finished Chapter 13. It’s now November 22, and I’m stuck on Chapter 17. I was on it last week too. I got stuck trying to find my way in. Once I write the 1st paragraph or 2, I’m on my way.
 
Whenever I start a new chapter, I find 3 sources of information on a founder. I copy all 3 articles, along with their sources. I save them in a file with the notes for that chapter. Then I go to the actual chapter, and I paste in the 1st article, the whole thing. With the 2nd source, I cut and paste it where it fits in the timeline of the original article. I do the same for the 3rd one.
 
Because of this, all the facts about Ben as a printer are together in my timeline. The same is true for his time in the Continental Congress, and so on. The best part about this ‘lengthy’ procedure, it tells me which facts I can use . . . I can find them in 2 or 3 sources. If it’s only in 1 article, I don’t use it. BTW – I did that last week.

I also researched my main character, Charles Carroll of Carollton. For Charley, I only needed to find out what he and his family were doing in 1789/90. Ben died in April of 1790, and I figured that out last week too.
 
I also needed to know what was going on in America in 1789/90, and yes, I did that last week too. I knew the first US Congress started meeting in 1789 in Federal Hall in New York City. I had a list of bills President Washington signed into law, and I saved my sources, for future reference.
 
With all that, I still couldn’t find my way in. This morning - Ureka! I found it. I could always picture Charley at Federal Hall, but I couldn’t picture how he found out how his friend died – what was going on at that moment, in a historical fiction kind of way. Today I looked at 2 bills Congress passed in April of 1790. Bingo! Now I can picture how he might have learned about it. 

​It’s late, so I’ll wait until tomorrow or Friday to write those 1st paragraphs. Once I get going, I let the story take me where it wants to go. Sometimes I take the wrong path. Then I reread until I reach the point where I left the right path and took the wrong one. I delete that section, go back, and rewrite it. Usually it takes me 2-3 days to write and revise a new chapter.
 
Why? It doesn’t have to be perfect. I have one chance with my new chapter and my Friday critique group. Then I have to move onto #18 for next Friday, if I want to finish all 57 chapters by the end of the summer. Fingers crossed – may the force be with me!

​Part 3 – My Goals for December: Starting next week, I’ll be part of 3 critique groups. One meets every Friday. Another meets on Tuesdays at least once a month, maybe twice if I’m lucky. I have a third that meets on Wednesday once, sometimes twice a month. My goal is to have one new chapter critique-ready for each meeting.
 
My Friday goal will be the hardest one to reach. I have to finish a chapter a week, and I only get one chance to get it done. That means by the end of the month, I’ll be sharing chapter 22 on December 29th. There’s no room for revision.
 
I take my Friday critique notes, add them to the chapter, and move onto the next one. I’ve been on chapter 17 for 2 weeks. That’s how long it took to write the first paragraph. It seems to happen whenever I move to a new setting. It’s harder for me to find my way in. If that happens again, I’ll fall short of 22.
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​The Wednesday group is now my polishing group. It’s the opposite of Friday. We’ll meet once or twice this month. I’m on my 14th revision of chapter 1, and my Wednesday friends have looked at this piece 5 or 6 times. My goal –to finish it, I hope, then polish chapter 2. My Wednesday group, they have a great eye for detail. They won’t let me call it polished until it’s just right, like a bullseye on a target.

​My Tuesday group is BRAND-NEW! We’ll have our 1st  meeting next Tuesday. We might meet again in December, or we might not. I have chapter 2 almost ready for them. I might start working on chapter 3, but only if my Wednesday group says 1 is done. If not, I’ll have them take another look at chapter 2. The most important thing this month – polish chapter 1. The second – to reach chapter 22. May the force be with me 😊

I’d like to thank Cassidy Walker at Media Consulting for reaching out and offering this post from Harriet Moore. It’s on one of my favorite subjects – pets, and how to pick the right one for you.
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Pets can make wonderful additions to family life by bringing us companionship, unconditional love, and an excuse for the family to spend more quality time together. In fact, 94% of pet owners feel that having a pet makes them happy, and 84% credit their pet with improving their mental health. If you’re thinking about getting a furry, scaly or fluffy friend but you’re not sure which animal is right for your family, follow these three important tips to help you choose.

​                                       Tip #1 - Consider how active you are or would like to be.  
Every pet needs some form of regular exercise, but some are more reliant on their owners for exercise than others. Dogs are the most demanding in this respect, requiring at least two walks each day, although the amount of ground you cover on each walk will depend on the size and energy level of the breed.

If you want to be more active, getting a dog is a great option. If you already get plenty of exercise and don’t have the time or inclination for much more, a small pet like a hamster or rabbit could be a better choice. Keep in mind that you’ll still need to provide your pet with toys or equipment for exercising, such as a wheel or climbing tower. You may also need to supervise their exercise or play with them to encourage them to get active.

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                                     ​Tip #2 - Assess your Home Environment and Available Space
Some pets need more space than others, and it’s not just their size that dictates how much space they need. For example, rabbits require an enclosure that is at least eight square feet and tall enough for them to be able to stand on their hind legs. They also need an additional 24 square feet of secure space in which they can exercise.

Some pets, such as dogs, need frequent access to outdoor space and are best suited to properties with yards or gardens. Others, such as cats, are content living indoors but require additional equipment such as climbing trees and scratching posts to keep them entertained and active.


                     Tip #3 - Determine your budget for upfront costs and monthly expenses
It’s vital that you consider the affordability of a pet in both the short and long term. Upfront costs include the pet’s price or adoption fee, essentials such as enclosures, bedding and toys, and vet fees for things like vaccinations and neutering. Ongoing monthly expenses include food, toileting supplies, flea and worm treatments, pet insurance, and grooming fees. 

​You should also think about irregular additional expenses, such as boarding or pet-sitting fees when you go on vacation. Dogs tend to be the most expensive pet, costing between $700 and $2,000 per year, while fish are one of the least expensive, costing between $50 and $200. Keep in mind the expected lifespan of a pet and ask yourself whether you can realistically commit to the ongoing expense for the entirety of the animal’s life.

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                                          Final Thoughts - Take your time to choose the perfect pet

​Welcoming a new pet into your family is a huge commitment, so don’t rush into it too quickly. Take time to research different pets thoroughly to understand what they need for a happy, healthy life. Next, consider your time and activity level, your environment and space, and your budget to determine whether you can give an animal everything it needs. When you choose a pet carefully like this, you can be sure they’ll fit into your family life perfectly.
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​       ​          Meet My Guest Blogger, Harriet Moore

• After earning a first-class degree in wildlife conservation from a leading UK university, Harriet has gone on to apply her knowledge as an ecologist. She’s passionate about looking after the planet and the creatures within it, and is keen to share her insight through her blog posts.       ​          

Part 1 Guess Who I Met at a Conference:  Look who I met at the Northern Ohio SCBWI conference! Two dino-mite illustrators – Mike DeSantis and Barry Gott. They both love to draw dinosaurs, and they both have books out about them. My writing friend, Aileen, and I ate lunch at their table, and she got this picture.

Part 2 Meet Mike’s New Dinosaur Book: Remember Mike DeSantis from yesterday? I’ve known Mike for a long time thanks to the Northern Ohio’s SCBWI chapter. Mike is a former president and a fantastic illustrator. I know . . . I draw stick people. I admire anyone who can draw something as intricate as the page he’s holding up.

Would you believe you can get it free, or that  it’s the cover to his Dinosaur Puzzle Book? Would you also believe Mike’s cover isn’t in the book? I’ll show you how to get it, free!

Step 1 – Click on this link and take a trip to Mike’s web site:
​       Mike DeSantis – Mike DeSantis illustration
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​Step 2 – When you get to Mike’s page, look for the Instagram symbol, and click on it.

Step 3 – Once you’re on Instagram, this is what you’ll find. The top part of the page has the directions on how to get Mike’s cover FREE.

Ready? Click on this link. It will take you to Mike’s publishing house. Publishing your own book is hard to do, and it’s even harder for people to find it. I know, I’ve published three books myself. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I hope I can help a few more people find Mike’s book.

PS – If you know someone who loves hidden objects, this book would make a perfect gift! Do you see the two green order buttons? Click on one of them if you want to buy the book. My suggestion, the first. If you pick Amazon, they get part of Mike’s profit.

Part 3 Meet Barry Gott and his Dino-Mite Work: I was shocked to see Barry’s newest book on display at SCBWI’s Illustrator Showcase. I’ve had his books since 2012. That’s because he illustrated Lisa  Wheeler’s dinosaur books. She critiqued my dog story back in 2012 so I had to buy one. My second graders loved them too, so  I bought more, until I retired in 2015.​

Imagine my surprise when he was introduced during the conference. I had to say hello! How many chances do you get to tell someone how much you admire their work? And on the other side of the coin, who doesn’t like to hear they have fans in second grade . . . my students loved his work too.
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Then lunch came, and I joined my conference buddy, and guess who was sitting beside me? If you guessed, Bary, you’re right! I decided to take this opportunity to let you meet him too!
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​If you can’t meet Barry in person, head to his website. It’s the next best thing! Here’s his link: Barry Gott illustration, and a screenshot of his homepage. If you click Illustration, this is also where you’d land.

If you move down to Books, you can see some of the stories Barry has illustrated, or written and illustrated. If there’s a star in the left-hand corner,  that means you can click, then peek inside. The first one is for the cover of Dino-Dancing.​

​And the finale . . . Barry’s newest pair of books! Both of them just came out on September 5th. His Hanukkah book is brand new, but his Christmas book came out in a new form . . . a board book! If you have littles who love dinosaurs, sports, and holidays, Lisa and Barry’s board books are perfect for them! 

Part 1:  It was Saturday, and I was video-taping a read-aloud on Zoom. I finished my book, and I went to listen to it, to save it . . . but IT wasn’t there! There was no link. I couldn’t listen. I couldn’t save it or load it into my Meta planner.
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So . . . I tried again. I video-taped. I went to listen, AND I got the same result! No link! I was dead in the water. It was 3:30 Saturday afternoon, and I didn’t have a video to put up for my 4:00 deadline. 

​ So . . . what did I do? Well, I didn’t panic. I thought about solutions, what CAN I do? I needed a video of me reading a book. Obviously, I couldn’t read the one I’d planned. That’s the moment when I realized I have a treasure chest of read-alouds saved in my computer. I have 78 titles! All I had to do – pick one.
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That was easy! I wrote about technophobia, and I could have had a really bad case of it that Saturday afternoon, or I could use it. I decided right then and there to use it as Sunday’s Vlog. For Saturday, I already had a picture book to match . . . Nanobots. It was perfect, and it was an easy fix, but it wasn’t the end of this story.

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Part 2: What Next? On Saturday I scheduled the vlog that matched NanoBots right after the read-aloud appeared. The title, Technophobia – It’s for Real! And that Sunday it was far too real, again.
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I went in like usual at 4PM to find my vlog. Time to post it across social media . . .  But it wasn’t there – the video had an error and wouldn’t play. My heart raced as I tried to figure out what to do.

I thought for a moment. Then I pulled the error down and put up the video from my computer again. I hoped it would work, but I didn’t know for sure, so I posted notices on social media that the video would be up soon.

​It was! By the time I finished my second notice, the video was up and running. I posted the links for it and deleted the notices. By 4:30 my vlog problem was over.

                        But I hadn’t figured out the Zoom issue that started my problem in the first place.
                                                                               

Part 3: Remember my original issue? That I couldn’t videotape on Zoom – well, it got worse. I couldn’t even open a meeting, and that’s a problem. Every Friday I host my critique partners on my Zoom account. We’re all over the country . . . from New York to Connecticut, from Ohio to Tennessee to California.

It was Monday so I wasn’t really worried. I thought I could work things out. I opened a meeting, then recorded another. I thought the problem was fixed. Nope! By midnight on Monday, I had six security alerts from our Aura protection system, and I’m not a techie. YIKES!

My husband was out of state so I texted him late that night for advice. His answer Tuesday morning, call Aura. I did. I was on hold forever. OK, it was more like 2 hours. They explained that Zoom and Aura were butting heads, and they gave me a work around. I tried, but it failed like everything else. I still had the same problem, and more security alerts.
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​So, I reached out to Zoom. I have a free account that I’ve used for over 2 years. I’ve never had a problem, until that Saturday. I tried calling, but they don’t answer phone calls from customers like me. I tried putting in a ticket for tech help, but they don’t answer tickets like mine. They did send me an email with ten links to try out. YUCK! Who knows what kind of an answer I’d get, and when?  

I knew where the problem was – with Zoom’s executive command. Whenever an error message popped up, that’s what it said. I tried deleting my old account, then adding new ones. Zoom worked right away when I downloaded it, but stopped whenever I clicked out and tried to return again. The problem – that darn executive command. No matter what I did, Zoom refused to open, or it deleted itself from my home screen. By now I’d spent most of Tuesday trying to solve my problem, and I was no closer to solving it. URGH!!!
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Part 4:  Late Tuesday I messaged my husband about my frustrations. I thought I was dead in the water with Zoom for another week, but he surprised me and drove home Wednesday.

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​Would you believe he had the problem fixed in under an hour? The solution – He clicked on the error messages, then on ignore, and the problem disappeared. I couldn’t believe how quickly he fixed it, especially after I waited most of Tuesday for tech help. My hero!

PS – I thought my computer troubles were over. Almost! I forgot to bring my power cord to a writing conference., but all’s well that ends well. My critique group exchanged notes using email instead of meeting on Zoom, and I cut my computer time way back.
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The silver lining – I took a break from writing. It turns out that taking time off is a good thing. It rejuvenates you, gives you a fresh take on your work, and it’s fun. ​

Growing up, I never thought of myself as being creative. I was a worker bee. I loved getting things done, and I still do. But when I started writing, I began to recognize that I have an imagination, that I connect the dots differently than other people do.

As I started writing I began to create more things than I ever imagined. This post is all about those things. It’s also a call to you – to recognize your own creativity, that you  see the world differently from anyone else.

​​                                                                  The things I create most days of the week . . . 

#1. My Blog – I wrote the first one back in November of 2016. It was about swimming with dolphins. That was even the title. I thought I knew what I wanted to write, but it bombed. It didn’t work out the way I planned. Reality showed me what really worked.
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                                                 Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/archives/11-2016   
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This is the one I wrote last night about OSU football trivia. I started the original post last year, but now I’m into my second season.

Over the last seven years, I’ve written over 445 posts. If you compare the first to the last, I’ve changed a lot as a writer since 2016.

Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/trivial-pursuit-the-ohio-state-football-way-season-2


​                                                                               The things I create once a week . . .
                                                                                           (There are six of them.)

#2. My Reads – Once a week when my blog is done, I pick a book to share. In the early days,  they didn’t match. I just picked a book I loved from my local library and reviewed it. Sometimes I pick picture books. Sometimes chapter books. I post them on my website under the button, My Reads, and I also post it on Amazon. Did you know whenever you review a book online, it helps the author, the illustrator, and the publisher. It’s a great thing to do!

​Fandango Stew was the first picture book I reviewed back in October of 2016. Think Stone Soup, but Tex Mex style.                 Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/fandango-stew-review
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Stick and Stone is the last picture book I reviewed this September. It’s about two opposites who discover that a common enemy can turn them into friends. Would you believe I’ve done over 235 picture book reviews in the last 7 years?  
                                     Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/review-of-stick-and-stone

The Extincts was the first chapter book I reviewed back in September of 2016. I still remember it! It was that good! Imagine getting a job at a farm that specializes in extinct animals. I HAD to read it!
                                          Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/review-of

The Peddler of Wisdom is the last chapter book I reviewed back in July. I read it a few years ago,, and it finally matched one of my blogs. Imagine traveling back in time to 17th century France, AND you meet the ultimate fortune teller, Nostradamus. Would you believe I’ve done over 106 chapter book reviews in the last 7 years?    Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/review-of-the-peddler-of-wisdom


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​​#3. Vlogs – Once a week I take a blog and turn it into a video. Behind the scenes, I write and revise a script, make the slides, and finally practice and record the video. I post it on social media every Sunday at 4PM. You’ll find it on Facebook, Instagram, and X, but not on my web site. 

The first screenshot is from my first vlog. I recorded it back in May of 2021. It’s about the things I remember from visiting the Madison’s house in Virginia. I shared two links – the video and the original blog.     Video: https://fb.watch/5PUG1rUGDC/          Blog: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-things-i-remember-from-my-visit-with-james-and-dolly-madison

​The second is from last weekend. It started when I heard a song in an Amazon Prime ad, Always Something There to Remind Me. I did some research, and then I shared its story.  Here are its links:
                           Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=264622939816322
              Blog: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/always-something-there-to-remind-me

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#4. Saturday Reads– I also look for a picture book that goes along with my vlog. I write and revise a script. Then I practice and record it. Every Saturday at 4PM I post it on Facebook, Instagram, and X . Sorry, but it’s not on my web site.

I did my first read-aloud in November of 2021. I used a real book, but I didn’t like the way it looked. I shared the screen with it, but the book should fill it, not me. The title – Twenty-One Steps. It’s about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C. If you’d like to see my first try at reading online, try this link:            Video: https://www.facebook.com/BeachGirlPress/videos/677802673204597
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​​​I did the second one last weekend. I use eBooks now because the book fills the screen. I’m tiny, except for the beginning and the end. I picked Lupe Lopez – Rock Star Rules. It’s about the first day of school, when a Kindergarten drummer meets her new teacher. Oh, no!
                                          Link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=332318882605065​

​#5. Your Newsletter– I work on one newsletter over the course of a week until it’s ready to publish. This is the original I started with. I would cut and paste it into an email. It looked great with its words and illustrations, but it was a real pain to set up.
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I moved on . . . I sent the letter as an attachment, and I didn’t have to reformat anything, but I ran into another problem. Some addresses have programs that won’t accept attachments for security reasons.

​Don’t worry! I still use this form. It’s my writing template for my blogs and book reviews. I write and revise here before I post anything online. It has served me well for seven years. 
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​​ This is the newsletter form I use now. It’s not pretty, but it’s easy to glance and find the links you’d like to check out. I’ll stay with it, until I find a better way to serve my subscribers. 

#6. Pinterest– While I’m working on my newsletter, that’s when I add new posts to Pinterest. If you’re looking for specific content that I’ve written, this is a great way to find it. I have boards set up by curriculum content and standards.

​#7. Google Spreadsheets– I add new posts to my spreadsheets while I’m working on my newsletter. You’ll never see it – it’s just for me. It’s how I track my content. I add each blog, book review, and video so I can find it and use it again. And you can use it too. How?
If you’re looking for something for your classroom or for your child, email me. I’ll use a key word to see if I can find what you’re looking for. If I do, I’ll send you the link. If I don’t, I might decide to write a post, just for you.

 
                                         The things I create and hope will be published, someday . . . 


​​#8. My Unpublished Manuscripts – I have eleven manuscripts stashed away in my computer . Someday I hope they’ll be published traditionally. I listed them below in the order they were created.

I have two manuscripts featuring bats. The first is awful. I dragged in Herman the German, and the second is a chapter book that combines fantasy with what really happened with my bat. Someone suggested a third version, a middle grade fantasy, but it’s in the idea stage for now. None of my bat stories are ready for submission.

​I wrote about ants next. It started as a chapter book and somehow morphed into a middle grade novel. It’s gone through three rounds of revision, and I’ve sent it out on a few queries, but nothing yet – maybe someday 😊

My dog story came next. I started with what really happened, but it didn’t work so I fictionalized it to move the story. It started and stayed a picture book, but it’s my least successful manuscript. Something’s missing, but I haven’t figured out what . . . yet.

My safety story started as an idea for a chapter book, but it became a picture book. It’s been sent on many queries, but it really needs the right publisher to take it on, and I believe in my heart ​someday that will happen.  

​The duck manuscript is done, but it needs the right publisher to take a chance on it . . . so it’s still waiting in the wings of my computer.​

​I’m writing a middle grade novel about the founding fathers. It’s historical fiction, but it still demands tons of research. It will be 57 chapters long. So far I’ve drafted 13 and polished the first three. My goal is to polish the first 50 pages, then submit it to agents and publishers. My fingers are crossed it will find a good home.

#9. My Published Books – I have three published books. They’re not sitting in my computer . . . they’re on Amazon and in local bookstores. It’s lovely when your writing turns into a real book.

​Neil came first in 2019. He’s in a chapter book that’s all about his first dream . . . to build a wind tunnel like the Wright Brothers. (For grades 2 - 4)
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Lake Fun came out in 2020, and Zoe in 2021. They both allow kids to read a story, then journal about their own experiences. Zoe is a chapter book, and Lake Fun is a picture book. (For grades 2- 4)

Did you watch college football on Saturday? I did! The Buckeyes were playing so I had to watch. I also had to shop, especially after that first quarter . . . YIKES! It’s how I help my team 😊
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​Did you catch the commercials during the game? I didn’t know, until I started working on this post, that there’s a new set of commercials to promote the Big 10.

If I saw their commercial once, I saw it two dozen times. I didn’t mind . . . it made my toes tap every single time. And it brought back memories of my days as an OSU student in the Shoe. Funny, I discovered I love the commercial, and I only like the song. There’s a difference . . . Hmmmm . . . 

​​Part 1 – The Fall Out Boys: I’ve heard of them, but they’re not one of my favorite groups. I looked them up this weekend . . . actuallly I looked up the song title. You can too. If you want to hear the Fall Out Boy’s video, look for a link with Shazam on the end.
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Sorry, I can’t share the link. It’s probably copyrighted which means Shazam would want money if I shared it. But, I can share the screenshot . . . that’s free.

If you play this video, don’t expect the football commercial. The Shazam video doesn’t even come close, but look for the one that’s linked to football, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (I’ll show you how to find it tomorrow)

 Part 2 – The Commercial vs The Music Video: This was the last screenshot I captured. . . it’s the one for the commercial.  I googled ‘here comes Saturday night commercial.’ When I checked tonight, I found two more versions. Scan down the page to find them.
Why is the commercial better? It’s shorter, like 30 seconds, a minute tops. It showcases the chorus, the part that repeats. Add in a video, and you’ve got a hit that features the best things about Big 10 College Football like . . 
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The Players . . .​

​The Cheerleaders . . .

The Marching Bands . . .

Here comes Saturday Night and the Big 10!

PS –There’s more!! Coming in 2024, four more teams. . . USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington!

Do you recognize this song title? I started another post with that same question. Last time I asked, it was about an Amazon Prime Ad. The song playing in the background, Say a Little Prayer for You. Here’s the link for that post:
      Link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/say-a-little-prayer-for-me

Well, it’s back! The commercial, that is. It features the same young couple that broke up. They forgot once again, that they share an Amazon Prime account. The song changed, but the directors picked another one, from the same old songwriting team, Always Something There to Remind Me. 
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                                                                             Part 1 – Songwriting and a Demo:
Do you remember this song? If not, google it, pick an artist, and give it a listen. Or, you could wait for the Amazon ad to come on.

This is Dionne Warwick in 1966. She was a star! But back in 1962, she wasn’t. She was singing background, and Burt noticed her voice. He asked if she’d be interested in recording demos (demonstration recordings). He needed them to pitch his songs to record labels. He offered her $12.50 per session. In 2022 money that was $120. Dionne took it! I would too!

It was a perfect fit for both of them. Dionne got record executives to listen to her voice, and Burt got a singer whose talent allowed him to compose the kind of challenging tunes he wanted to write. Dionne was so good at understanding what Burt wanted, she could usually record a song in 1-3 takes. That’s fast! If a song took 3 minutes to sing, Dionne would knock it out in 3 to 9 minutes. Impressive, AND cost effective for Burtt! And no matter how long it took, Dionne still got her $12.50 per session.
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Burt and Hal sold the song. It was covered by five other artists from 1963 until 1995. But when I remember it, I hear Dionne’s voice in my head. She has a style all her own.
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Part 2 – The Five Artists Who Covered This Song:  After Dionne recorded the demo for Always Something There to Remind Me, five other artists and their record companies picked it up. I checked. Dionne never had a Top 40 hit with this song. 
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​1. Meet Lou Johnson. His version of Always Something There to Remind Me reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1964. He sang soul, played piano, and was a recording artist during the 1960s and 70s. 

2. Sandie Shaw found the song thanks to Lou. Someone heard his version and sent it to her. She released hers in September of 1964 and got it on a pop music TV show in the United Kingdom. It worked! Sandie took it to #1 in the UK that year.

She also released it around the world, and it was a top hit everywhere, except in the United States. Lou Johnson hung onto his #49, and Sandie only made it to #52.

​​3. The next version didn’t come out until February of 1970. The singer, R. B. Greaves. I’m sorry. I don’t have a photo of him, or of his album, but his version did better than Lou’s or Sandie’s. It reached #27 on the US Top 40 and #3 on the US Easy Listening charts.

​4. Fast forward to 1983, and Always Something There to Remind Me appeared again, 20 years after it was written. Peter Byrne and Rob Fisher recorded it in a group of demos that landed them a recording contract. Their name – Naked Eyes. Their version peaked at #8 in the Billboard Hot 100. Pretty good for an old song!
 

​5. The last hit so far, came out in 1995. That’s when Tin Tin Out, an electronic music duo, recorded their version of this old hit. It went to #14 on the UK Singles Chart and #1 on their Dance Chart. That makes this song a classic!

Over all those years, with all those artists who recorded their song, do you know who got paid for every single version? The songwriters!

Burt Bacharach and Hal David own the copyright to the song, and every time someone records or plays it, Burt and Hal get paid in royalties. That means money!

 And when Amazon used the song on their commercial, they had to pay too. Burt and Hal are both dead, but their royalties still get paid to their estates and to their families. It pays to be a creator! 
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Photo Sources: 
1. Burt in 1972 - By ABC Television - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18250433
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2. Burt in 2013 - By Phil Guest from Bournemouth, UK - Burt Bacharach, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79102167

3. Hal in 2011 - By Pat Padua - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ppad/5713457890/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29999116
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4. Dionne in 1966 – By Anefo - http://proxy.handle.net/10648/aaff1fba-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65537939

5. Lou Johnson - By John E. Reed - Original publication: UnknownImmediate source: http://indeepmusicarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lou-Johnson-At-the-piano-BW-Pic.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73213794

6. Sandie Shaw - By Pye Records - Discogs, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56938537
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7. Naked Eyes - By The single can or could be obtained from its said copyright holders., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10831799

8. Tin Tin Out - By Tin Tin Out featuring Espiritu - https://www.discogs.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57077352

​Information Source: 
(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me - Wikipedia

​Have you ever checked out my website? I hope so! Unless you visit every day, you’re going to miss something. Algorithms on social media decide what you see, and what you don’t.

The only way to be sure you’re reading my posts is to subscribe to my newsletter. It comes  out once a week, and it features a brief description and a pair of links for the blog. If you’re interested, click away. If it isn’t your cup of tea, try the next newsletter!


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Part 1 – Links to My Blogs:   ​The heart image is from the newsletter I’m working on for this week. If you catch this post on social media, you’ll get a head start on everyone else. Its title – What Love Can Do – Inspiring Quotes for You and Me. I found 3 great quotes and the people who thought of them first. My blog link is a great way to take a picture walk through the post, and the video link is a great way to listen while you do other things.

 The blog link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/what-love-can-do-inspiring-quotes-for-you-and-me
                                The vlog link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=615693403939931

The two bat images are from a newsletter I already sent. If you missed it, now you can check out the post. It’s one of my favorites. The title – I Am the Bat Lady, Times 4. Would you believe I’ve had 4 close encounters with bats over the years? Here are my true stories.

                              The blog link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/i-am-the-bat-lady-times-four
                                 The vlog link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=58517693043825

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​​The other post was titled, I am Bat Lady, Times 4, and its newsletter has a pair of book links for you. I reviewed the first, Amara and the Bats, with its bat-loving girl. The second came from Saturday Reads, Beautiful Bats. Funny, I never thought about beauty when I met mine.
 
                Book Review: http://www.rindabeach.com/my-reads/review-of-amara-and-the-bats
                        Saturday Reads: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=805185557949975

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Part 3 – Links to the Future: I don’t write my newsletters right away. It takes time to write, research, and find photos to match the story I want to tell you. Then it takes more time to write a script and prepare a vlog. That’s where I turn a blog post into a video for Sundays. They’re similar, but you read a script out loud differently than you’d read it silently. So I have to write it differently than the original post.
 
It also takes time to find a book to read aloud on Saturday. Then I prepare a quick, short script. There’s more! Time to put all of my links into Pinterest, then into a spreadsheet where I save my most important information. I have to find it later, in case you or I need it. When that’s all done, I’m finally ready to send out that newsletter.
 

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You’ll probably see these two posts with a vlog and a Saturday Reads’ book in about a month. Anything good takes time. Their newsletters will come out a week or two after that. If you’re interested in my content, the best/easiest way to find it is to subscribe to my newsletter. I hope you’ll consider a subscription.