 If you haven’t been in a school the last week of October for a while, you might not have heard of Red Ribbon Week. It’s been around since 1985. It started as a tribute to a DEA Agent, and now it’s the largest and longest running drug awareness and prevention program in the United States.  Part 1 – Its History: This is Enrique or Kiki Camarena. He was born in Mexico, and his family immigrated to California. Kiki served as a Marine. Later he joined his local police department and did undercover narcotics work for them. Kiki joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when it opened in 1977, even though his mother told him not to. He said that he was only one person, but he wanted to make a difference. Kiki’s memory still matters, and I’m glad his story hasn’t been forgotten. Kiki left work on February 7, 1985 to have lunch with his wife. He never made it. He was kidnapped by five men from one of the Mexican drug cartels. They tortured him for his DEA work. His body was found a month later. My heart hurt back then for Kiki and his family. It still does. His friends and neighbors wanted to remember him. They wanted to join his fight against illegal drugs so they started wearing red ribbons. So did parents across the country. They wanted to stop the drugs and alcohol that hurt their children. They formed groups and took up the fight. They adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of Kiki’s sacrifice, and one by one they showed that one person can make a difference. The National Family Partnership (NFP) was one of those groups, and they sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration in 1988. They’re doing it again this year. I remember Kiki’s story from the 1980’s. I remember taking part in Red Ribbon Week for most of my teaching career. I don’t remember when my school started, but I’m happy they’re celebrating it again this week. Part 2 – FAF Called Me: FAF, or Families Against Fentanyl, has been calling me to write about them since the summer, but I never found the right time. This has to be it, and I think Kiki Camarena would agree. He believed that one person could make a difference, and this might be my chance. All of my illustrations are screenshots from FAF’s website: Families Against Fentanyl. This one caught my eye. Fentanyl is the #1 cause of death for anyone aged 18 to 45. That’s my three kids. All three. I thought they were safe from drugs. Maybe not.  Fentanyl is so sneaky. It’s sent over the Mexican border by the same cartels Kiki fought in 1985. It can be added to other pills, to other drugs. It’s so potent that a rookie policeman died three times in a drug bust, and he only caught its smell. He didn’t swallow. Thank goodness! He lived to tell. Now those same cartels are disguising fentanyl to look like candy. My best advice with pills/candy is to buy them from the store, even if you have to pay more. Your life is priceless, and you only get one shot. That’s it. When trick-or-treating this year, go to the houses of people you know. Don’t eat anything until you’re home, and your parents can look it over. This feels like when my kids were growing up, and people were adding razors to Halloween candy. AWFUL! Back then we took our kids to places we knew, and we checked their candy, just to be sure. Some people even took it to the hospital for an x-ray. They wanted to be safe, not sorry.  I absolutely agree with FAF. We can, and we must stop this. One of the best ways you can help is by signing their petition. I thought if I’m going to write this post, I should sign. I’m #41,584. Their goal is 50,000 signatures. You’re welcome to sign up too, but the decision is yours to make.  When I was scanning through FAF’s homepage, I ran across this headline. It’s shocking, that a chemical added to a pill, or something that looks like candy, could be a weapon of mass destruction, but the data is there. I paraphrased this sentence from FAF so I could wrap my brain around it. This year, either 2021, or so far in 2022, drug overdose deaths reached 100,000, and fentanyl accounted for 64% of those deaths. That means 64,000 people lost their lives because someone snuck fentanyl into their pill. My children are in that age range. It’s frightening . . . so I’m writing about it.  This screenshot and the next one, are from FAF’s button, ‘Take Action.’ There are four bills that are waiting for Congress to vote on. All four deal with fentanyl. After the November election, my guess is that nothing will happen until January, and then new bills will have to be proposed, again. The next screenshot (below) shows a sentence from each bill. I like H.R. 8030 best – it requires action from the Department of Homeland Security. H.Res.1172 seems weak. It urges President Biden and the Department to do something. Require sounds stronger. I’m a writer. I love strong verbs!  H.Res.1327 seems weak too. It expresses the sense that the House of Representatives should do something. Expresses? I’m a require kind of writer. I like H.R.9162 because it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to do something. I like words that show action. If this is so deadly, I don’t want to urge or express. I want it done! I’d like to think Kiki would agree.  Part 3 – This Year’s Red Ribbon Week Theme: Celebrate Life – Live Drug Free My old school always found one way each day to celebrate the theme. Here are ten ways I found to have fun, to celebrate life, drug-free this week, and the rest of the year.
1. Play with toys. 2. Get outside to play. To have fun.
3. Have fun in the water. 4. Find animal friends
5. Find human friends too. 6. Play sports.
7. Spend time with family. 8. Read a book.
9. Listen and play music. 10. Get creative with art. 
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 I firmly believe that if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. Self-care is more than eating nutritional foods. More than exercising. It’s believing in, and having confidence in yourself. It’s allowing yourself to make mistakes, and learn from them. That’s what this post is all about . . . caring for your own self-concept, for your own belief in yourself. It’s still true . . . if you don’t do it, no one else will. Quote #1 – As one goes through life, one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move. Who said it?  Katharine Hepburn  Katharine was an actress. She paddled her own canoe from the moment she stepped onstage in 1928 until she took her last curtain call for a TV movie in 1994. She was 87 years young. Katharine was known for the roles she played – strong-willed and sophisticated women, and they matched who she was in real life – with her headstrong independence, spirited personality, and outspokenness. She was one of my childhood heroines. When I grew up, I wanted to be as strong and independent as she was. Katherine was part of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but she did it her way. She wore pants before other celebrities did, way before I was born in 1959. I remember wearing dresses to school, and that was in the 60’s. We weren’t even allowed to wear culotte’s (shorts with a skirt in front) until 4th grade. That’s the year we were finally allowed to wear pants. THAT was a HUGE deal.  Quote #2 - You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety. Who said it?  Abraham Maslow  Abraham was an American psychologist. He stepped forward into something new when he focused on the positives of his patients. He believed they were more than a bag of symptoms. Abraham could have stepped backwards by focusing on the abnormal, the ill. He refused. Abraham taught psychology at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research, and Columbia University. He is best known for creating a hierarchy of needs. When I went to college to become a teacher back in 1977, I learned about that hierarchy. It made a lot of sense then, and I think it still does. This looks like a chart I would have studied in the 70’s. What stayed with me, all these years later – the needs at the bottom must be met first. If you don’t have food, water, warmth, and rest, it’s hard to move up to your need to be safe. It’s like the foundation of a house, if you don’t have a good one, it’s hard to build the upper floors of Belonging, Esteem, and Self-actualization.  If you’re living in the suburbs and suddenly lose your job, esteem and self-actualization are a lot less important. You’ll be focused on getting food, water, utilities, and shelter, the things you really need to survive. 
Photo Sources: 1. Abraham Maslow By - http://www.celebriton.com/abraham_maslow/photo/a_photo_of_abraham_maslow, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34062949 2. Maslow's Hierarchy By - Androidmarsexpress - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93026655 Quote #3 - Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. Who said it?  Albert Einstein  Albert was a theoretical physicist born in Germany. He immigrated to the US during WWII and became a citizen. He’s one of the few physicists who’s known around the world, but he’s also known for his values. Albert is famous for his theory of relativity. Have you heard of E = mc2? That’s his equation! He’s also known for his work in quantum mechanics. Together they form the heart of modern physics. Albert won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, partly because of his work in theoretical physics, but mostly because he discovered the photoelectric effect. He noticed when light strikes and hits something, electrons bounce off and become photoelectrons. Albert wasn’t afraid to be different. He believed nature worked systematically, not randomly, like throwing a dice. He also came up with the unified field theory, which I can’t even begin to understand, or explain. What I do get – he was willing to work outside the mainstream of physics. Albert could change his mind when the data changed. He joined several European scientists before the US joined WWII. They sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning him that the Germans were building nuclear weapons. They said the Americans should too. After the war, he said that letter was the great mistake of his life. He joined ten scientists, and they sent another letter. This time they warned the world about the danger of nuclear weapons. 
School’s out for the summer, and it’s lovely – more time for vacation and family – But it can also make it harder to get things done. If you need a little help, here are four tips from Justin Bennett. (@HealthyFit.info). I hope they’re just what you need.  Image via Pexels Having a baby or toddler makes life exciting and exhausting. However, working from home while managing your children presents an additional layer of challenges. If you are looking for ways to be successful when working remotely while taking care of your kids at the same time, follow these four tips.  1. Rely on Others Having a support system makes a huge difference when it comes to taking care of your kids while working. Your partner, family members, friends, and neighbors are all excellent resources when you need someone to watch your child. Sit down with your husband or wife and make a weekly schedule; it should note who watches your children and when. Do your best to include some child-free work time for yourself. Maybe there are a few days during the week it would be helpful for someone else to watch your child. Perhaps you need someone on standby for extra busy days. Talk to people in your support system, and see if any of them can tend to your kiddos on a regular basis or as needed.  2. Reorganize Your Processes If you are a company employee, over time you have probably gotten into the habit of doing things a certain way. Taking a step back and reevaluating your processes helps you realize there are faster options that save you time. For example, maybe your inbox is a mess, and you have simply gotten used to it being that way. Making a few teaks can make it easier to manage and track emails. Search online for articles and videos with helpful recommendations for reorganizing your inbox. If you are a freelancer, you have more flexibility with revamping your processes. Maybe you need help tracking your income. Instead of sending a generic email to customers as a bill, better track the amount and accuracy of payments using free tools. Check out this invoice maker. This allows you to create professional invoices that feature your logo and brand. Simply select from a variety of pre-built templates, and customize your invoice with your brand colors, business name, logo, and other important information.  3. Stock Up on Toys and Books Whether your kiddo is stationary, sitting, crawling, or running, having items to play with helps him or her stay busy while you work. Set up a play area in or near your office so you can monitor your child. Fill the area with kid toys, books, and games. Wash the toys on a regular basis to prevent germs from spreading. Stock up on toys without spending lots of money by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales.  4. Make To-Do Lists Many people find their lives run smoother when utilizing checklists. According to one article, 96% of those surveyed felt their lives were better when they used to-do lists. To prevent personal and professional tasks from slipping through the cracks, make a to-do list at the beginning of each day. Check items off as they are accomplished. Create other to-do lists throughout the month, such as bills or chores lists. As needed, add tasks from these indexes to your daily list. This ensures big-picture items are not overlooked and get tackled during the week.  While working remotely gives you more freedom, you need to take intentional steps to make sure your job and your little ones are tended to. Following these four tips brings balance to your workday while still loving on your children. Visit Rinda Beach for more.
I spotted this on one of my Private Facebook Groups, and I saved it to share with you. It made sense to me because I’ve done all of these things, tried to quit, and found myself going back there again. Bad habits, they’re hard to break! When I went back, my source had disappeared. I did a reverse picture search and found the original site on Tiny Buddha.com. I’m glad to give them credit.  1. Trying to please everyone – Have you ever felt like this? Like everyone wants a piece of you, and you just can’t say no? You don’t have to be a doctor to feel this way. It happens to everyone, even kids. I’m a retired teacher, and I used to feel that way all the time. I had kids at home and at school who needed me, and I tried to help everyone.  The result . . . I burned out. You can’t take care of everyone, if you don’t take care of yourself. Sometimes that means you have to say no to someone. Just make sure it’s not always YOU. Sometimes you need to say yes to your own needs and wants. If you’re happier, everyone around you should be happier too. 2. Fearing Change – No one likes it. Change is hard, but it’s inevitable. Everything changes. Kids do . . . they grow from babies to toddlers to high school graduates in the blink of an eye, and they’re excited about it. As a parent, I felt torn between being happy and sad.  Fear needs to be handled like anything else. I look for opportunities in it. Sometimes what I fear actually makes my life easier. Look at elementary age kids – no diapers. No terrible twos. It was my favorite time with my three kids. Losing a job/failing to find a new one – those are hard changes to make. When I’m in the middle of one, I look for silver linings. I wait for them. I know they’ll come, but I have to be patient and wait them out. You can too. 3. Living in the Past – You have no choice. You can’t stay in the past. It will quickly become the present, and eventually the future. Nothing stays the same forever. I’ve been a kid, an adult, a mom, and now a grandma. Each stage had things that were wonderful, and awful.  That’s life. It’s interesting that #2 fearing change, and #3 living in the past can be the same. You have to change to move into the future. For me, the trick is to minimize what’s awful. Then I look for silver linings. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to look for them. Sometimes you have to work, and make them happen. 4. Putting Yourself Down – Are you harder on yourself than you are on anyone else? Me too. It’s important to be honest with yourself, but you also need to give yourself a break, the kind you give other people.  I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve learned to forgive myself when I fall short. It’s hard. It’s easier to forgive someone else. My advice – Put yourself up. Recognize one thing you’re doing well. You have to believe in yourself to get things done. Put downs can stop your forward progress. 5. Overthinking – Do you examine every angle before you start something new? Thinking through consequences is a good thing . . . unless you freeze and can’t move forward.  I overthink things, but I’ve learned to balance it by looking for problems, and then coming up with solutions. If they don’t work, I make a new plan. Life is about problem solving, not perfection. I want to enjoy both the journey, and the challenges. My Summary – I’ve given you a list of don’ts, but I’d rather finish up with things to do.  1. Please yourself. If you’re not happy, no one else will be either. 2. Examine change. Look at it closely. Does it fit you and your style? Adjust as needed. You don’t have to change, for change sake alone. 3. Live in the present. Learn from the past, and plan for the future, but enjoy the here and now. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. 4. Compliment yourself. Celebrate what you do well, and what mistakes can teach you. 5. Make a plan and test-drive it. Correct as needed. Remember detours can be a good thing. 
Since Covid reared its head in 2020, we’ve all endured so much. Now that Covid’s waning, there’s something else to endure . . . the Ukraine. It hurts to watch the news. I endure by praying, by keeping the faith, and by doing what I can for the people around me. So here’s my newest post – 3 quotes from 3 people. They endured, and we can too. When I look at this photo, I see endurance . . . living in a wheelchair, the rehabilitation they’ve gone through, and the workouts to build strength. This is what endurance looks like.  Quote #1 – At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. Who said it? Frida Kahlo Below are two images of Frida. The first was taken by her father in 1932. Frida was 25. The second is a self-portrait Frida painted in 1940 at age 33. Frida endured more than most people can dream of. At age 6 she got polio. It changed her forever. Her right leg was shorter and thinner than her left one. She had to be isolated from her classmates for months, and kids can be mean.
Frida almost died in a bus accident when she was 18. An iron handrail sliced through her body. Her friends pulled it out. Can you imagine the pain she endured? Or your spine broken in 3 places, your leg in 11, and your foot crushed and dislocated? It took her 3 months to get back to work, but Frida was never the same again. The accident took away her dreams to become a doctor, and later a mom. They gave her pain, illness, and surgeries for the rest of her life. A friend said she “lived dying,” but she endured. She found another dream in her art. When she couldn’t sit or stand, she rigged an easel over her bed so she could paint. You can find braces and hospital beds in her work. She not only endured. She used her pain to grow as an artist.  Sources: Frida’s Quote: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Her Self-Portrait: By Frida Kahlo - Lloyd, Brigitte Gastel. "Portrait of the Artists". artroots.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3518151 Information: Frida Kahlo - Wikipedia Quote #2 – Ruptures almost always lead to a stronger project. Who said it? Anne Carson  This is Anne’s photograph from Amazon. She’s hard to find. Anne is a very private person. She’s also a college professor who’s been teaching the classics, comparative literature, and creative writing in the US and Canada since 1979. Anne specializes in teaching and translating the classics from Ancient Greece and Rome. She also works with more modern writers like Emily Bronte and Virginia Woolf. They’re all part of her teaching and writing. Anne loves to mix different kinds of writing together, from poetry to essay, from fiction to nonfiction. She likes to collaborate with singers, dancers, and visual artists. I’ve never read her work, but she must have a style all her own. Mixing and collaborating made Anne’s work unique, but it also led to problems. That’s when she switched gears and did something new. When she returned, the problem had worked itself out.  Ruptures happen all the time – to balls and fingers and pipelines. Have you heard a bone heals back together stronger than it used to be? It’s true for me and my work, and for anyone who has endurance.  Quote #3 – What do you do when there's nowhere to turn? You drive straight ahead. Who said it? Leslie Gordon Meet Leslie Gordon, her husband Scott Berns, and their son Sam. They got the news he had progeria in the summer of 1998. Sam was 22 months old, but it meant he’d age rapidly and die by age 14. Leslie and Scott specialized in pediatric medicine, but they discovered little was known about progeria. That there was little support for their family. With nowhere to go, they started their own research foundation to fill in the gap.  The Progeria Foundation has learned a great deal since 1998. They discovered the gene that caused it. Produced medicines that give children an extra 2 ½ years of life. They’re working at the DNA level to edit the genes that cause progeria. Without Leslie, Scott, and Sam, none of this would have happened. Sam Berns died in 2014. He lived three extra years thanks to the foundation. I listened to his 2013 TED Talk. It’s incredible! It’s about his philosophy to live a happy life. He found it in the important things, like band and good friends.  Here’s to the road ahead. There are problems out there, but we can face them, like Leslie, Scott, and Sam did. Who knows what we’ll discover? The possibilities are endless. For every problem we endure, something good can come out of it. 
It depends! On whether I’m picking them out at the library, or buying them online. Some things are the same, but some things are different. Part 1 – Picking Library Books: If you take a look at my newest picks, I bet you can figure out why they called me. They said take us home. Take a guess what they said . . . then check to see if you’re right!  When I go to the library, I wander through the shelves, but I only look at the new picture books. They’re displayed at each end of a row of shelves. I might pick a book or two on that first lap, but I might not. What do I look at? The titles and the covers! They invite me to pick them up, or ignore them. Occasionally I look at the back, or the inside flap to see what they’re about, but mostly I use that front cover to make my decision.
I picked Don’t Hug Doug because I like Carrie Finison. I’ve read a couple of her books, and I like the way she thinks. I picked Bright Star because I’ve met the author Yuyi Morales on a zoom class or two. I’ve also read a few of her books, and I liked them. I also loved their covers. Daniel Wiseman made the title big and bold. He added Doug beside his name. It’s nice and simple, and it tells me what it will be about. Yuyi’s cover intrigued me with its deer and cactus. I know it will focus on them, and I’m willing to pick it up to find out what’s at stake for them.
With my other two picks, the title and the cover made me pick them up and take them home. For Henry at Home, I liked the two kids on the cover, and I wondered what was going on between them. I must have been missing home because I picked another book about it. The title, A Home Again, and the tiny red house made me curious. Curiosity is a good thing when it comes to book covers. PS – when I finish reading each book, I add the title and author to my reading journal. I record what I liked and what I didn’t. They may/may not appear on My Reads. The best way to get a review is by matching up with the subject of my blog posts. There are books I read years ago that I loved, but never got to put on My Reads. If I sort of like a book/didn’t like it, I will never ever put it up. A bad review is devastating to the ego, but, it can also destroy a book’s chance to succeed and find readers like you. Part 2 – Picking Books Online: I can’t look at real books online so I shop at Amazon. These came up when I clicked Kindle titles. They’re based on my browsing and purchasing history.  These books popped up first. I’ve read all three authors, but the one that’s calling me is the third one, The Jane Seymour Conspiracy. I’ve already read the other 3 books in the series. The second book is from Alison Weir. I have her series on the six wives of Henry the VIII, except for his last one, Catherine Parr. She’s calling me back. I’ll pass on Jeff Wheeler for now, but his Druid is tempting. I love historical fiction!  Here’s the next row from Amazon. It’s Young Adult fantasy. I’ve had Harry Potter, the ‘real’ books for years. I don’t know K.M. Shea, but the cover isn’t calling me. I am curious about the books by Emily R. King. She has 2 series that came out after The Hundredth Queen. I’ll look at the titles, descriptions, and ratings to see if I want to check them out.  Shanna Swendson came up, big time on my search list! She has more titles on my kindle than any other author. I found 5 here, plus 2 more! Before I pick any of them, I’ll check the titles, descriptions, and ratings to decide.  This also came up on my search. I’ve never heard of Gaslamp Fantasy before, but here’s the Wikipedia definition – it’s a subgenre of both fantasy and historical fiction. It’s usually set in Victorian or Edwardian England. It fits – I love fantasy and historical fiction.
If I don’t see what I’m looking for, I keep searching. I check my favorite categories, my favorite authors, but I only buy, if I like the description and ratings. I want to know what other readers think about that story. If you’re happy, and you know it . . . Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but not for everyone. I have three quotes from three famous people. I hope they help you find a little bit of happiness.  Quote #1 – There is in the worst of fortune the best chances for a happy change. Who said it? Euripides! It came from one of his tragedies. Here’s a recording with a minute’s worth of information about him. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes If you’ve never heard of Euripides, I’m not surprised. He wrote tragedies about 2500 years ago. Would you believe only three writers from ancient Greece had their complete plays survive? I hadn’t heard of the other two either – Aeschylus or Sophocles. I think it’s amazing that a quote about happiness came from a writer who specialized in tragedies. Source: Euripides - Wikipedia This is how I’d illustrate Euripides’ quote, the worst of fortune leading to a happy change. It might be raining on their parade, but these two are still having fun, together.  Have you ever had something special planned, and then something goes wrong? It doesn’t turn out the way you expected. You could be sad, or you could look for the silver lining. Sometimes the unexpected, leads to more than you ever imagined. Quote #2 – The only way to be happy is to make others happy.  Who said it? William Carlos Williams. He was 20 when he wrote it in a letter to his mom. Back then he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Here’s a link to a minute-long recording about him. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes I’d never heard of William Carlos Williams. He was quite talented! He was a medical doctor, poet, novelist, essayist, and playwright. He may have been overshadowed by other writers, but he inspired the Beat generation of the 1950s and 60s. Who knew he lived a pretty normal life as a doctor for more than 40 years? Maybe that’s why his words still ring true to me! Sources: William Carlos Williams | Poetry Foundation William Carlos Williams - Wikipedia When I think about what William said, this is what I picture . . . SHARING. One of my firm beliefs is that when you give, you get. When you get, you give. They work together.  I’ve also heard that when you’re feeling down, look around. Look for something you can do for someone else. You’ll feel better, and so will they. I’d like to think that William Carlos Williams agrees with me too. How about you? Quote #3 – Whoever is happy will make others happy too.  Who said it? Anne Frank. She’s unforgettable. She was forced to hide in an attic for 2 years during WWII. That’s when she wrote this sentence about happiness. Here’s a link to her recording. It’s about a minute long. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes This is Anne, back in July 1942. It was taken two months before her family went into hiding. Her father knew about some concealed rooms in his office building. They were hidden by a bookcase. The photo below is a cutaway of that building. If you go to Wikipedia, you can enlarge it and identify each room. This model reminds me of a doll house, but this was no children’s game of hide and seek for the Franks. If they were caught, they’d be sent to a concentration camp.  Anne took the diary she’d gotten for her birthday into hiding. She wrote in it regularly until her family was arrested in August of 1944. They were sent to Auschwitz, one of the worst camps.  Anne and her sister, Margot, were separated from their parents in November of 1944. They were sent to Bergen-Belsen, another infamous camp. They died a few months later, sometime in late February or early March. No one knows for sure. Anne’s father was the only one in the family who survived the war. Otto lost his wife, his daughters. When he returned to Amsterdam, he found his secretary Miep Gies. She’d helped them hide, and she saved Anne’s diary. Otto published it in 1947 because Anne wanted to be a writer. She succeeded! Her diary has been published in over 70 languages. What Anne wrote about happiness is incredible. She was so young and so wise. She found happiness in writing, and I get to share it with you.  I found this photo when I tried to illustrate her words. Happiness is contagious. Can you imagine how it spread from the boy to the girl? I think the same thing happens when your favorite team wins a game. Their joy becomes yours.  Information Source: Anne Frank - Wikipedia
Photo Sources: 1. Her house: By Alexisrael - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31562690 2. Anne and Margot’s grave: By Arne List - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=184880 Part 1 – Talking Money – The Must-Have Conversation: This is a tough conversation . . . I had trouble writing my post last night for you. Talking money anytime is difficult, and doing it with your parents is even worse. If you’d like some advice, try this link. They have some ideas that might be helpful for you. Link: 6 Ways To Help Your Aging Parents With Their Investments | Bankrate  I was lucky . . . I didn’t have to initiate the talk. My parents did – after my dad’s heart attack. It changed their lives. They survived quadruple bypass together. Then they patched the potholes they found during that experience. They organized their important papers and told us where to find the things they’d need, like insurance and bank accounts. Then they made out their wills. They set up medical and financial powers of attorney to take care of each other. They added clauses to allow my sister and I to help them, if they couldn’t help themselves. I didn’t want to look at that information when they first put it together, but now looking back, I’m glad my parents made me do it. At some point in the last few years, I realized . . . that it’s my turn. My husband and I need to have that talk with our kids. We need to put our information together. We need to set up wills, and power of attorneys, but for now, my husband and I are putting it off, like we’ve done for years. It’s easier to put things off, than to push through to do them. Part 2 – Protecting Parents with Alzheimer’s: If you read Part 1, you’re on track to help your parents. If you haven’t, check out this link. It can help you catch up. Link: A caregiver's guide: Finance protection for those with Alzheimer's - CreditCards.com  My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s back in 2011. He lived with it until he died in 2015. Mom managed the house, the finances, and watched over Dad during those years. She was sharp as a tack then, and she still is! Mom’s mind is sound, but slowly, over the years, her body has weakened. Now she can’t live alone, so she moved into a senior citizen home in 2019. Mom still makes her own decisions, financially and otherwise, but I do her shopping and pay her bills. These tools helped me help her.
The Financial POA helps Mom the most. Through it she grants me the power to do the things she needs done. If she ever changed her mind, she could take my name off and put someone else’s on. Over the years we’ve learned to work together; to listen to each other. I try to give her room to make choices, and I try not to make them for her. She tries to listen to what I can do for her, and what I can’t. It takes teamwork from both of us. It will take the same for you and your parents.  If it’s hard for your parents to make good choices, you can set up a Revocable Trust. It limits how much your parents can spend, but it may change your relationship. No parent likes to be told what to do by the child they raised.
If your parents are no longer of sound mind, you can set up a conservatorship by going to court. You’ll have to prove your case to a judge. If they agree, they’ll set up a guardian to make decisions. The guardian would control their checkbook and credit cards. It’s a last resort; one I didn’t have to use. My parents helped me into this world, and now it’s my turn to help them leave it behind. Have you heard, “If you can be anything, be kind?” I have, and right now it feels like everyone could use a heaping helping of kindness. Here are three quotes from three famous people about kindness.  Quote #1 – No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Who said it? Aesop! You know the one from the fables? This quote came from the moral to “The Lion and the Mouse.” Here’s a recording with information I didn’t include. It’s about a minute long. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Aesop was a Greek storyteller who was known for his tales. Someone gathered them together to make Aesop’s Fables. He was born around 620 BC, before Christ. He died around 564 BC or BCE (before the common era). That’s almost 2500 years ago. Details get lost over time, but Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch wrote about him in their histories, so some details are still known. Aesop started life as a slave, but he was clever enough to win his freedom. He became an adviser to Greek kings and city-states. No one is quite sure what Aesop looked like. This is a Greek statue of him. It’s in a collection in Rome, but I’m not sure how old it is. There’s another image of him from a woodcut that was done 1489. It’s below, with my list of sources.  Do you know the story of “The Lion and the Mouse?” It’s #150 on the Perry Index. I’ve never heard of it before, but I like to learn new things. There are 584 fables on the regular list; more on the extended one. The fable – A mouse wakes up a sleeping lion. Mouse doesn’t want to be a snack so he asks lion to let him go. Lion does, but later he’s caught in a net. Mouse hears his cries and sets him free by chewing through the rope. Lion’s kindness is repaid. That’s the first version of the story. Later ones, in English have the mouse asking for freedom, saying he’ll pay lion back someday. Lion of course is tickled that such a tiny creature can help him.  Information Sources: Aesop - Wikipedia Aesop's Fables - Wikipedia The Lion and the Mouse - Wikipedia Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Photo Sources - Greek Statue - By user:shakko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5545991 - Lion and Mouse Sculpture - By Celeste Hutchins from The Hague, Netherlands - statue 2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2186911 - Woodcut to the left - By File created by me; art by Francis Barlow (died 1704) - The 1687 edition of Aesop's Fables with His Life: in English, French and Latin, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9510028 Quote #2 – More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.  Who said it? Charlie Chaplin. Have you heard of him? He was a famous actor who starred on stage and screen from the time he was a kid until 1976. That was a year before he died. Sorry, I couldn’t find a recording this time, but if you click this link, you can read their information. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes If you read the information from Daily Inspiration, it’s about this photo from Charlie’s movie The Great Dictator. Charlie wrote the script. The quote about kindness and gentleness is at the end of the movie. Charlie wanted it said in 1940 because of Hitler and World War II. I think it still needs to be said today.  Charlie may have become a famous movie star, but he didn’t start out that way. He was born in 1889 in London, England to a pair of music hall performers. His parents separated when he was two, and his dad left the family behind. His mom struggled with money. Charlie was sent to a workhouse twice before he was nine. That’s where you went when you were penniless. They’d give you a place to stay, and work to do. By the time he was 14, his mom was hospitalized for mental health issues, but a young Charlie was already taking care of himself – He was performing onstage in music halls. By age 19 he signed to do stage work with the Fred Karno Repertoire Company. The famous producer even took him to America. Charlie soon found his way into silent movies, and by 1918 he was a world-wide star. He was only 29. A year later he went in with three friends to found United Artists. It gave him the freedom to make movies the way he wanted – to write, direct, produce, edit, star in, even compose the music. His movies were known for their slapstick comedy, with a little tragedy/sorrow on the side. Charlie has a website. The link: Charlie Chaplin : Official Website  Information Sources: Charlie Chaplin - Wikipedia Charlie Chaplin : Official Website Photo Sources - Charlie starred as Adolf Hitler in The Great Dictator, 1940 – By United Artists - Cropped from File:The Great Dictator publicity still.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29507472 - Charlie in City Lights, one of his best movies, 1931 – By United Artists - www.creativelydifferentblinds.com/TVStageandFilm/CharlieChaplin/CityLights, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19983420 - Charlie as The Tramp – his iconic role, 1915 – By Essanay Studios - British Film Institute, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24496648 Quote #3 – The point is not to pay back kindness, but to pass it on.  Who said it? Julia Alvarez. She has published 17 books so far. Most of them are both in English and Spanish. She writes everything – poetry, nonfiction, novels, and picture books. Sorry, I couldn’t find a recording this time either, but if you click this link, you can read the information from Inspiring Quotes. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes This quote came from her essay an Aha Moment. Julia wrote about a horrible plane ride and the acts of kindness she saw during it. She also noticed how kindness inspires more kindness. Sometimes when life is at its worst, people rise to be their best. Julia was born in New York City in 1950, but she moved back to the Dominican Republic when she was 3 months old. Her family lived there for the next 10 years. Julia thrived! Maybe because Domincans value story-telling, and they nurture it too. In 1960 Julia’s dad helped with a plot to overthrow the dictator. The plot failed, and her family fled to the US. Can you imagine leaving everything behind?  That night Julia lost her home, her language, family and friends, everything she knew. She was homesick in the country she’d been born in, but it wasn’t home. She felt out of place, and people didn’t accept her because she was different. At school she was discriminated against because she was from Latin America and spoke differently, with an accent. How did Julia cope? She turned to books and literature. She had teachers who liked her writing and encouraged her to keep going. At age 13 her parents sent her to boarding school. They wanted her to have a better education than the local schools could offer. She also spent every summer visiting the Dominican Republic. Her parents wanted to make sure she kept her heritage and grew up properly. Those experiences with immigration, new schools, and living in two different worlds found their way into Julia’s books from the Garcia Girls to her Tia books. 
Part 1 – Meet Simone Biles – This photo was taken in 2018 at the Voice of America (VOA). It’s the largest and oldest international broadcasting company. It didn’t say why Simone was there, but maybe she stopped into say she was back in the gymnastics game again.  Did you know she took 2017 off? I didn’t! That was the year after the 2016 Brazil Olympics, and Simone won 4 gold medals, the most ever for an American gymnast. I’m glad she took a year off. Simone probably started training nonstop in 2011. That’s when she became an elite gymnast. Imagine training as your full-time job, and school what you fit around it. And Me Too – I never found her training schedule, but I considered going into music. I played 2 instruments, and I was told to practice an hour a day, per instrument. That was the minimum to go into music, not to become a GOAT. I wonder what Simone puts in, on 4 pieces of equipment, per day.  Can you imagine the stress of being a GOAT? You always have to deliver. There’s no room for mistakes, and everyone makes those. Did you watch Simone in team qualifications, or in the preliminaries? She was GREAT, but not perfect. She looked unhappy after each performance, even though she was at the top of the leader board. I wonder, if Simone’s a perfectionist. I’m a recovering one. I’m learning to be OK with mistakes, but I used to go over them, over and over, endlessly. Now I stop when they teach me something that will help me grow. I have a feeling Simone does that too.  I was shocked, when I heard Simone dropped out of the team finals. She put endless hours into each of her 4 routines, for 4 years. You don’t invest that kind of time, that kind of effort into something, then quit. I don’t, and I bet Simone doesn’t either. You keep going, whether you’re injured, or sick, until you hit a wall that tells you, YOU HAVE to. For me, it used to be losing my voice. Then I could call in sick and get my kids a substitute teacher. For Simone, it was the twisties, and they don’t look like this photo. Part 2 – What’s a Twistie? – It happens when a gymnast is flying through the air. They can’t tell where they are, or where to land. Planes have the same problem in fog. They don’t know which way is up, or down. I discovered twisties on July 28th when USA Gymnastics announced Simone’s withdrawal from team competition. I was shocked till I learned more. Simone said her mind and body just weren’t in sync. She also said she didn’t think many people understood how dangerous gymnastic surfaces can be.  Take a look at the picture above. It doesn’t look dangerous. Then look at the one below. It is! I thought Simone was upside down. NOT – she was in the middle of one of her twisty-airborne moves. If she lost focus, she might have landed on her head, or neck. YIKES!  Simone also talked about not having an inch of control over her body, not knowing where she was in the air. But even scarier, she had no idea how she was going to land . . . or where. I can’t imagine being brave and talented enough, to keep going after that first twistie.  I didn’t know Simone had the twisties before Tokyo, on floor and vault. This year the bars & beam piled on too. YUCK! I’m glad she took a break, but I’m also glad she came back and won bronze in the balance beam. I read that she did it for herself. Yay, Simone! Here’s to your new life beyond gymnastics! Part 3 – Daring Young Gymnasts – Do you remember the song about the daring young men on the flying trapeze? Now they’re flying around equipment in the gym. They’re defying gravity and some of the laws of physics. It’s crazy good, also a little scary.  Did you know that about 100,000 gymnasts are injured every year? The most common injuries are wrist fractures, cartilage damage, and ACL tears. Did you also know that gymnasts are starting earlier and doing more difficult moves?  Death is rare in gymnastics, but it happened to Melanie Coleman after a fall from the uneven bars. It also happened to Julissa Gomez in 1988. She was vaulting and slipped off the springboard. Falls are dangerous. Adriana Duffy and Sang Lan were both paralyzed by vaulting accidents 11 years apart. I’m glad there’s a new, safer springboard and horse for athletes today.  Men and women both vault over them, the gymnastic kind. Men also twist and rotate around pommel horses. It’s amazing what gymnasts can do, and they make it look so easy! Here’s the new springboard and horse. Look at the old one, then the new one. Can you see how they’re different, and why the new one is safer? I’m so glad someone figured that out.  Take a look at all the positions this young man rotated through in a few seconds. WOW! Gymnasts are amazing! How Can You Protect Your Young Gymnast? – I picked 10 tips to share. To read all of them click on this link: Safety Tips: Gymnastics (for Teens) - Nemours Kidshealth  1. Wear the proper equipment – wrist straps, guards, grips, and footwear. Use spotting belts for new moves. 2. Warm up and stretch. That’s true for any sport. 3. Only practice on padded floors, not a hard surface. 4. Find a good coach! Somone who knows the latest in safety. A good coach will spot you when you try new/difficult moves. 5. Tell your coach if you’re uncomfortable with a skill. If you can’t, tell a parent or an adult who’ll help you. Kids don’t want to tell anyone. I saw it with my own, and with my 2nd graders. Sometimes parents had to tell me what their child wouldn’t. 6. Don’t try a new move at a game or competition, UNLESS you’ve practiced it A LOT. 7. No jewelry, gum chewing, or clothes that can get caught on equipment. 8. Never train alone. 9. STOP! If you get hurt or feel pain. Then get it checked out by a grown-up. 10. Play other sports so that you don’t overuse the same muscles. That leads to injuries. CONGRATULATIONS to the Olympic athletes from all over the world! Win, lose, draw, or withdraw – you played the games and did your best. Thank you for the memories, for the inspiration you’ve given us, especially to the young athletes waiting in the wings for their turn. THANK YOU!   PS – OOPS! I forgot to write about mindfulness, but lucky for me, I already did! The link below will tell you what it is, and show you a few exercises that are great for kids. PPS – They can help us grown-ups too! Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach  Photo Sources:
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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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