I Feel So Unnecessary

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day A.K.A How to Build Literacy, Support Community, & Make Magic Happen All in One Day In 2010 I had two young children whom I was bringing to story hour at our local bookstore almost every week. After all, what better activity to do with kids? It was enriching, fun, even relaxing. I didn’t have to feel guilty when I drank that 700 calorie butterscotch latte from the coffee bar. I was running back and forth between adult fiction and the flower-flocked children’s section—working off the calories for sure. My kids probably didn’t realize it was as much of a treat for me as for them. Which started me thinking—were other parents in on this secret? How many children knew the pleasure of spending time in a bookstore? I frequent the mystery listserv, DorothyL, and a more avid group of readers you couldn’t hope to find. When I floated the idea for Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, bloggers on the listserv spread the word. My husband...

 Benefits of Staying Positive  Why Staying Positive Matters  Researchers have come out with countless studies showing that staying positive is good not only for wellbeing but for physical and mental health. The reason they think that the positive thinkers fair better in the long run is because they are better equipped to deal with stress and stressful situations. The positive thinkers recover much faster from stress and in general have no long term effects associated. Stress is very dangerous and can lead to many ailments. These can include fatigue, headaches, weight gain, inflammation, and insomnia just to name a few. Staying positive is one of the main keys to eliminating the harmful and long lasting effects day-to-day stress. Focus on the Positive There are many situations where individuals get stressed but the most stressful events are those that have the ability to permanently affect and/or alter our lives. A situation such as losing a job or ...

                                        Homecomings are at the Heart of “Christmas at the Homeplace” Several “homecomings” are at the heart of the stories in “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Are homecomings important in your family? They sure are in ours. I am writing this on Veteran’s Day. Many of the stories I see online and on the television focus on Veteran’s returning from overseas service for the holidays. One of these stories is a core story in “Christmas at the Homeplace.” Sergeant Travis Inman has been away from his family, serving a tour of duty in Bosnia, during 1996. His unit is supposed to get home before Christmas, but will they, is the question being asked by his family in Oak Springs. He has a young son, Zach, who is anxious to see his father, again. But, he also has a dau...

( Today's guest post is from Hallmark Care Homes discussing the early signs of dementia)                                                          Identifying Early Signs of Dementia We hear an awful lot about Dementia these days, mainly because far more people are now living well into old age. What is somewhat alarming is the estimate that, on top of the cases we already know about, there may be as many as 400,000 sufferers who haven’t even been diagnosed. One of your nearest and dearest may be one of them. So how do you spot the early signs of Dementia ? Unfortunately, the disease creeps up slowly and steadily so that, if you are seeing someone regularly, you might not even be aware of any deterioration....

  The Family That Stays Together One of my fondest childhood memories was going to the county library that was located at the end of   my street.  In those days, absent video games, Xboxes, and iPads and when television only had three channels, I spent a lot of time at the library checking out book after book.  My parents encouraged my reading and challenged me to read more than the ten books for the library’s summer reading club.  That was always such an easy contest. My sisters and I spent lots of time outdoors making up stories about each other, entertaining ourselves and showcasing the tales to a neighborhood audience.  While a Girl Scout, my Scout Leader, Mrs. Ford surprised me with a blank journal as gift.  “I noticed you liked to write,” she said when she handed it to me.  I wondered how she knew that and at the same time wondered if it was true.  Did I really like to write?  I knew I liked to read, but was I a writer? ...

Helping a Loved One With Dementia Dementia is a term that covers several different conditions but mainly refers to Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form. Dealing with the daily challenges presented by dementia requires love, patience and spiritual strength. The different stages of Alzheimer's and how to help someone manage them are outlined below. Stage One   The first stage of dementia is when the symptoms of the disease initially appear. These may include agitation, confusion and mild memory loss. This may cause an individual to get lost in familiar territory, such as on the way to work or to a friend's house. It can also lead to deteriorating performance on the job and frustration at having to be reminded of things over and over. The individual may also struggle to keep bills paid or with managing money in general. Stage Two   The midstage of the disease is the longest, lasting up to a decade in some people. At this point, everyday act...

   (Yester day I reviewe d Art Maines' boo k Scammed. Today he w rites about the m os t common types of scams.)            The 5 Most Common Types of Scams Against the Elderly an d How to Spot Them Crimes against the elderly are on the rise. Scammers target seniors and use sophisticated techniques to fleece them. Here are the most common scams targeting the elderly. 1. “Nigerian Scam,” also known as an “advance-fee” scam. This is where the crooks tell your elder they can earn some money and help the scammer get some money out of a bad situation in a foreign country by either sending the criminals some money, or giving the criminals their bank account number. Recognizing Email, letter, or phone call claiming to be from someone in another country who is trying to get a large sum of money out of that country. Scammer says they are being persecuted or are in some kind of danger (often political or rel...