families
When things look their worst, don’t despair. There are many old sayings about not giving up. Sometimes it is difficult to keep going when everything around you keeps falling apart. Frequently, there are videos on Facebook about men or women and families tossing out a person and letting them live on the streets. First of all, that is incredibly cruel. What are individuals supposed to do? Where can they go? They are suddenly alone and depressed. They sink into a new low and then as the videos go, a person appears and tells them ‘don’t despair.’ When people are selfish and unkind, how is a person supposed to react? I think the worst feeling is when you give your heart and soul to a person and not only do they not appreciate it, but they continually demand more money and help from you. In many of the videos, ungrateful adult children find a way to wipe out their parents and then toss them out. It’s a difficult world today and it’s not getting any better. Many people are looking for work because of lack of employment from COVID are having a terrible time. Telling them, ‘don’t despair’ is almost a slap in the face. It is easy to be discouraged but it takes strength and courage to face life’s difficulties and move forward. In the Good Gus series there are obstacles in many stories. Yet, the characters find a way to solve the issues, fix the problems and go in a positive direction. The series is online at Kindle with a few books on Nook and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” is easily found on these fine websites: 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Life is all consuming. Sometimes we become overwhelmed with all the details. For many people work is all consuming. They become so involved that they forget about their families. They believe that by working late they are doing the best job they can for their families. Sadly, they are not. If they allow the job to overcome them, they end up with no family, poor health and very few friends. There are videos all the time on the internet on Facebook about dads and even mums trying to earn money and working late just to please their boss. In the end, many of the hard working people end up without the promotion, the raise or a corner office because they weren’t savvy enough to play the politics game. They thought that their work would shine and it did. However, frequently a co-worker would take credit, claim that the employee was part of his or her team, etc. It’s not fair but that is the real world. There always needs to be a balance. Respecting yourself and your family needs to placed above your job. My late husband would become all consuming on the few occasions he made breakfast. He liked eggs over easy. However, if it broke, he threw it away. There were times he would throw out almost a dozen of eggs. In the Good Gus series, children tend to be all consuming when it comes to playing. In book twenty, “The Flying Cat,” JC becomes all consumed in rescuing a cat. He even risks himself. The series is available at Kindle with a few books on Nook and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” has characters who have one all consuming goal in mind. That is to get all the money and cheat everyone else. The book is available at these fine websites: 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
The first time I heard of dine and dash was on a “That’s 70’s Show.” I was shocked that people actually did that. Apparently, it is quite popular today. It’s now gone high tech. Small restaurants that have remained open with take away are failing due to this high tech dine and dash. The cheaters are placing orders and then disputing the charges. They are lying about their orders and not doing it immediately but waiting until the card has cleared for the restaurant. Then, they go back and dispute it and the shop owner is out of luck. They are also using stolen credit cards to steal as well. I think that the banks need to watch for this. I recently had a charge for a TV service on my Mae Charles. I knew exactly where I was the day they did this charge and I was no where near my home. Of course, I had to dispute it. What makes people believe that cheating and stealing is acceptable? Is it a joke to them? How would they feel if the situation was reversed? Would they do it to their own families? No one can really understand the criminal mind. I only know that the dine and dash affects businesses because they have lost the cost of the food, the time and electricity or gas cooking it, the packaging, the staff, the cost of the credit card fees and more. The perpetrators may think this is a joke, but it’s really not funny. In the Good Gus series it was impossible for dine and dash. Plus, the citizens would never do that to their neighbors. The series is online at Kindle with a few books on Nook and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” is also online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
What is for dinner is everyone’s question almost every day. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I like home cooked food all the time. Yet, there are many families who order take away as a way of life. What I don’t understand is how they can afford it. It’s quite expensive. There was a show on the Food Network entitled, “Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee.” She showed families and the person doing the cooking how to make meals that were affordable, tasted good, and didn’t take much prep time. If you were not a cook, her lessons were so simple that you could be. For example, rather than place an order for food, why not try looking in the frozen food section of the grocery. There are meals that can be prepared by baking a protein or possibly even microwaving it. There is also ‘Near East Pilaf” which comes with all the ingredients and is easy to prepare. Frozen vegetables can now be steamed so you could have a delightful meal with a little effort but not a great deal of expense. There are even a variety of desserts you can make, particularly brownies, that only require a few ingredients, mixing by hand and then placing in a pan to bake in the oven. There are a few brands that actually taste good without a chemical aftertaste. Trying to conserve during these difficult times should be a priority for many families. In the Good Gus series all dinners were homemade. The series is online at Kindle with a few books on Nook and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” is also available online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
Negativity comes in all forms and sizes. Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the states and is celebrated in a few countries in Europe simply because they like the holiday. Families get together and appreciate each other and have a nice day. However, that is not true for all families. In the states, families are still arguing about the elections. Rather than enjoy the day, their negativity flows through as they believe only their opinion is correct. You cannot change a person’s mind, so why argue about it. Politics are always a touchy subject, but this year in the states, it has been horrific. Even though they preach everyone has their own opinion, apparently it is not longer the case. A nice day was destroyed over negativity. There are families that seem to breed negativity. All the members are the same. Everything is bad and nothing is good. It’s not anything I care for. It’s a real task in learning how to overcome negativity. It’s not easy if you were raised that way. For example, a poor family may continually criticize anyone with money. Then, if one member of the family becomes successful, rather than say congratulations, they revert to negativity. They may say that the cheated to obtain their wealth, that they lied to get a promotion, etc. It’s all foolish. If you want to succeed you must believe in yourself and move forward. Look at Col. Sanders. He became wealthy when he was in his sixties. Nothing stopped him not even negativity. In the Good Gus series, there are no negative personalities. The world is difficult and I believe reading is a positive escape and it should be enjoyed. Yes, I do have subliminal lessons, but they are positive for young readers. The series is online at Kindle, with a few books on Nook and Waterstones. I have run out of “The Special Gift.” I will reprint very soon. “Misplaced Trust” is full of greedy negative people. It is available online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Today on the news, over five hundred children, who were in detention, have been abandoned by their families. It was shocking to me. The United States government is claiming they can’t locate their families. This makes no sense. Everyday between the news and YouTube videos you read or view articles about parents abandoning their children. I cannot understand why. What is going to happen to these children now? This will probably end up with a battle between the U.S. and Mexico. There is always talk about doing things for the children and everything is about the children. If that was true, why are there so many homeless children, starving children, neglected children and others suffering from all types of mistreatment? Talk is cheap. People need to step up as this is about money but at the same time it’s not. Children are our future and they need our help. When you look at struggling families, particularly during this period, mothers and/or fathers who have abandoned their families deserve nothing. We are all having a difficult time and with winter just around the corner, Covid on the rise and the flu, we need to band together and help each other. Famous celebrities who have abandoned their families pay a premium primarily with money. No one is exempt. In the Good Gus series, in “The Special Gift,” Liam was abandoned at an orphanage. Then, when a fire broke out, everyone forgot about him so he was abandoned a second time. Of course, as all of you who read this blog know that the story has a happy ending. It is just in time for Christmas and a great book for a new tradition on Christmas Eve. The series is online at Kindle, with a few copies on Nook and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” does have an abandoned character or two who feel guilty and revise their estate plan. The book is easily located online at: 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
When I was younger, if you even considered taking what is now termed as a selfie you would be called conceited. When you skim the internet news, instead of important events, there are articles about older women in bikinis, extremely skimpy clothes and even Madonna showing her bare chest. Seriously, there are important events in the world today. Yet these women are so conceited that they have to show their physiques. Is it to be noticed? Where are all the rules of decency gone? It’s easy to understand that women are proud of their figures, and many show off in dresses and appropriate attire. It has to be the conceited women who need to be noticed and possibly seeking approval. Other women, myself included, do not care how they look. We care how we look and our families’ appearances. In high school the conceited boys and girls were ignored. The phrase at the time was, “They are full of themselves.” They probably were but in retrospect no one really cared. The dictionary definition is having an excessively favorable opinion of one’s abilities, appearance, etc. There you go. In the Good Gus series, Bad Bart, book one, “Pecos Meets Bad Bart,” arrives in town and is quite conceited. He thinks because he wants something, he should receive it. He also believed it should be handed to him instantly. As we all know, Sheriff Gus solved the problem in a positive manner without anger. The series is online at Kindle, Nook and Waterstones. Remember, I have started crowd funding The site is https://www.gofundme.com/f/multicultural-gift-of-reading. “Misplaced Trust” is also available at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Most of us have too much drama in our lives. A day can’t go by without someone being upset or negative about something. The worst part is that it may not be any particular event in a person’s life. It could be about politics, the weather, a person at work or now working at home. It seems that the rise in divorce filings has occurred because of the virus. Couples that were never ‘stuck’ at home with each other all day, can no longer cope. Drams has permeated their lives. Families always have drama. There are families that are secretly getting together but not telling all members. They feel that is important but they need to consider both the very young and the old while doing this. Once other family members discover what has been happening, drama ensues. Now that the weather is improving in many parts of the world, sitting on patios, balconies, and porches are a good way to ease the tensions in many homes. You can also begin gardening even if you live in an apartment. There is curbside pick-up available for flowers, plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables in containers, potting soil and seeds can be purchased online. It’s a great way to end the drama at home and focus on growing and being outdoors. There is always a way to make things better if people would look beyond their noses. In the Good Gus series, there wasn’t really any family drama. There are exciting adventures awaiting the young reader. The books are also ideal for bedtime reading. The series is available online at Waterstones, Nook and Kindle. Misplaced Trust is available at these fine websites: 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Many people are unable to forgive another person when they do something wrong. It’s sad because holding a grudge is not good. It affects you physically, and emotionally. It is understandable, thought, when something devastating occurs. For example, if someone out of the blue attempts to harm you or your child, I can see why they may be unable to forgive the individual. Families tend to hold grudges and frequently are unable to forgive. It usually revolves around money. One of the reasons I wrote “Misplaced Trust” is to show how siblings who enjoyed holidays, trips, parties and events turned against each other once a person had passed. It might have been that they were not receiving the amount of money they wanted. Recently, I have noticed that parents are disinheriting certain children. They are angry and feel that they can’t be bothered with them now that they are aging. Plus, if they have slowly used their money to survive and don’t have the same funds, their child or children may decide that it’s unnecessary to pay attention to them. Then, the parents are unable to forgive. I try to convince them to at least leave their child or children something, but frequently they are adamant that they deserve nothing. They may be right, but they should at least be able to let go before it’s too late. In the Good Gus series everyone has the gift of forgiving. The series is online at Kindle, Nook, and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” can be found at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
When reality comes to light, so do the mean spirited people. Now that people are quarantined and frequently with their families, they are seeing a new side to their family members. As people continue to cope, the mean spirited people tend to appear. During WWII, many people were hidden, and quarantined to protect themselves. From all historical accounts, they appear to not have been mean spirited. After all, staying at home, catching up on reading, binge watching TV or the various streaming networks, should be easy. There are groups of people who have had to adapt to working at home. I have worked at home for a fair amount of my life, so it’s easy. Plus, when the weather is nice, a quick walk can easily revive you. The people who have it all seem to be the most mean spirited. They are taking their feelings out on the other members of their family rather than finding ways to communicate and be decent to each other. Also, today, Ellen DeGeneres, in an article about her employees seeming to be talking about her mean spirited demeanor when she is off camera. I know she has been generous to many people over the years, and everyone loves her on air persona, but apparently, off air is another matter. When it was discovered that the Barefoot Contessa would not cook with a dying boy from the Make a Wish Foundation, her status dropped immediately. She eventually did cook with him, but she is not as popular as she once was. When anyone hides behind a personna and then their real self is revealed, it takes its toll for anyone in the public eye, at work, or even with your family. There was really no one who was mean spirited in the Good Gus series. Bad Bart was not nice, but he never pretended to be. The series is online at Nook, Kindle and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” is full of mean spirited characters. It is online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
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The Special Gift
$ 8.97
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Cory Returns
$ 8.97
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The Cattle are Restless
$ 8.97
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Pecos Meets Bad Bart
$ 7.97
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Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride That Bull
$ 8.97