Monthly Archives: May 2018

May 28, 2018 · 7:41 pm

A Memorial Day Thank-you to Those Who Remember and Honor

Yesterday I read an article in the local paper that touched my heart. The article was about a man who traveled to Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France to visit the grave of his brother who was killed in World War II. Many people, most of them strangers to the man, helped him pay for his trip to France.

What touches my heart and is the reason for this post is that French citizens take it upon themselves to take care of the brother’s grave and some other graves. There are other things those people could be doing with their time, rather than go take care of graves of soldiers they didn’t know, soldiers who came from thousands of miles away and who died a long time ago.

I don’t have anyone in my family buried in a foreign cemetery, but I thank people, like those in France, who set aside part of their busy lives to remember and honor American soldiers who died and are buried far away from home.

P. Booher

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May 21, 2018 · 8:00 am

Job Search/Support Ideas

I want to start a job search/support group in my local area. By job search/support group I mean a group that meets to help each member find jobs, or to help people deal with the jobs they have. Some people say there is a need for one, but beyond that, don’t give ideas. While I have ideas of my own for the group, I appreciate more feedback. So in this post, I am throwing out questions for anyone who has looked for a job, or is looking for a job now.

Please note: I welcome any respectful suggestions that indicate some thought has been given to them. However, any sarcastic comments or any comments containing language I deem offensive will be removed.

1. Have you participated in a job search/support group before?

2. If so, how long did it last? How many people participated? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it?

3. Were there any topics not covered you wish would have been included?

4. If you haven’t been in such a group, but think it would be worthwhile, what would you like a job search/support group to have? What topics would you like included?

Thank you.

P. Booher

 

 

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May 14, 2018 · 8:00 am

Diving Into A Sea of Books–Writer To Writer

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Photo Credit: Pexels.com

As an avid reader, I get excited about the great number of books out there to read, either for entertainment, education, inspiration or with some books, all three. The quantity available in print, audio, and e-books reminds me of the vast amount of life in the oceans, so I call these book reviews “Diving Into A Sea of Books”. As with diving into an ocean looking for interesting objects, diving into books means you come across mixed results: over here, a book you don’t bother to finish, over there, a “treasure”–one that you like so much you can’t wait to reread it, and over there, a book you read and think, “Meh”.

Writer To Writer, subtitled Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing, by Cecil Murphey, is based on Mr. Murphey’s blog. Each of the book’s entries is short, one page in length, so the information is easy to digest. Mr. Murphey discusses using proper grammar, confusing words (which/that, for example), displaying professional behavior in interactions with other writers, editors, agents and publishers, following writing guidelines, dealing with writers’ block, handling rejections, having work edited, and many other facets of writing.

Mr. Murphey points out that if a person really wants to improve his writing, there are many ways to do it, such as books, blogs, classes, and conferences. He also points out that it takes time to learn to write well.

Comment: I hesitated buying this book; for me, it was a bit on the pricey side. However, I am glad I bought it. I refer to it often. One downside: my paperback edition published by OakTara doesn’t have an index, which in my opinion would have been helpful. However, there were several blank pages at the end, so I made my own customized index, listing answers to questions that repeatedly come up.

P. Booher

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May 12, 2018 · 10:30 pm

Recipe–Marbelized Squares

1/2 cup butter (or oleo)

6 Tablespoons sugar

6 Tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or vanilla extract)

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1  six ounce pkg. chocolate pieces (or chips)

Beat butter until light; add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla to mix thoroughly.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to first mixture. Stir in walnuts. Spread in greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan. Sprinkle chocolate pieces evenly over top.

Place in moderate oven (350 degrees) for one minute. Remove from oven and run a knife through dough to marbelize it. Return to oven and bake 12-14 minutes. Set pan on rack to cool. When cool, cut in two-inch squares. Makes approximately two dozen bars.

Note: This is a sweet treat.

P. Booher

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May 12, 2018 · 10:11 pm

The Abby Chronicles–My Beauty Sleep Interrupted

abby-ready-to-write

Here I am, ready to write my story!

Chapter V

As a cat, I need a lot of beauty sleep. You’d think humans would know that, don’t you? Especially since I have been living with these humans for some time now.

But no–these humans don’t get it!

I was lying on a kitchen chair dreaming of catching a fat mouse, when the oven door right across from my chair opened with a bang. That did it for my dream. The younger human said something about “making marbelized squares”, made a lot more noise taking things out of the oven, and then closed the oven door with another bang.

I thought, “How rude! Here I am sleeping, and she wakes me up! She has no consideration at all.”

The noises continued–banging of doors, clanging of tableware–as the human got whatever she needed to make the squares. I kept lying there, wishing the human would leave and let me go back to dreaming of the fat mouse. Things got worse, though, because the other human came in the kitchen. Now there were two of them making noises. I heard some strange noises on the table above me, then the oven door opened, closed, opened again and then closed again. Some time later the oven door opened, the human took something in a pan out, closed the door, opened it again, and this time left it open. Hot air came wafting over my way. Just when I thought I’d get up and let the humans know how undesirable all this activity was, they walked out of the kitchen.

Phew! I’m exhausted from listening to all their work. I’ve got to get my beauty sleep!

P. Booher

 

 

 

 

 

 

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