tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24015882701423956892024-03-13T13:54:48.189-06:00Rebecca H. JamisonSweet Romance and Women's Fictionrebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.comBlogger277125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-57986409851203051692021-09-07T17:02:00.002-06:002021-09-07T17:02:52.638-06:00Peace Insurance
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1r7pdtJn05o/YTfu7N3PXzI/AAAAAAAAEeE/-zHXZjYbNLQnS3gAQf7YxbCVQtjEHb3iwCPcBGAsYHg/s2560/IMG_20160528_143318127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1r7pdtJn05o/YTfu7N3PXzI/AAAAAAAAEeE/-zHXZjYbNLQnS3gAQf7YxbCVQtjEHb3iwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20160528_143318127.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Sometimes
during the storms of life, I start to notice the mud more than the shiny green
leaves and sparkling stones along my path. It had been a stressful year,
dealing with my father’s death and other family health problems, and I wanted
to restore my life to its previous luster. I had read John Kralik’s <i>365
Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life</i>, but I
had never followed his example to write a thank you note a day. At this point,
though, I needed to make a colossal change, so I set the goal: write 365 notes
of gratitude during the coming year.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">After buying
handfuls of pretty notecards at a discount, I wrote the first 100 notes. These
included letters to my husband, my kids, extended family members, teachers,
coaches, and neighbors.<span> </span>Like a gold
miner, panning for gold, I was finding glittery flecks among the dull dregs of
my life. Each tiny fleck increased my happiness, and my joy continued to grow
as my friends and family reciprocated by sending notes in return.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I taught
myself how to use a spreadsheet and kept track of each note written, as well as
those I planned to write. This was an important step, as I often forgot which
notes I’d sent and which I’d only thought about sending. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAvzpLEoOjA/YTfvMzniGAI/AAAAAAAAEeM/HHMbfAxORV49dHrx-f6fA8RXSGzmMPV2QCPcBGAsYHg/s2560/IMG_20160812_130250864_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAvzpLEoOjA/YTfvMzniGAI/AAAAAAAAEeM/HHMbfAxORV49dHrx-f6fA8RXSGzmMPV2QCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20160812_130250864_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />After those
first 100 notes, it became more difficult. I wracked my brain, tracking down
old friends and communicating my thanks through social media. I thanked
neighbors for keeping their lawns beautiful. I wrote short post-it notes with
compliments for each student I taught in middle school. I also wrote my elderly
aunts and uncles. I thanked my Aunt Carol for taking my mom on fun vacations,
my Aunt Sharon for taking me camping as a child, my Aunt Eleanor for nurturing
my love of music, and my Uncle Dick for coaching me on etiquette.</span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I couldn’t
have known that within the next year, three of my aunts and one of my uncles
would pass away. Because I was traveling in Africa at first and then because of
Covid-19, I couldn’t say goodbye to any of them in person, but, as I reflected,
I realized I’d already said exactly what I needed to say in the notes I’d sent.
The thank you notes had become a sort of peace insurance for me, assuring that,
in case anything happens to my loved ones, I’ve already told them how much I
appreciate them.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIPO5waHUD4/YTfvkD53_iI/AAAAAAAAEeU/Z7EE3eB0MFg8xJmolsZoDBDpo7PGzGUOACPcBGAsYHg/s2560/IMG_20160528_124720170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIPO5waHUD4/YTfvkD53_iI/AAAAAAAAEeU/Z7EE3eB0MFg8xJmolsZoDBDpo7PGzGUOACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20160528_124720170.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />I found the same
source of peace when Covid-19 cut our school year short. I was so relieved I’d
already told my students what I admired about them because it turned out I
wouldn’t get a chance to write in their yearbooks or say goodbye in person.</span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Hard things
continue to happen in my life, but my gratitude project allows me to see past
the muddy mess to the brighter patches. Better than that, each little note
holds the power to help someone else glimpse the golden sparkles they might
have otherwise missed along their own paths.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-18807085357064241782021-06-11T13:03:00.003-06:002021-06-11T14:17:38.173-06:00New Novella Available Today<p> </p><div dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_m1"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VSMZxaKcxU/YMOvxSNwGxI/AAAAAAAAEXw/P3xpKKdjibYrBuVo3jVjYefbxD8Fh53pwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Coming%2BHome%2Bebook%2Bcover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1384" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VSMZxaKcxU/YMOvxSNwGxI/AAAAAAAAEXw/P3xpKKdjibYrBuVo3jVjYefbxD8Fh53pwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Coming%2BHome%2Bebook%2Bcover.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm happy to announce that I have a new novella out today. It's the final book in the <i>Coming Home</i> collection, and you can get it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096WF1W51">kindle here</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home.../dp/1637322720/ ">paperback here</a>, <span>as well as on other platforms.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: small;">My novella is called <i>The Dance</i>. The main characters are Mari and Nick. Mari is from Jamaica, and Nick is a refugee from Sudan who was adopted as a young boy and raised in the USA. The book takes place at BYU-Idaho and will definitely help you feel a part of the student social life there. If you know me at all, you know how much I love dancing! I had so much fun with the ballroom dancing parts, but I also loved writing about quaint little towns, snowstorms, and service projects.</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: small;">I love the other novellas in the collection as well. They are all based on returned missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">My friend Renae Weight Mackely wrote <i>No
Guessing Required</i>, the first novella in the series. In it, Tyler returns from his mission knowing his feelings for
Raychel have blossomed into love, but she resists reciprocating, intent on
submitting her own missionary papers.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Melissa Cunningham wrote <i>Storm-tossed. </i>Melissa is so talented at writing emotions, and she doesn't disappoint in portraying some difficult emotions in this novella. <i> </i>Raychel’s cousin, Daila, invites newly returned
missionary, John, to a YSA activity, intending to keep him “safe” from other
girls until Karilynn, gets home from her mission. But Daila can’t resist her
first taste of a man’s attention.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Our friend Janice Sperry started us down this path of writing novellas with her cute story called <i>Dumped, </i>which is the third novella in the book, but Janice actually wrote the novella before any of us started working on ours.<i> </i>In this story, Karilynn returns from her mission and, in a series
of innocent and hilarious events, has people believing that she and her
brother’s friend, Patrick, are dating. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
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<![endif]--></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-22927477105368763782021-05-10T12:41:00.004-06:002021-05-10T12:41:45.979-06:00New Book due June 1: COMING HOME<p>I'm pleased to announce that I have a novella coming out on June 1! It's part of a collection of novellas about returned missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is definitely one of more romantic stories, and I'm so pleased that we've found a publisher for it.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7gPSmcUFrQY/YJl9uvZeRUI/AAAAAAAAEV4/_EJKFnFA-gcOzeN99BHaJEfvDbD4njGuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s444/182700223_2134965026646248_6395960954277379177_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="300" height="429" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7gPSmcUFrQY/YJl9uvZeRUI/AAAAAAAAEV4/_EJKFnFA-gcOzeN99BHaJEfvDbD4njGuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w290-h429/182700223_2134965026646248_6395960954277379177_n.png" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span></span><br /></div><p></p><p><i> </i>Here is the back cover copy<i>. </i>My novella is the final one in the collection. It's called <i>The Dance</i>:<br /><i></i></p><p><i>COMING HOME</i> is all about finding love and eternal companionship. Laugh, cry, and root for your favorite couple. These faith-filled, sequential novellas feature overlapping characters with stories of their own. <br /><br />In <i>No Guessing Required</i>, Tyler returns from his mission knowing his feelings for Raychel have blossomed into love, but she resists reciprocating, intent on submitting her own missionary papers.<br /><br />In <i>Storm-tossed </i>Raychel’s cousin, Daila, invites newly returned missionary, John, to a YSA activity, intending to keep him “safe” from other girls until Karilynn, gets home from her mission. But Daila can’t resist her first taste of a man’s attention.<br /><br />After being <i>Dumped</i>, Karilynn returns from her mission and, in a series of innocent and hilarious events, has people believing that she and her brother’s friend, Patrick, are dating. <br /> <br /> In <i>The Dance</i>, Nick secretly takes an interest in Mari, but knows he has little hope of ever dating her. Trying not to have any ulterior motives, Nick helps Mari’s boyfriend prepare for his mission by getting him a job at a dance studio. That’s when everyone gets a chance to change partners.<span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KS8ANfMaO70/YJl9ojZTfQI/AAAAAAAAEV0/uuL98rLYJuEP3uUsHpn_kqjR8jy7f9EvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s444/182700223_2134965026646248_6395960954277379177_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KS8ANfMaO70/YJl9ojZTfQI/AAAAAAAAEV0/uuL98rLYJuEP3uUsHpn_kqjR8jy7f9EvwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/182700223_2134965026646248_6395960954277379177_n.png" /></a></div><br /><div>
</div><p class="m_-2748337122845642407western" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 5.75pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></p><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span>rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-84309203783969115142020-08-27T15:06:00.003-06:002020-08-27T15:08:48.128-06:00Nine Strategies for When You're At the End of Your Rope<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYbVF71Elx8/X0ggPCD1fCI/AAAAAAAAEF4/X549n0xlHw0E2pV4jOcPF_pal76DTPQDACPcBGAsYHg/s2560/IMG_20161023_184522389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYbVF71Elx8/X0ggPCD1fCI/AAAAAAAAEF4/X549n0xlHw0E2pV4jOcPF_pal76DTPQDACPcBGAsYHg/s640/IMG_20161023_184522389.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Have you ever had a bad day that turned into a bad month or maybe, in the case of 2020, a bad year? It's been one of those weeks, and I find myself needing a pick-me-up, so I made myself a to-do list that hopefully will help me out of my funk. I'm going to put my list here, but please comment if you have anything you do to improve your outlook when times get tough. Here we go:<br /><p></p><p>1. List ten good things that have happened lately.</p><p>2. Make some art. Lately, I've done some Aboriginal dot art, but I also like to copy hand lettering that I see online. Here's one I did today:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RdqjuaBcJq0/X0ge1CGijBI/AAAAAAAAEFs/q_xsB5qAyDYguA68QxQcN8Hsq0shhwxiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20200827_145822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RdqjuaBcJq0/X0ge1CGijBI/AAAAAAAAEFs/q_xsB5qAyDYguA68QxQcN8Hsq0shhwxiQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/20200827_145822.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>3. Listen to Bossa Nova music. I discovered how much I love this music while on vacation in Portugal last summer. The woman in the apartment below our AirBNB played it during the afternoons while she relaxed in her hammock. Find my favorite <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lhxvpmldek&t=657s">here</a>. <br /></p><p>4. Call a friend, neighbor, or friend. Bonus points if you call someone who may be lonely.</p><p>5. Grab a trash bag and collect stuff around your home to throw out, recycle, or donate.</p><p>6. Step outside and admire the view.</p><p>7. Have a little teatime with an actual pot of tea and a tiny snack. I like turmeric herbal tea lately since turmeric is known to help improve your mood.<br /></p><p>8. Find some pictures that represent happy memories and put them where you will see them, either on your phone or somewhere in your home.</p><p>9. Try an online meditation, like one of <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/mindfulness-meditation-downloads/">these</a>.<br /></p>rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-56642226283553258632020-08-12T11:54:00.002-06:002020-08-12T11:54:48.350-06:00The Spots are Growing on Me<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I used to be a sold color kind of girl. I like to keep my wardrobe
simple. No spots or patterns for me. Still, I'm coming to appreciate the beauty in multicolored patterns.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DjkM4pU_n28/XzQsgzv-UzI/AAAAAAAAEEo/dukQQmnatQE_MhDMo6iUj9xrUtrdA5QhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20191018_184346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DjkM4pU_n28/XzQsgzv-UzI/AAAAAAAAEEo/dukQQmnatQE_MhDMo6iUj9xrUtrdA5QhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191018_184346.jpg" /></a></div> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first adopted my dog, a Catahoula with a speckled
coat, I bought him for his personality, not his freckled appearance. At the
time, I would have preferred a solid-color dog. Over the years, though, his
spots have grown on me. I love how his black fur feels silky while his white
fur is rough. In the sun, his brown fur stands out from the gray. And I love
how the top of his mouth is just as speckled as his face.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHfHtXuBCUs/XzQl2NM7JsI/AAAAAAAAEEU/kt9_mBw377ojN5L3sjzQAucm2dajfA-EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/shell%2Bfrom%2BCape%2BVerde.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHfHtXuBCUs/XzQl2NM7JsI/AAAAAAAAEEU/kt9_mBw377ojN5L3sjzQAucm2dajfA-EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/shell%2Bfrom%2BCape%2BVerde.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Last year, when we were traveling in Cape Verde, a street
vendor gave my son a beautiful shell, hoping that we would in turn buy some of
his wares. Being a shell-lover, I wanted the shell more than anything he had on
the table to sell, but I felt obligated to buy a wooden necklace, just so I
wouldn’t feel guilty accepting the beautiful shell. Later on, after my son
carried the shell in his suitcase for a few days, we realized that the shell
wasn’t clean, and we had to triple-bag it to keep from stinking up all
his clothes. After we returned home, it was a chore getting all the smell out
of it. My son tried boiling it at first, which only resulted in the whole house
smelling like a dead sea animal. Then we tried a soak in vinegar and finally a
24-hour soak in bleach. Now the shell sits on my mantle, a humorous reminder of
Cape Verde, the street vendor, and its stench.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rWFfCqsRVo/XzQl8q8kmDI/AAAAAAAAEEY/skDNhgsNYNgm3KQbdFSh_VBK4nYOQcHsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Levi%2527s%2Bpale%2Bpatch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rWFfCqsRVo/XzQl8q8kmDI/AAAAAAAAEEY/skDNhgsNYNgm3KQbdFSh_VBK4nYOQcHsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Levi%2527s%2Bpale%2Bpatch.jpg" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>My youngest son was born with a couple pale patches in his
hair. At first, his hair was blonde and the spots were a much lighter shade of
blonde. The patches have remained a pale shade of blonde as the rest of his
hair grew darker. I love to run my hands through his hair and find the blonde parts. It reminds me of when he was a baby.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I’ve always loved this poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins:</span><br /><blockquote style="border: medium none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pied
Beauty </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Glory be to God for dappled things
–</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> For skies of
couple-colour as a brinded cow;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> For
rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls;
finches’ wings;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Landscape
plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> And
áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All things counter, original,
spare, strange;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Whatever is
fickle, freckled (who knows how?)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> With
swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He fathers-forth whose beauty is
past change:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; text-indent: -12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Praise him.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="" style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-43105816651251947082020-07-20T14:31:00.001-06:002020-07-20T14:31:17.033-06:00I'm Donating July's Profits to OUR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am in awe of the great work that Operation Underground Railroad does to help defeat human trafficking, so I would have participated in a fundraiser for them any year, but this year, I'm feeling an even greater need to get outside myself. I've been in my own bubble of social distancing, being extra productive at home. At the same time, watching all the racial upheaval, I've felt really sad about so many things that shouldn't have happened in the past--things I can't change now. Contributing to OUR is a great way to help disadvantaged children and adults today. Working with OUR, we can help change the future for the most vulnerable in our society. I always feel happier when I contribute to this great cause.</div>
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I will be donating my sales from July to OUR, and there are other great authors donating profits as well. You can find a link to donate and also a list of authors who are donating <a href="https://my.ourrescue.org/fundraisers/authors-for-freedom?fbclid=IwAR0ZVn3oNFA4KFYMNQLzJwvtcAo3E1lBBU_qTPBYTltU36jRxOTxh0ASiKA">here</a>.</div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-4233512462408546592019-10-21T09:00:00.000-06:002019-10-21T09:00:08.310-06:00North by Northanger Now Available<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xEM8o7QM78/XZASBrM01-I/AAAAAAAAD2c/3IFeMrVbq6cxw8B9oXAhu08mt3pSoOTJQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/North%2Bby%2BNorthanger%2BFRONT%2BCOVER%2Bnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xEM8o7QM78/XZASBrM01-I/AAAAAAAAD2c/3IFeMrVbq6cxw8B9oXAhu08mt3pSoOTJQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/North%2Bby%2BNorthanger%2BFRONT%2BCOVER%2Bnew.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I am so excited to let you know that <i>North by Northanger</i> is now available to buy! I had so much fun writing this little mash-up of Jane Austen's <i>Northanger Abbey</i> and Alfred Hitchcock's <i>North by Northwest</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/North-Northanger-Rebecca-H-Jamison/dp/1696043662/">Click here to buy the paperback.</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/North-Northanger-Rebecca-H-Jamison-ebook/dp/B07YGRGG72/">Click here to buy the kindle version.</a><br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">While
Eva Morland waits for her first-ever blind date to arrive, she meets Grant
Tilney. Not only does flirting come easily with Grant, he also shares her
appreciation for black-and-white movies and vintage diners. After he leaves,
she notices that he left his phone behind. Setting out to find his office and
return the phone, she knocks on a warehouse door. The man who answers mistakes
Eva for a government spy<span style="color: red;"><span class="msoDel"><del datetime="2019-05-01T22:20">, </del></span></span><span style="color: teal;"><span class="msoIns"><ins datetime="2019-05-01T22:20"> </ins></span></span>who’s
come to investigate his crime ring. He and his partner force Eva into a car and
drive her to a secluded trailer in the country.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Eva’s
kidnapping sets her down a path of suspense and romance, as she uses all her
wits to escape from the bad guys and prove her true identity. Grant comes to
her rescue, hiding her in the cab of his semi-truck, but it seems that<span style="color: teal;"><span class="msoIns"><ins datetime="2019-05-02T11:57"> </ins></span></span>the
criminals are always a step ahead.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
Grant is the only one who believes Eva, but as they journey North, Eva starts
to question Grant’s<span style="color: teal;"><span class="msoIns"><ins datetime="2019-05-02T11:59"> </ins></span></span>identity and motives. She must
discover for herself if Grant is one of the good guys or bad guys. Only then
will she know whether he’s worth the risk of her own life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
Fans of Hitchcock and Jane Austen will enjoy this modern mash-up of <i>North by
Northwest</i> with <i>Northanger Abbey</i>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-21413940655409135152019-09-28T20:09:00.002-06:002019-09-29T15:51:07.040-06:00Coming in October: North by Northanger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xEM8o7QM78/XZASBrM01-I/AAAAAAAAD2Y/cofI7QOVPggbVdniW3HDnG0787FXVR0zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/North%2Bby%2BNorthanger%2BFRONT%2BCOVER%2Bnew.jpg" width="213" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">While Eva Morland waits for her first-ever blind date to arrive, she meets Grant Tilney. Not only does flirting come easily with Grant, he also shares her appreciation for black-and-white movies and vintage diners. After he leaves, she notices that he left his phone behind. Setting out to find his office and return the phone, she knocks on a warehouse door. The man who answers mistakes Eva for a government spy</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><del datetime="2019-05-01T22:20">, </del></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><ins datetime="2019-05-01T22:20"> </ins></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">who’s come to investigate his crime ring. He and his partner force Eva into a car and drive her to a secluded trailer in the country.</span><br />
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Eva’s kidnapping sets her down a path of suspense and romance, as she uses all her wits to escape from the bad guys and prove her true identity. Grant comes to her rescue, hiding her in the cab of his semi-truck, but it seems that</span><span style="color: teal; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><ins datetime="2019-05-02T11:57"> </ins></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">the criminals are always a step ahead.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Grant is the only one who believes Eva, but as they journey North, Eva starts to question Grant’s</span><span style="color: teal; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><ins datetime="2019-05-02T11:59"> </ins></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">identity and motives. She must discover for herself if Grant is one of the good guys or bad guys. Only then will she know whether he’s worth the risk of her own life.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Fans of Hitchcock and Jane Austen will enjoy this modern mash-up of </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">North by Northwest</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> with </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Northanger Abbey</i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YGRGG72?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420">Click here to pre-order the kindle version.</a></span><br />
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-85624780521582466942019-09-11T13:03:00.003-06:002022-09-25T10:05:31.500-06:00Cape Verde Travel Tips: Praia and Fogo<p>I was so happy to return to Cape Verde last summer. It had been 28 years since I served a mission there, and much has changed. Most people now have running water, electricity, and glass windows. The economy is doing much better. The hotels even have air conditioning and wifi! It was great to introduce my family to this wonderful place and get to know many of the happy people I met so many years ago. The hospitality industry there is thriving. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfV_nUG3jZ8/X0v7rzIgiYI/AAAAAAAAEG4/1qabNKOHPm0hkDjXfPY2o8-kE_Lys5zMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190625_053345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfV_nUG3jZ8/X0v7rzIgiYI/AAAAAAAAEG4/1qabNKOHPm0hkDjXfPY2o8-kE_Lys5zMwCLcBGAsYHQ/w800-h600/20190625_053345.jpg" title="The hotel Casas do Sol in Fogo" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hotel Casas do Sol in Fogo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>It was not easy to make travel plans to go back to Cape Verde, as it's not a frequent destinations for Americans. Therefore, I wanted to share a few of my experiences, hoping it will help readers who plan to visit Cape Verde.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SBNOe8xQ90/X0wBarhDknI/AAAAAAAAEHE/C58F_V-M9PYWTCMf61ZaRb1J-R2q2VPDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190630_065539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SBNOe8xQ90/X0wBarhDknI/AAAAAAAAEHE/C58F_V-M9PYWTCMf61ZaRb1J-R2q2VPDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190630_065539.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A flower in the garden at Casas do Sol<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Airplanes:</h2><p>We used three different airlines while traveling to and from the islands. First, we traveled by Royal Air Maroc to get across the Atlantic to Casablanca and then to Praia. Next we traveled by TACV Cape Verde airlines, and finally TAP Air Portugal.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRx5B3N9_gs/X0wByVNMztI/AAAAAAAAEHM/ss_Y3ReNM0Ewv8uCR-daFKRMfqYcU_VywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190624_112109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRx5B3N9_gs/X0wByVNMztI/AAAAAAAAEHM/ss_Y3ReNM0Ewv8uCR-daFKRMfqYcU_VywCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190624_112109.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boarding our flight on the Cape Verde airline<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I wish that I had looked at reviews for the airlines before I had booked tickets because I had quite a few problems with Royal Air Maroc. The biggest problem was that they kept rescheduling our flights--two times to be exact. And these were not the normal types of reschedulings. They moved our flights up first by one day and then by two days. In the end, we made it work, but it required me to be on the phone for about seven hours during the week before our flights. We also ended up having three red-eye flights in a row. Royal Air Maroc made up for this somewhat by putting us up in a hotel in Casablanca, which was nice. Though we were happy to visit Casablanca, it was more stressful than I anticipated to figure out everything in Morocco. Also, when we arrived in Praia, I did not have my luggage. I did get it three days later when the next flight came in, but this was very inconvenient. For us the inconvenience was probably worth it because we saved a couple thousand dollars for our group of seven people. For others, it might be better to just book with Air Portugal and save yourself the stress. The flights themselves were fine. The Trans-Atlantic flight, especially, was quite luxurious.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGD5_SepAOc/X0wC2vjKRvI/AAAAAAAAEHY/43U9Pihckaccyi1pR6PoMQajbHR_Qt-kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190621_182110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGD5_SepAOc/X0wC2vjKRvI/AAAAAAAAEHY/43U9Pihckaccyi1pR6PoMQajbHR_Qt-kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190621_182110.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the kid's meal toy on Royal Air Maroc<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We had no trouble with the other airlines. Keep in mind that weight restrictions on luggage will be different than they are in the U.S., and also read the small print on Air Portugal's luggage fees. We ended up paying about $100 per suitcase for our return flight, which I wasn't expecting. (We each had a small carry-on suitcase and a small backpack.)</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTiSqSNbFyk/X0wDXINmKWI/AAAAAAAAEHg/ViURAlyMCSc5iBa6JWn5KPTn2syAlGvHACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190628_164931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTiSqSNbFyk/X0wDXINmKWI/AAAAAAAAEHg/ViURAlyMCSc5iBa6JWn5KPTn2syAlGvHACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190628_164931.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fogo airport was quite small with room on the runway for only one plane.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What to Bring: </h2><p>We were able to find many of the things we needed at shops around the cities in Cape Verde. I even found a bottle of sunscreen, which got lost with my luggage, but I would recommend bringing your own supply of sunscreen as it is difficult to find outside Praia. The stick kind is the best since it doesn't count as a liquid. I was glad that I brought a wide range of medications. We ended up using quite a bit of Pepto Bismol and activated charcoal for mild stomach problems. I also was not able to find a swimsuit when mine was lost. All the swimsuits seemed to be very small and imported from China. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKTYn2rh1x4/X0wDpY5elJI/AAAAAAAAEHo/gHUmZKWAYjsEtRsFHDhA556Qs-8jj1qvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190623_072348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OKTYn2rh1x4/X0wDpY5elJI/AAAAAAAAEHo/gHUmZKWAYjsEtRsFHDhA556Qs-8jj1qvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190623_072348.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Praia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Speaking English:</h2><p>In general, we found that most taxi drivers, hotel workers, and shop owners in Praia spoke English. In Fogo, people were much less likely to speak English. I needed to use my rusty Portuguese skills a lot in Fogo.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRBJcmP-OEw/X0wHm1uNm4I/AAAAAAAAEH0/KJWQ9YifTOEUSFmYE7WQY5o7ZqDQcEO2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190623_130433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRBJcmP-OEw/X0wHm1uNm4I/AAAAAAAAEH0/KJWQ9YifTOEUSFmYE7WQY5o7ZqDQcEO2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190623_130433.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the Old City in Praia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We had a taxi driver give us a short tour on our last day in Praia, and it was one of my favorite experiences while we were there. He told us about the Old City and many of the other sites I'd never visited before. <br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Safety:</h2><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiyXxrApopg/X0wINzes9PI/AAAAAAAAEH8/CU52Lx06H4wm9kI0DbDZoTd67BLTBQGOACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCN3847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiyXxrApopg/X0wINzes9PI/AAAAAAAAEH8/CU52Lx06H4wm9kI0DbDZoTd67BLTBQGOACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSCN3847.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />We felt very safe most of the time we were in Cape Verde. Some Cape Verdean Americans had warned us that Praia can be violent for tourists, but we were careful to stay in well populated places after dark, so we never had a problem. We kept only small amounts of cash with us since it was easy to get money from ATMs, and we never felt that anyone was trying to cheat us.<p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyE1pusFSGo/X0wIf2ruRzI/AAAAAAAAEIE/W4eCpGtJjWwom5AfQ3W-6SNpdGFdhJXrACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190702_084213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyE1pusFSGo/X0wIf2ruRzI/AAAAAAAAEIE/W4eCpGtJjWwom5AfQ3W-6SNpdGFdhJXrACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190702_084213.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at a traditional home at the Sao Felipe museum on Fogo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Drunk driving isn't as much of a worry for Cape Verdeans as it is for Americans. We had a scary experience with the driver we hired to take us to and from the volcano in Fogo. While we were hiking, he waited for us at the bar, and was therefore, not as safe a driver on the way home. If I were to do this again, I would probably talk with the hotel manager, since he had arranged the tour, and make sure the driver knew we didn't want him drinking before driving us home.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4y553goQ7U/X0wI6oan5II/AAAAAAAAEIM/LRHsLrxK7X0k84k0T9K7fR6M65KVVo2XACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCN3801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4y553goQ7U/X0wI6oan5II/AAAAAAAAEIM/LRHsLrxK7X0k84k0T9K7fR6M65KVVo2XACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSCN3801.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the Volcano on Fogo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Our hotel manager was quite accommodating with all our needs. Our rooms had small safes that were easy to use, the pool had a lifeguard, and the manager let us know that they could get us a doctor if we needed one. They also helped us arrange tours and transportation wherever we wanted.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsrUAv61y60/X0wJaR-6j8I/AAAAAAAAEIY/7J9Vmy9UQJwH7hcn3qHSDA9MfmZSnswbACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190623_093742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsrUAv61y60/X0wJaR-6j8I/AAAAAAAAEIY/7J9Vmy9UQJwH7hcn3qHSDA9MfmZSnswbACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190623_093742.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming at Quebra Canela beach in Praia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The locals can let you know when it is safe to swim. There were a lot more beaches that were safe for swimming in Praia than there were in Fogo. This did not keep my kids from enjoying the beach. They still made sand castles and played in the surf a little bit. </p><p>We enjoyed all the food we ate at restaurants. Everything was delicious and expertly prepared. Restaurants that aren't associated with hotels were especially affordable and still just as safe.<br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Finding Old Friends:</h2><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1BgTEYasgWM/X0wKk8T6TxI/AAAAAAAAEIo/Mp5Sz08g8WM_vjevXwspvOY6nxUDSwy1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20190627_145647_Burst03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1BgTEYasgWM/X0wKk8T6TxI/AAAAAAAAEIo/Mp5Sz08g8WM_vjevXwspvOY6nxUDSwy1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20190627_145647_Burst03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />At first, I had a difficult time finding anyone I had known because I was asking for them by name. It became much easier when I started showing people old pictures. I recommend that if you're trying to find old friends, you upload some pictures on your phone, or you can bring a stack of pictures like I did. People love to pass them around and receive them as gifts.<p></p><p>If you happen to travel to Cape Verde and have advice, please post it in the comments. Thank you!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-54003129739894068242019-05-27T17:58:00.003-06:002019-05-27T17:58:50.444-06:00Our Miracle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of months ago, I went to my first writing retreat. It was at Bear Lake in Utah, which is nicknamed the Caribbean of the Rockies. Doesn't it look like the Caribbean (wink-wink)? I had a great time chatting with other writers and revising my latest novel inside my friend's warm house. I got so much done that I was ahead of schedule. On my last day there, I got a text from my husband that my youngest son, Levi, had been in an accident, and that they were taking him to the hospital to get him checked out.<br />
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If you know my husband Eric, you know that he usually tones everything down, so I was surprised that he had sent me a message without at least telling me that it was a minor accident or that Levi would be okay. I called the house and talked to my older son, who knew nothing. We started packing to head home. Then I called again and talked to another son, who had been at the scene of the accident. He said Levi had been on a bike, but he couldn't answer any of my questions without crying. That was when I realized this accident might have been more serious than I thought.<br />
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Within a few minutes, my husband called and said that Levi was stable, and they were heading to Primary Children's Hospital. As we drove home, he sent messages every half hour or so to let us know what the doctors said. It seemed that Levi was going to be fine. There was no damage to his internal organs and only one small broken bone. He just had a lot of scrapes and a rock that had dug itself into his knee.<br />
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It was only after I got to the hospital that I saw how serious the accident had really been and realized what a miracle it was that Levi survived. He had been at a crosswalk with his dad and brother. They were all on bikes and wearing helmets. The light changed, and the signal said they could cross. A car was stopped, waiting to turn right. My husband thought that the driver had seen them, so he told Levi to cross. Unfortunately, the driver did not see them. As Levi started across, she made her turn and ran over him. Then because she hadn't noticed that she'd hit him, she dragged him under her car for about thirty feet.<br />
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That morning, Levi had his dad check his helmet twice to make sure it fit him correctly. How blessed we were that he did that! The helmet fell apart as you can see in the picture, but his head remained almost unharmed, except for a few scrapes and some bad swelling on his ear. I won't include the pictures of his poor little ear because it will gross you out, but I am happy to say that his ear is much better now.<br />
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The picture above shows the pair of pants he was wearing. The paramedics cut them off of him. The curved black mark on the bottom is where the tire ran over him, and the gray streak toward the top shows where he was dragged. These pants got caught on his bike, which was stuck under the car. They kept him from getting run over by the other tire. There is one hole on his knee where he got a bad road rash. He is still recovering from that and from a sore on his foot. I had bought the pants a few weeks before and had only gotten this thick pair of Wranglers because they were the only pants available in his uniform colors. If I had gotten pants made from thinner fabric, I'm not sure they would have protected him as well.<br />
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This is Levi a few days after his accident. He has had a lot of pain from his road rash, but he tells me that he isn't angry at the lady that ran him over. "Everybody makes mistakes," he says. He wanted to make sure she would know that he is okay. (I learned that the insurance company would take care of that for me since I did not know how to contact her.)<br />
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My husband and other son are still traumatized by watching Levi get run over, yet at the same time, they are so grateful and awed that he survived. We know it is a miracle, and that many children in similar situations have lost their lives or sustained more serious injuries. Eric says Levi could not have planned it better if he had been a stunt man. We are sure that our Heavenly Father was watching out for him that day.<br />
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Now that it is almost two months later, Levi is walking pretty normally. His knee and foot still bother him, but he also enjoys the opportunity to brag about surviving his accident. In the above picture, he is proudly displaying the scar on his knee, as well as his invisible fish. I hope he always remembers how blessed he has been. The rest of us surely will.</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-7078536937985873202019-04-13T16:53:00.000-06:002019-04-13T16:53:38.240-06:00Why I Believe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Why would anyone believe in Jesus Christ? Plenty of people
believe He was a great man, like Buddha or Muhammed. But why would people
accept Him as the Savior of the World and the Son of God, as one who has power
to resurrect the dead and redeem us from our sins (if there is such a thing as
sin)? Why would I accept Him as my personal Savior, the Creator of the World,
and the Great Jehovah?<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All pictures are by Carl Bloch, whose works are in the public domain. I do realize that Jesus probably had a much darker skin tone, but I still enjoy the scenes from Christ's life that these paintings depict.</td></tr>
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The first reason to accept Jesus Christ is because of the
many witnesses who testify of Him. Since the world began, prophets spoke of a
Messiah who would come to save us. The prophecies were so accurate that wise
men could read the signs of His birth from the stars in the sky. Faithful
Jews, like Matthew in the New Testament, could also recognize the fulfillment
of prophecy in the various details of Jesus’s life. Others believed because of
the miracles Jesus performed. They witnessed that Jesus turned water into wine,
fed 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, healed the lame, caused the deaf to
hear, cured the blind, and even raised the dead. After He was crucified,
hundreds more witnessed that He was resurrected. Even in modern times, prophets
witness of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith saw and spoke with Him, as did Lorenzo
Snow and other modern prophets. Though many have not shared their most sacred
moments of communication with the Savior, all modern prophets have witnessed
that He is the Christ, the head of His church, and that He is preparing to
return and reign on the earth once more.<o:p></o:p><br />
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But what about us individually? Can we trust that the
prophets are telling the truth? Jesus wanted us to have our own witness that He
is the Christ. This is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Ghost. Christ said,
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the father, he shall testify of
me” (John 15: 26). The Holy Ghost testifies to all upon the earth that Jesus is
the Christ. When we repent of our sins, the Holy Ghost sends us peace and
comfort, testifying that our sins really are redeemed through the Savior of the
world. When we learn about the Savior or hear His words, the Holy Ghost sends
us feelings of joy and speaks peace to our minds. When we experience trials,
the Holy Ghost comforts us, helping us to know that Jesus has borne our griefs
and sorrows. When we lose a loved one, the Comforter provides peace and hope,
whispering to our hearts that this life is not the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another witness that I have of Jesus Christ has come from my
commitment to follow Him. Although I have followed Jesus in my own imperfect
way, making many mistakes, I have found that His teachings work. When I make a
commitment to Him, He keeps his promises. When I serve as He did, I find the
joy and peace He promises. When I choose to follow Christ’s example selflessness
instead of the world’s selfishness, I am happier. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Part of the test of life is that we won’t know everything.
We have to develop faith, which means we must believe even when we don’t have
absolute proof. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is hard to explain how our faith can become
evidence, but those who exercise faith soon come to see that Jesus blesses us
after the trial of our faith. Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).<o:p></o:p><br />
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On the whole, following Christ has helped me
avoid a lot of troubles. However, Jesus doesn’t promise us enchanted, pain-free
lives as a reward for our faith. Rather, He promises to support us through our
trails. He says, “In the world, ye shall have tribulation, but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world.” I have found, through my tribulations, that
Christ can give me peace and strength to deal with whatever happens.</div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-92087184617371700182019-01-21T17:19:00.000-07:002019-01-21T17:35:35.572-07:00What's In the Works<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm writing another Jane Austen adaptation with my next book, and I am having so much fun with it. This time, I'm modernizing Northanger Abbey, and I'm giving it a Hitchcock twist. Right now, I'm on the second draft--revising, revising, revising.<br />
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I love the older Hitchcock movies, and it's been fun to play around with them in a not-so-scary way.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One of my rules for writing a satisfying retelling is to know which scenes are reader favorites. For example, I wouldn’t want to write a modern <em style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Persuasion</em> without having a letter from Captain Wentworth at the end, nor would I want to skip Darcy’s insult to Elizabeth at the beginning of <em style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pride and Prejudice</em>. I plan to include as many favorite scenes as I can in this book, and I would love to know which scenes you like best in <em style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northanger Abbey</em>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite scenes from the beginning of <em style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northanger Abbey</em> is when Henry Tilney compares dancing to marriage. It’s such a cute way for him to flirt with her, but it’s not so easy to translate into a modern setting. Nowadays, marriage proposals don’t happen quite as instantly, and men who talk about marriage on the first date would generally come across as creepy. I tried to find a balance by having my female character introduce the idea of marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Here’s my version of the scene:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">“I’m still sorry about your phone.
How can I make it up to you?”He traced the edge of my menu with his finger.
“All I want is a half-hour of your time, and our friend Clayton has already
stolen a good five minutes of it.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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“He probably didn’t
see it as stealing.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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He winked. “Well,
he should have. It’s an accepted fact in the male world that when you ask a
woman to lunch, <span style="color: black;">you
don’t want anyone else tagging along</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span>.
A lunch date is a sacred contract between a man and woman.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“You make it sound
like marriage or something.” There I went again, speaking before I thought
things through. My cheeks were probably flaming red by now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He chuckled. Good
thing he didn’t take me too seriously. “I wouldn’t go that far, but in some
ways, it’s similar. We’ve entered into an agreement that we’ll spend the next
half-hour with each other. You won’t be distracted by other men. I won’t be
distracted by other women.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“If that’s all it
includes, I can keep my end of the bargain,”<u> </u><span style="color: black;">I said</span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He reached out,
tracing the tip of his finger over the top of my hand. “Well, there is a little
more. We must put up with each other through sickness and health. For better or
for worse. ‘Til dessert do we part.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“<span style="color: black;">Until dessert
do we part,” I repeated.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Thank you for stopping by, and please let me know which parts of <em style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Northanger Abbey</em> you like best. I’d also love to know if you have a favorite movie version. It seems most people prefer the 2007 version with Felicity Jones. That’s the one pictured at the beginning of this post. There’s also a Northanger Abbey from 1987. I enjoyed both movies.</span></div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-15003975782969297092018-10-18T20:54:00.000-06:002018-11-13T20:52:12.082-07:00New: The Christmas Thief<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />A couple years ago, my seven-year-old asked me to write him a story for Christmas. The result was a 20-page story I called "The Christmas Thief." Since then, friends and family have requested that I publish it as a booklet. So here it is! You can preorder the e-book on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Thief-Rebecca-H-Jamison/dp/1726891747/">Amazon.com here</a>.<br /><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” –John 3:16</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />Though Jackson would never steal on purpose, his dad tricks him into taking packages from doorsteps. People leave the boxes out all the time, and it’s easy enough for his dad to sell what’s inside. They bring in enough money from the sales that Jackson can get fast food whenever he wants. Then one day, Jackson discovers something inside a package that he doesn’t want to sell. His efforts to understand his new treasure will forever change his life.<br /><br />Meant to be enjoyed by all ages, this short Christmas story will steal your heart and remind you of the reason behind the season. </span><br />
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-35041953356550922562018-08-30T17:04:00.002-06:002018-08-30T17:04:38.650-06:00Operation Underground Railroad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've heard many times that slavery still exists in the world, but I've only recently realized how big the problem is. Some estimates place the number of enslaved people at around thirty million. Many of these are children, who've been sold for sex. Many of these children live in my country, the United States.<div>
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I want to do something about this enormous problem, so I've decided to donate all the proceeds from my book sales for the rest of 2018 to Operation Underground Railroad, an organization that has rescued 1500 children from human trafficking in the past four years and has put 570 traffickers behind bars.</div>
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If you'd like to know more about Operation Underground Railroad, please see their website:<a href="https://ourrescue.org/"> https://ourrescue.org/</a></div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-51838421417479936942018-07-23T13:53:00.000-06:002018-07-23T13:53:05.532-06:00Sending Rainbows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wc1Uube21p8/W1Yx3RhgheI/AAAAAAAADmc/AsSzAg6kLUoirR3CCsaAd0ry9Qtm2jgBACLcBGAs/s1600/1280px-Double-alaskan-rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1280" height="168" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wc1Uube21p8/W1Yx3RhgheI/AAAAAAAADmc/AsSzAg6kLUoirR3CCsaAd0ry9Qtm2jgBACLcBGAs/s320/1280px-Double-alaskan-rainbow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Eric Rolph at English Wickipedia</td></tr>
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I was twenty-six when I met Anita, who was a breast cancer survivor. She had a daughter the same age as mine, a
miracle baby born after aggressive chemotherapy treatments that normally
rob women of any hope for children. We were also the same age, something I hadn’t expected.
Because of the cancer, I’d assumed Anita was older than I was, not that
she looked older.<br />
<br />
We soon became friends, mostly talking about
our daughters or decorating or clothes. I was frequently overwhelmed
with being a stay-at-home mom, living far away from my extended family.
Anita always reminded me to be grateful I was alive to raise my
children. Anita’s reminders helped me so much during the sleepless
nights and tired days of raising a baby and a toddler.<br />
<br />
We both wondered about the possibility of death and whether
there really is a life after death. During this time, Anita lost two of
her good friends—the only other women in the state who were in their
twenties and had breast cancer. Of course, she worried that the
disease would take her as well, but she drew inspiration from the faith
of her friends.<br />
<br />
One of her friends, also a mother, made
scrapbooks and wrote letters for her children before she died. She
prepared her children for her death by telling them that whenever they
saw a rainbow to remember that she was up in heaven watching them. When
this friend passed away in the hospital on a stormy day, her family
looked out the hospital window to see a big, beautiful rainbow spreading
across the sky. Her family knew it was a sign that life goes on after
death and that she was closer than it sometimes seems. This story really
touched Anita and she told it to me at least three times during the
many times I visited her.<br />
<br />
Soon after this, Anita found a lump in
her lymph gland, and had to endure weeks of uncertainty while she waited
for the test results. During this time, I tried to reassure her that
it might not be as bad as she feared. Maybe she would hear good news.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the news was as bad as she feared. She ended up
having to go through another round of aggressive cancer treatments. Our congregation rallied around her family, providing as much support as we could.
Still, she and her family suffered, even with all the prayers and meals
and babysitting we could provide. I tried to
be as much a part of the service as I could.<br />
<br />
Anita was different
after the second set of treatments. She was weaker and still hopeful,
but more inclined to prepare for the worst. She and her husband tried
to live life to its fullest, taking their dream vacation and saving for a
nicer home. They moved from our neighborhood, but Anita still kept in touch
with me. I kept praying for her, that she could stay free from the
cancer.<br />
<br />
Over the next few years, I heard mixed news about
Anita. Sometimes I’d hear she was doing well. Other times, I’d hear
that the cancer had spread. Finally, I heard that her cancer had spread
to her brain, and we all knew that the end was near.<br />
<br />
One day, I
turned on the TV. I didn't usually watch the news, but I watched it
that day. It was February. The weatherman said that there were
rainbows all over Utah that day. He said that it was really unusual for
there to be rainbows in the winter. I stared at the TV, trying to
remember ever seeing a rainbow in February. I couldn’t recall that ever
happening before.<br />
<br />
The next day, I found out that Anita had died.
I really believe that the rainbows were a compensating blessing from
Heavenly Father. He didn’t give her what she prayed for and wanted
most—to live to raise her daughter. So he answered another prayer for
her. He sent rainbows to remind her family that her death was not the
end. Her spirit still lives, and they will see her again.<br />
<br />
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-20590938013256342172018-05-15T21:00:00.000-06:002018-05-15T21:00:01.003-06:00The Parable of the Self-Conscious Chorister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I’ve been my church chorister for a year now. Though I’ve
enjoyed getting to know the people in the choir and choosing the music to sing,
I’ve struggled to enjoy being the one who leads. I am not a singer, and I’ve
always felt inadequate when it comes to my musical abilities. There are so many
people who are better than I am at playing the piano, and I’m sure that at
least fifty percent of the population is better than I am at singing.<br />
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I don’t have a great musical ear, so it takes all my
concentration to get my lines right. Often, after we’ve gone through a song,
the members of the choir will ask me how they did. I will answer, “I don’t
know. I was just trying to sing the notes.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Other times, I have realized that I sung some measures
particularly poorly. The members of the choir have seen me make a face and
assumed that they had sung poorly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This phenomenon has made me realize that in order to be a
good chorister, I have to forget about my own voice and focus on other people’s
voices. My role as a chorister is to be a cheerleader and coach, helping
everyone stay together and sing their best. I can’t do that if I’m only focused
on myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, this is a metaphor for life. When I am interacting
with people, they want all my attention. If I focus on my own inadequacies,
people may view my pained expressions and assume that I find them inadequate,
or they may see my preoccupied expression and assume I don’t care about them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My father had a rule he lived by, which he called the
Latimer Law of Reciprocity. He told me that I shouldn’t worry so much whether a
particular person liked me. I should worry whether I liked that person.
Usually, if someone sees that you like them, they will like you in return.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe that Jesus was also teaching about this selfless
way of serving others when he said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it:
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-48170490985911505692018-05-01T14:45:00.001-06:002018-05-01T14:45:06.607-06:00Sneak Peek at "Unforgettable"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm happy to announce that <i>Unforgettable</i> is now available. I've included the first chapter below:</div>
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Fogo Island was on fire. Her home, her entire world, would
soon be entombed in molten rock. Smoke billowed out from the volcano’s cone,
and red lava exploded upward in jets, crashing back down to the earth in
flaming balls. Peering past the old mango tree, she saw lava flowing down the
hill toward the houses and shops that dotted her island village. Flames already
engulfed the sports stadium, and hot, black ooze had swallowed some of their
neighbors’ homes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To the news crews, their little cinderblock houses might
have appeared poor and inadequate. No one in the village had running water, and
only a few had electricity, but their homes had always been enough for them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Celia placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “We have to
leave the house.” Government officials had ordered them to evacuate a few days
earlier. She was supposed to be at a neighboring village right now. It’s where
she had been yesterday and this morning. After dragging their two foam
mattresses, the card table, and their two folding chairs to the evacuation site,
she had dragged her mother there as well. But this morning, when she awoke, her
mother’s mattress lay empty.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panicking, Celia had run for an hour, taking paths known
only by villagers, to where she suspected her mother would be, back at their
house. Sure enough, Mama was here, trying to water the old mango tree with an
empty bucket. Celia gulped air filled with the stench of rotten eggs and pulled
on Mama’s arm, but Mama pushed her away. Though Celia was full grown at
eighteen, Mama was still taller and stronger, and now out-of-her-mind crazy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia would have to reason with her, and there wasn’t much
time. “Mama,” she cried, choking from the taste of sulfur in her throat. “Do
you want us to burn alive?” Powerless to stop the surge of living rock, she
listened to the lava crackle and hiss as it rolled toward them. Though it only
advanced a few meters per hour, it had already reached the edge of their
property. Within minutes, it would set fire to the beautiful trees they had
nurtured since her childhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their village lay within the ancient crater far below the
volcano’s newer cone. She had seen reporters observing the damage from the rim
of the crater a few days before, but today, with all the smoke in the air, she
couldn’t see as far as the rim. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her mother stared at her with empty eyes, as if she spoke
and walked in her sleep. “We can’t leave the crops,” she said, sounding so
calm, “It’s good, black soil here.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just two weeks before, when the earth first started
trembling, her mother had been perfectly normal, preparing a new batch of
crocheted doilies to sell to the tourists who came to hike the volcano. She’d
always handled tragedy well. Even when Celia’s baby sister died eight years
earlier, she had stayed strong. Then, yesterday morning, standing along the rim
and watching the sports stadium burn, she’d snapped. She started talking about
Celia’s father as if he were still living with them, as if he hadn’t left,
never to return. Celia had taken her to the doctor, who told them Mama needed
to get away to a more peaceful place. That was easy to say; harder to do. It
meant they needed money.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia pulled harder on her mother’s arm. “Mama, this is
worse than the other eruptions. Half the village is already lost. We won’t be
able to save the mango trees.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her mother twisted free. “These trees need water. They haven’t
had water in over a week!” She picked up a broken branch from the ground and
held it threateningly over her head.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia backed away. She wished Manny were here to help. He
would throw her mother over his shoulder and haul her over the hill to safety. “You
may want to die for these trees, Mama,” she yelled, “but I’m not going to stay
here and wait for the lava to swallow me whole.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia turned and marched twenty steps in the other
direction, hoping Mama would follow, but her trick hadn’t worked. Instead of
following, Mama held tight to the mango tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia couldn’t leave her. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was the woman who had sung her lullabies and taught her
to sew. This was the woman who worked on the road crew to provide her with food
and clothing. This was the mother who never, ever sent her to school with a
wrinkly dress or a dirty face. Now Mama hugged her favorite tree, her face
smashed against the trunk, sobbing. Whether this mental illness was temporary
or permanent, Celia would not abandon her own mother. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Barely five meters up the hill from the mango tree, lava
crept forward. A scraggly bush burst into flames. Celia wiped the sweat from
her face. It was getting hotter, maybe too hot for a person to survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Behind her, something squealed. She turned to see a little
black pig, hobbling toward her. Someone had tied a rope around its neck and
weighed it down with a cinderblock. Probably it belonged to one of the
evacuees, who had tied it up to keep it from danger. So much for that plan. “Where
did you come from, poor thing?” Celia asked the pig, kneeling down to untie the
rope from its neck. “Mama, we need to take this pig down to the city and find
its owner.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her mother didn’t respond. She just kept hugging the tree,
as if it were an actual person, more important than her own daughter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once she finished untying the knot, Celia flapped her hands.
“Shoo, pig.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pig, unlike her mother, was wise enough to obey. It ran
down the slope of the hill, farther and farther from the approaching lava. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk505421683">Frustration welled up inside Celia. “Mama!”
she yelled. “Come with me! I promised Manny I’d be here when he finishes
college. I don’t want to die.” She walked back uphill and grabbed hold of her
mother’s arm again, but Mama had such a tight grip on the tree that Celia
couldn’t budge her. </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk505421683"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk505421555">“You can’t trust a man to come back
for you,” her mother howled through her sobs. “Not after he leaves Fogo Island.
That’s when you’ve lost your spell over him. He forgets how beautiful you are.”<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk505421555"><br /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk505421555;"></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Celia knelt down and took her mother’s face in her hands. “We
have a lot to live for, Mama. We can build another house down lower in the
city.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time was running out. As the lava gained on them, a grape
vine on the other side of the tree caught fire, and Celia grew desperate. If
she hit her mother over the head with a tree branch, knocking her out, she
could drag her away before the lava reached them. It might be the only way to
save her life. But she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t hit her mama. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lava rolled ever closer—just a few steps away now. So
close that the heat burned Celia’s skin. How could Mama not feel that?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m sorry, Mama,” she said in her softest voice. “I’m sorry
about the volcano.” Then seeing the far-off look in Mama’s eye, she had one
more idea. Her hands shook as she pointed in the direction of the closest hill.
“I think you’ve watered this tree enough. We have more trees to water on the
other side of the hill. They’re all gonna die if we don’t water them. We’ve got
to hurry!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her mother stared at her for a moment. Then, like a bird
answering a distant cry from her flock, Mama raced out of their burning
orchard, carrying her bucket with her. Celia followed. She didn’t look back to
watch the lava roll through the front door of the only home she had ever known.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Copies are available at <a href="http://smarturl.it/UnforgettableBk">Amazon.com.</a></div>
<br /></div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-11971536158629890592018-01-26T13:24:00.002-07:002018-04-28T20:15:35.984-06:00Coming May 1, 2018: Unforgettable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/UnforgettableBk" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdKa-ObV-PI/WmuN82qZy4I/AAAAAAAADfg/W7Vj-TYjfZICwjctujRco9-tkqbG8_97wCLcBGAs/s320/Unforgettable%2BFRONT%2BCOVER%2Bfinal%2Bcover%2Bfile.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="m_5315489628409732417gmail-MsoBodyText" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_5315489628409732417gmail-MsoBodyText" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
I'm excited to announce that my book is ready for release. You can already get the paperback, and the e-book will be ready on Tuesday, May 1! <a href="http://smarturl.it/UnforgettableBk" target="_blank">Click here to buy on Amazon.com</a>.<br />
<br />
As teenagers, Celia and Manny plan their future together in the branches of a mango tree. Soon afterward, Manny leaves Fogo Island for college, expecting to marry Celia and take her to America once he graduates. However, during Manny’s schooling, the volcano near Celia’s village erupts, burying her home.</div>
<div class="m_5315489628409732417gmail-MsoBodyText" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_5315489628409732417gmail-MsoBodyText" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
They lose contact with each other, and Celia comes to believe that Manny has fallen in love with someone else. When their lives intersect again, too much has changed for their plans to ever become a reality, yet the promises they made and the desires of their hearts persist, becoming unforgettable.</div>
<div class="m_5315489628409732417gmail-MsoBodyText" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 25.6px;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">An immigrant love story written in the vein of </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Safe Haven, Unforgettable</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> reveals a world singing with passion and possibility.</span></div>
</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-91008257372700457452018-01-24T12:05:00.000-07:002018-02-08T12:05:26.524-07:00How to Support your Spouse through Unemployment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4gCMLaAxZI/ULL0dMFsE9I/AAAAAAAABeY/g0eBDooxcgkdu-oACIlbUQfjmg-LQAGiACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4gCMLaAxZI/ULL0dMFsE9I/AAAAAAAABeY/g0eBDooxcgkdu-oACIlbUQfjmg-LQAGiACPcBGAYYCw/s320/21.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Rachael Nelson for this picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[I wrote this post a few years ago for FamilyShare. Now that they're discontinuing their website, I wanted to share it here on my own blog. This is actually something that happened a long time ago, so don't worry. My husband is employed right now.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My husband came home from work, looking
discouraged and asked me to sit down. “Today I got laid off,” he said. I
couldn’t believe this had happened to us. I was scared about how we were going
to pay the bills and worried about how my husband could find another job in a
difficult economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, you may be facing the same fears I
faced as you support your spouse through unemployment. Your attitude throughout
the job hunt can make a huge difference in the strength of your marriage and in
your spouse’s success in finding a new job. Here are some tips:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay positive<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like me, your first reaction may be to worry
about finances. Of course, the budget is something you’ll need to discuss, but
first, set aside your worries and show some sympathy. Do something special
together and have faith that your spouse will be able to find another job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Network<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unemployed people often feel inferior and want
to hide the fact that they’re unemployed. Most of the time, the best strategy
for finding a new job is to do the exact opposite. Let friends, family,
coworkers, and neighbors know that your talented spouse is looking for a job.
Brag about your spouse’s abilities on social networking sites, asking your
friends to be on the lookout for openings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Focus on the job hunt<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is not a time to remodel the kitchen or
build a deck. Your spouse will need to spend full-time hours looking for a job.
With the amount of competition in the job market right now, most people need to
apply for hundreds of jobs and interview with several dozen companies before
landing a position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be a cheerleader, not
a coach<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some wives and husbands make the mistake of
coaching their unemployed spouses through the job hunt. For example, they may
expect a report of each day’s activities or give lots of advice. Eventually,
this will strain your marriage. Leave the coaching to someone else, and be a
cheerleader instead. Smile, show physical affection, spend time together, enjoy
inexpensive activities, and compliment your spouse often.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cut back on unnecessary
expenses<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously, you’ll need to scale back on some
of your spending. This can be hard if you like to shop to relieve stress. Make
a list of some things you can do to relax that don’t involve spending money.
You might like to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Go for a walk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take a bubble bath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check out your local
library.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volunteer to help
someone who’s less fortunate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Try a new recipe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 3.6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Advertisement</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When it starts to get
old<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It may take months or more to find a job. If
this happens to your spouse, you may need to rededicate yourselves to positive
thinking:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Find uplifting quotes
to post around your home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Listen to motivational
speakers on audio files or find their books at the library.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make a list of all you
have to be grateful for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 15.0pt; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Play music that makes
you happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take a few minutes to
enjoy the beauty of nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If your spouse seems unusually hopeless, consult
a doctor or therapist for help. This may also be a good time to change your job
hunting strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be open to new
possibilities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finding a job for your spouse may mean changes
to your lifestyle. You may need to relocate, live on a lower income, or adjust
your schedule. Be as flexible as you can, but make sure you address any
concerns with your spouse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The future is bright<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rest assured that with effort, your spouse
will eventually find a job. In the meantime, remember that marriage is about
more than careers. You might have even promised to love each other whether
you’re richer or poorer — in sickness or in health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-34568005300567360162018-01-23T12:01:00.000-07:002018-02-08T12:01:20.058-07:004 Steps to Motivate your Spouse to Exercise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycfr5LaFra4/WnyeU-WyUAI/AAAAAAAADgA/bDF80OBRa3ckXkzA2KUgP7_mhC_jtAz_QCLcBGAs/s1600/Becky%2Band%2BEric%2Bfav%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycfr5LaFra4/WnyeU-WyUAI/AAAAAAAADgA/bDF80OBRa3ckXkzA2KUgP7_mhC_jtAz_QCLcBGAs/s320/Becky%2Band%2BEric%2Bfav%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When we first got married, my husband rode his
bike all over town and had very low cholesterol. I couldn’t have been more
surprised when, 15 years into our marriage, we learned his cholesterol was too
high. Even though he still looked great, the years of working a desk job had
taken a toll on his health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I thought the bad news about his cholesterol
would motivate him to exercise, but between his job and our busy life with the
kids, he didn’t often make the time to exercise. I decided to help him get
excited about fitness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are some things that worked:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Walk the walk,
literally<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Around the time I started to worry about my
husband’s health, I set a goal to get in better shape. I thought I was getting
fit for myself, but it turned out that my actions motivated my husband to start
walking every day during his lunch hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jonathan Roche, a fitness coach in Boulder,
Colo., says "Being an example of health is the best way to motivate a
spouse to get healthier. You won’t have to nag or brag about the changes you’re
making; simply let your spouse decide on his own to follow your lead."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make it fun<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I make it fun, my husband will exercise
with me. Remember that there are many different ways to get exercise. Going to
the gym is not a requirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Try to find activities you both enjoy that
involve movement, for example:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have a race<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Play four square<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chop wood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ride bikes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jump on a trampoline<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Play kickball<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Walk a dog (your own
or your neighbor’s)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Go hiking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throw a Frisbee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Work in a garden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My husband and I enjoy playing basketball and
dancing in the living room with our children. We would do those things even if
they didn’t make us healthier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Start small<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A <a href="http://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/news-releases/2011/study-finds-15-minutes-of-moderate-daily-exercise-lengthens-life.html"><span style="color: #4f91cd; text-decoration-line: none;">study</span></a> conducted
at the University of Texas in 2011 found that even 15 minutes of exercise a day
can add years to your life. If your spouse hasn’t been exercising regularly,
start out slow with easy exercises, then gradually build up to longer, more
challenging routines. Exhaustion and sore muscles aren’t great motivators
compared to the energy boost that comes from exercising at an appropriate
level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; letter-spacing: 3.6pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Advertisement</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 2; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let your spouse know
you care<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your spouse doesn’t want to hear a lecture
about how he needs to exercise. On the other hand, loving words can be great
motivators. You might try something like:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Honey, I appreciate all you do for me,
but I don’t think you take enough time for yourself. I want you to be around
for a long time. What can I do to help?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.4pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 11.25pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A few simple steps on my part made a big
difference in my husband’s health. In the past three years, he’s lost weight
and become healthier. Life still keeps him busy, but his fitness routine gives
him the energy he needs to thrive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you're concerned about your spouse's
fitness level, be the one to set an example of health. Plan fun, short
activities that include movement, and let your spouse know how much you care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-69610509128264333332018-01-17T11:51:00.000-07:002018-02-08T11:53:26.900-07:00How to Eat Around Someone with an Eating Disorder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[I wrote this article a few years ago for FamilyShare, but I just learned their website is being discontinued, so I wanted to share my blogposts here on my blog.]</div>
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Chances are, you know someone who has an eating disorder. It may be obvious from her behavior, or you may only suspect she has a disorder. How do you help your friend or family member? How do you behave during family dinners or when you go out to lunch together?</div>
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Remember she can’t control her own behavior</div>
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One of the first things you should know about an eating disorder is that it’s similar to cancer or diabetes in that the person can’t just "get over it". Though she may have initially chosen an eating disorder to feel a sense of control, the disease ended up controlling her. In most cases, anorexics cannot force themselves to eat, and those with bulimia cannot stop themselves from purging. It’s imperative that people with eating disorders get help from qualified doctors and therapists.</div>
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Eating disorders are deadly, with 10% of those diagnosed with anorexia dying from the disease.</div>
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Remember, she feels hungry. It’s a myth that people with anorexia don’t enjoy food. Most crave food, feel hunger, and fantasize about delicious meals. Those with eating disorders often love to cook for others, but refuse to eat or properly digest their food. It’s okay to talk about food and enjoy eating it when you’re with someone who has an eating disorder. Even if, you feel self-conscious about your own weight, you should eat to satisfy your hunger. Forget about diets and calorie counting. Instead, focus on your body’s need for energy.</div>
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Be Positive. According to Jenni Schaefer, an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association, "Eating disorders are characterized by constant self-criticism." Be an example of positive thinking for your friends with eating disorders. Sincerely compliment them on their good attributes, and practice thinking positively about yourself and body. Try to listen with love and empathize with their problems.</div>
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Avoid Lectures About Food. Jenni Schaefer wrote about going out to eat with one of her friends who criticized her food choices. Though Jenni ordered foods her dietician had approved, her friend continued to give advice about how Jenni could be eating healthier. Jenni ended up feeling discouraging instead of loved and had to limit her interactions with this friend. Friends and family members can encourage eating, but they shouldn’t police food choices unless they have a therapist’s permission.</div>
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Seek Advice from a Therapist. Family Based Therapy involves parents monitoring a child’s food choices under the direction of a therapist. FBT has a 90% success rate compared to a 36% success rate among those who received individual therapy.</div>
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Harriet Brown wrote about using FBT in her book, <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brave Girl Eating</em>. Brown prepared five meals a day for her teenage daughter, made sure she ate them, and stayed with her afterward so she couldn’t purge. Harriet’s dedication saved her daughter’s life. Although her daughter has had a few relapses since the treatment, her future looks bright.</div>
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There’s great hope for people with eating disorders, and you can increase their chances for success by showing love and support. With your help and the help of a qualified therapist, your friend or loved one can lead a normal life again.</div>
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1 Worthen, Kaela. "Eating Disorders: Not Just About the Food." <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LDS Living Magazine</em> March/April 2012, 61-64. p. 63</div>
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3 Brown, Harriet. <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia.</em>New York:Harper Collins, 2012. p. 98</div>
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4 Schaefer<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">,</em> Jenni.<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too.</em> New York: McGraw Hill, 2004. p. 112</div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-30424096757128082102018-01-10T16:27:00.000-07:002018-02-08T18:40:21.680-07:00Jane Austen's Library Humor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Last week, I came across a rather confusing line
in Austen’s unfinished novel, <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Sanditon</span></i>. In this
part of the book, Charlotte has been invited to accompany her new friends to a
seaside resort called Sandi</span>ton. Austen writes:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Charlotte was to go, with excellent health, to bathe
and be better if she could; to receive every possible pleasure which Sanditon
could be made to supply by the gratitude of those she went with; and to buy new
parasols, new gloves and new brooches for her sisters and herself at the
library, which Mr. Parker was anxiously wishing to support.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I found myself wondering why anyone would go to the
library to buy a brooch . . . or gloves or parasols. What kind of libraries did
they have in Regency times? (I had no idea this was all supposed to be funny.)
Thus, my study of Regency libraries began.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tFfEVsLABSA/WnzdQ2-WtmI/AAAAAAAADhI/KpvOgzczW2Y91j8Gy3AavV-hIGa3RjIVQCLcBGAs/s1600/circlibr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="600" height="206" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tFfEVsLABSA/WnzdQ2-WtmI/AAAAAAAADhI/KpvOgzczW2Y91j8Gy3AavV-hIGa3RjIVQCLcBGAs/s320/circlibr.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jane Austen mentions two types of libraries in her
books—the family library and the circulating library. Circulating libraries
were like the public libraries of our day with a few important distinctions.
First, patrons paid a subscription to belong to the library and also paid a
small fee for each book they borrowed. Second, libraries were a for-profit
business, often run by publishers or printers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Books were expensive in Jane’s day, costing about five
to ten times what a paperback would cost today. Circulating libraries allowed
common people to have access to books and provided a new source of income for
publishers, who could then afford to print more books. Jane Austen’s works
would have likely never gone to press had it not been for circulating
libraries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike the quiet, subdued libraries of today,
circulating libraries of Austen’s time seemed to be a great place to meet
people. For example, I found this line in <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Pride and Prejudice</span></i>:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“When Lydia went away she promised to write very often
and very minutely to her mother and Kitty; but her letters were always long
expected, and always very short. Those to her mother contained little else than
that they were just returned from the library, where such and such officers had
attended them, and where she had seen such beautiful ornaments as made her
quite wild.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note that Lydia makes no mention of the books she saw.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was common to find small libraries located
inside shops. Thus, one could conceivably buy a brooch at the same time one
borrowed a book. However, when Charlotte from <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Sanditon</span></i> and
Lydia from <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Pride and Prejudice</span></i> mention
brooches and beautiful ornaments, I can’t help wondering if Austen is
poking fun of silly girls, who have no interest in reading. If they really
wished to support the library, they could buy themselves a subscription and
borrow a few books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeyT9R6M5I8/WnzdZn9-MeI/AAAAAAAADhM/iFaiBkjccjQAVVU5W31b2WcyFzUNPTfQwCLcBGAs/s1600/89af2926e4b57ef8196a870da0d90988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeyT9R6M5I8/WnzdZn9-MeI/AAAAAAAADhM/iFaiBkjccjQAVVU5W31b2WcyFzUNPTfQwCLcBGAs/s320/89af2926e4b57ef8196a870da0d90988.jpg" width="208" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was also quite common at the time for moralists to
frown upon the unsavory practice of reading novels from circulating libraries. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To quote Fordyce in his </span><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Sermons to Young Women</span></i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“What shall we say of certain books, which we are
assured (for we have not read them) are in their nature so shameful, in their
tendency so pestiferous, and contain such rank treason against the royalty of
Virtue, such horrible violation of all decoroum, that she who can bear to
peruse them must in her soul be a prostitute, let her reputation in life be
what it will be.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So novel readers were <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">prostitutes</span></i>? Hmmm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Austen pokes fun at this notion that libraries were
wicked places when she has Mr. Collins turn up his nose at a book that has
obviously come from a circulating library:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and
Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the drawing-room again, and, when
tea was over, glad to invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins
readily assented, and a book was produced; but, on beholding it (for everything
announced it to be from a circulating library), he started back, and begging
pardon, protested that he never read novels. Kitty stared at him, and Lydia
exclaimed. Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose
Fordyce’s Sermons.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOmBjoqKrro/WnzdfzfdyDI/AAAAAAAADhQ/zQn5QwxHuYEkOR6GJVimitKeVQCJHRlRgCLcBGAs/s1600/Mr-Henry-Tilney-image-mr-henry-tilney-36670835-300-178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="406" height="189" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dOmBjoqKrro/WnzdfzfdyDI/AAAAAAAADhQ/zQn5QwxHuYEkOR6GJVimitKeVQCJHRlRgCLcBGAs/s320/Mr-Henry-Tilney-image-mr-henry-tilney-36670835-300-178.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With this in mind, I laughed out loud when I found
Henry Tilney’s sarcastic speech about the horrors of circulating libraries:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“You talked of expected horrors in London—and instead
of instantly conceiving, as any rational creature would have done, that such
words could relate only to a circulating library, she immediately pictured to
herself a mob of three thousand men assembling in St. George’s Fields, the Bank
attacked, the Tower threatened, the streets of London flowing with blood, a
detachment of the Twelfth Light Dragoons (the hopes of the nation) called up
from Northampton to quell the insurgents, and the gallant Captain Frederick
Tilney, in the moment of charging at the head of his troop, knocked off his
horse by a brickbat from an upper window.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Austen obviously loved her libraries, and loved to
make fun of those who didn’t share in her appreciation. As for me, I’m also a
huge fan of my local library, and I count myself fortunate that I can check out
books for free. I just wish I could also buy a brooch, and maybe a parasol
while I’m there.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-71117881033719884912017-04-04T17:08:00.001-06:002017-04-04T17:08:23.375-06:00What I'm Writing Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been hard at work on my next novel, <i>Unforgettable</i>, and I hope to finish it in the next few months.<br />
<br />
It's a love story that takes place on both the Cape Verde islands and the Eastern part of the United States.<br />
<br />
Here's a peek at the first chapter:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Her
home, her entire world, would soon be entombed in molten rock. Smoke billowed
out from the volcano’s cone, and red lava exploded upward in jets, crashing
back down to earth in flaming balls. Peering past the old mango tree, she saw
lava flowing down the hill toward the houses and shops that dotted her island
village. Flames already engulfed the sports stadium, and hot, black ooze had
already swallowed some of their neighbors’ homes. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Celia pulled on her mother’s arm. “We have to
leave the house.” The authorities had ordered them to evacuate a few days
earlier. After dragging their two foam mattresses, the card table, and their
two folding chairs to a nearby village, she had dragged her mother there as
well. But this morning, when she awoke, her mother’s mattress lay empty.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Panicking,
Celia ran for an hour, taking paths known only to the villagers, to where she
suspected she would be, back at their house. Watching her mother water the
mango tree with an empty bucket, Celia gulped air filled with the stench of
rotten eggs. Could this be a nightmare? No, it was too real. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
She had
to convince her to leave, which wouldn’t be easy. Though Celia was full grown
at eighteen, her mother was still taller and stronger, and now out-of-her-mind
crazy.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
“Mama,”
she cried, choking from the taste of sulfur in her throat. “Do you want us to
burn alive?” Powerless to stop the surge of living rock, she listened to the
lava crackle and hiss as it rolled toward them. Though it only advanced a few
feet per hour, it had already reached the edge of their property. Within
minutes, it would set fire to the
beautiful trees they had nurtured since her childhood.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Their
village lay within the ancient crater far below the volcano's newer cone. She
had seen villagers and news crews observing from the rim of the crater a few
days before, so she scanned the hills above her for someone to help, but from
where she stood among the trees, she couldn’t see anyone. They were all alone.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Her
mother stared at her with empty eyes, as if she spoke and walked in her sleep.
“We can’t leave the crops," she said, sounding so calm, "It’s good,
black soil here.” </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Just
two weeks before, when the earth first started trembling, her mother had been
perfectly normal, preparing a new batch of crocheted doilies to sell to the
tourists who came to hike the volcano. She’d always handled tragedy well. Even
when Celia’s baby sister died eight years earlier, she had stayed strong. Now
she reminded Celia of the woman down at the market who claimed to have given
birth to a chicken.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Celia
grabbed her mother’s arm again, pulling as hard as she could in her exhausted
state. “Mama, this is worse than the other eruptions. Half the village is
already lost. We won’t be able to save the mango trees.”</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Her
mother twisted free from her grasp again. “These trees need water. They haven’t
had water in over a week!” She picked up a broken branch from the ground and
held it threateningly over her head.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Celia
backed away. She wished Manny were here to help. He would throw her mother over
his shoulder and haul her over the hill to safety. “You may want to die for
these trees, Mama,” she yelled, “but I promised Manny I’d be here when he gets
back. I’m not going to stay here and wait for the lava to swallow me whole.” </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Celia
turned and marched twenty steps in the other direction, hoping Mama would
follow, but her trick hadn’t worked. Mama still clung to the mango tree, and
Celia couldn’t leave her. This was the woman who had sung her lullabies and
taught her to sew. This was the woman who worked on the road crew to provide
her with food and clothing. This was the woman who never, ever sent her to
school with a wrinkly dress or a dirty face. Now this woman hugged her favorite
tree, her face smashed against the trunk, sobbing. Whether this mental illness
was temporary or permanent, Celia would not abandon her own mother. Barely five
meters up the hill from her, lava crept forward.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Celia
groaned. “Mama!” she yelled, anger welling up inside her as hot as the lava
plowing toward them. “Come with me! Now!” She ran back and grabbed hold of her
mother’s arm again, but the woman had such a tight grip on the tree that Celia
couldn’t budge her. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
“You
can’t trust a man to come back for you,” her mother howled through her sobs.
“Not after he leaves Fogo Island. That’s when you’ve lost your spell over him.
He forgets how beautiful you are.”</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Was she
talking about Manny or Celia’s father? Yes, her father had forgotten them, but
Manny wouldn’t be that way.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
She
pulled on her mother’s waist, then on her legs. But the woman slumped down,
becoming a dead weight anchored to the tree. Celia tried tickling under her
arms, and then on her feet.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Nothing worked. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Finally,
she knelt down and took her face in her hands. “Please, mama, let go of the tree.
I love you. Don’t make me watch you die!”</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Time
was running out. As the lava gained on them, a grape vine on the other side of
the tree caught fire, and Celia did the only thing she could think of. She
picked up the tree branch in both hands. Sucking in a breath, she closed her
eyes and lifted the branch over her head, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t
hit her mama. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
The
lava rolled ever closer—just a few steps away now. So close that the heat
burned Celia’s skin. How could Mama not feel that?</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
“I’m sorry,
Mama,” she said in her softest voice. “I’m sorry about the volcano.” Then
seeing the far-off look in Mama’s eye, she had one more idea. Her hands shook
as she pointed in the direction of the closest hill. “I think you’ve watered
this tree enough. We have more trees to water on the other side of the hill.
They’re all gonna die if we don’t water them. We’ve got to hurry!”</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .3in; mso-pagination: none;">
Her
mother stared at her for a moment. Then, like a bird answering a distant cry
from her flock, Mama raced out of their burning orchard, carrying her bucket
with her. Celia followed. She didn’t look back to watch the lava roll through
the front door of the only home she had ever known.</div>
</div>
rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-1478259094826707222017-03-28T14:41:00.000-06:002017-03-28T14:41:01.175-06:00DITL and DIY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been wanting to write a Day in the Life (DITL) post about my life as an author, where I walk you through a typical day in my life. The problem with that is that there is no typical day. Every day is so different. I do write most every day, but every other part of the day is different. I only write during the school hours because after school I want to be available for my kids.<br />
<br />
I usually write for a few hours at home every day, but depending on what's going on during the rest of the day, I sometimes write at a library or cafe. I also love to write at ski resorts while my kids ski.<br />
<br />
During the morning and early afternoon hours, I sometimes go on field trips with my kids or meet online with my critique group. I also have days when I help a friend or take my sons to the orthodontist.<br />
<br />
This January, I found myself with fewer commitments than usual, so I decided to tackle my list of projects to complete. It started out with decluttering and organizing. Then I finally jumped into one of the projects I'd dreaded. I refinished and painted my kitchen table! Here's a picture of what it looked like in the process:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_nfEb73LDs/WNQ0EtfrsyI/AAAAAAAADM8/qWj4_wRlyY8UGsM1xBa4Pj3SsNZeoziSQCLcB/s1600/table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_nfEb73LDs/WNQ0EtfrsyI/AAAAAAAADM8/qWj4_wRlyY8UGsM1xBa4Pj3SsNZeoziSQCLcB/s320/table.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It had a golden oak finish, and the top of the table was pretty thrashed. We bought it used to begin with, so it came with plenty of wear and tear, but we had added even more. As you can see, my husband and son helped me sand down the top. (They did most of that, actually.) I got stuck with the washing, staining, and painting, which was plenty. Here's how it turned out:</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jg3Dup-jgw/WNQ0pm6gPhI/AAAAAAAADNE/X05HODc24F0n69QHZg2y_08akHVto27gQCLcB/s1600/table%2Bafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jg3Dup-jgw/WNQ0pm6gPhI/AAAAAAAADNE/X05HODc24F0n69QHZg2y_08akHVto27gQCLcB/s320/table%2Bafter.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_414865946"></span><span id="goog_414865947"></span>I painted all eight of our chairs white to go with it. It took a long time, let me tell you. If you'd like to know how I did it all, check out the instructions from this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51-gAgzR4sk&list=LLIqrEppn8mTaoOdSpZk_9Jw&index=2" target="_blank">video</a>. </div>
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YouTube is so helpful when it comes to Do It Yourself (DIY) projects. I also watched videos to help me organize around the house. My favorite organizing YouTuber is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/OrganizedClutterbug" target="_blank">ClutterBug</a>. Not only do I think she's hilarious, I love budget-friendly style. You can find her channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ldgDzMaFzAEHEnIjSlWoA" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Here are some pictures of a few of the things I've organized around the house lately:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6J5elO7qGYo/WNQ3x5wN4qI/AAAAAAAADNQ/O6idxmPdTfIRZr6RIAJ3DeFLPIYOYda_QCLcB/s1600/DSCN3230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6J5elO7qGYo/WNQ3x5wN4qI/AAAAAAAADNQ/O6idxmPdTfIRZr6RIAJ3DeFLPIYOYda_QCLcB/s320/DSCN3230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This used to be a jumbled mess on top of the refrigerator. <br />
I used Dollar Tree bins and chalkboard labels to contain the clutter.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fixbpzrEd-Q/WNQ36zh4S4I/AAAAAAAADNU/CLGIqxKc_qEUX_JwYHEEqAZbjVLjPEexgCLcB/s1600/DSCN3229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fixbpzrEd-Q/WNQ36zh4S4I/AAAAAAAADNU/CLGIqxKc_qEUX_JwYHEEqAZbjVLjPEexgCLcB/s320/DSCN3229.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my new gift wrap station that I keep on the door of our Harry Potter room downstairs. <br />
I used a cheap over-the-door shoe organizer from WalMart <br />
and took a seam ripper to it to make some of the pockets bigger.<br />
I also used some packing tape to join pockets together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Oh, and for those of you who are wondering what I'm writing--I am hard at work on a book called <i>Unforgettable</i>. It's a love story about immigrants from the Cape Verde Islands, and it's so fun. It has everything I love to write about, including beaches, a volcano, and love. </div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401588270142395689.post-60057445844701565752017-02-21T07:00:00.000-07:002018-02-08T21:14:16.127-07:00Manuscript Makeover Part 4: Final Edits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="Default1LTGliederung1" style="margin: 6.4pt 0.5in 14.15pt 4.5pt;">
Last summer, a writer's group invited me to teach a class on editing from start to finish. I designed my manuscript makeover class for them, and I've decided to share it on my blog as a series of posts. This is my fourth and final post in the series.</div>
<div class="Default1LTGliederung1" style="margin: 6.4pt 0.5in 14.15pt 4.5pt;">
Today I'll discuss the final edits I go through before I submit my manuscript to an editor for publication. Usually, by the time I've gotten to this point, I've worked out all the kinks in my plot and characters, and I'm ready to focus on my prose.<br />
<br />
Here's my writer's to-do list:<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Make sure each
character has a unique voice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Add literary
devices to build emotion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Eliminate the
passive voice (search for </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">there</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"> and </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">was</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">. Give the action a subject.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Check for
sentence variety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Eliminate
wordiness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Eliminate
adverbs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Search and
replace for overused words (Google search: “words writers should delete.”)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Watch for
overused prepositions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Finalize
character names.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Read your
manuscript aloud one more time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Spell check.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Search for and
replace double spaces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have anything to add to any of my manuscript makeover posts.</span></div>
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rebecca h jamisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064838500590684945noreply@blogger.com0