tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76458684281036977582024-03-25T22:54:32.143-04:00Random Connect Points: Reba's StoriesRamblings at this point ... I write about what I notice and frequently discover random connect points in the process.
Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-46633117977967698082024-03-17T18:56:00.003-04:002024-03-25T22:53:59.308-04:00Flossie - A tribute to a much-loved dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd31WKDb3pJG6c3hMN5CB62vbQV32d86mbnLRJN0fQYL-Vt88W5LCbQdX08yn7lAr3MmddaxmC9rEjTC7k3y3CDxV3xPlgwhKNLbDJ6K39V3KCr9F23rOU7Dh8APgwh4ntlkbeAokiYSy8uKx6JHKD3zzcawi9WJRjy_UJKaU54AtXmC4yfuc6YDkHg8/s4032/flossie%20beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd31WKDb3pJG6c3hMN5CB62vbQV32d86mbnLRJN0fQYL-Vt88W5LCbQdX08yn7lAr3MmddaxmC9rEjTC7k3y3CDxV3xPlgwhKNLbDJ6K39V3KCr9F23rOU7Dh8APgwh4ntlkbeAokiYSy8uKx6JHKD3zzcawi9WJRjy_UJKaU54AtXmC4yfuc6YDkHg8/s4032/flossie%20beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd31WKDb3pJG6c3hMN5CB62vbQV32d86mbnLRJN0fQYL-Vt88W5LCbQdX08yn7lAr3MmddaxmC9rEjTC7k3y3CDxV3xPlgwhKNLbDJ6K39V3KCr9F23rOU7Dh8APgwh4ntlkbeAokiYSy8uKx6JHKD3zzcawi9WJRjy_UJKaU54AtXmC4yfuc6YDkHg8/s320/flossie%20beach.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsfRJwa33gcmpFmv2Vye2wxrbR4yBEQCjU6l1N0bYuAW7KBbWXfkc_ez96FQqUnlNbinAnA91PdQrpNfVS1ZAHExPzhY4DGXhwwPnJZ2Nlh6V4sM-Ov08eUeRe4ACOirfbHF-Yr8R7EsokR-wfbWQUwjDk3YmeRwC21RgrkEI4Sme7_pzzwYzX_bALJY/s1795/flossie%20sweet%20face.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1795" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsfRJwa33gcmpFmv2Vye2wxrbR4yBEQCjU6l1N0bYuAW7KBbWXfkc_ez96FQqUnlNbinAnA91PdQrpNfVS1ZAHExPzhY4DGXhwwPnJZ2Nlh6V4sM-Ov08eUeRe4ACOirfbHF-Yr8R7EsokR-wfbWQUwjDk3YmeRwC21RgrkEI4Sme7_pzzwYzX_bALJY/s320/flossie%20sweet%20face.JPG" width="257" /></a></div></div></div><br /></div><p>Our sweet, gentle Flossie left us on Friday after bringing us six years of joy and the most uncomplicated and consistent love that only a dog can offer.</p><p>Flossie came to us from PetsInc during the September 2018
Hurricane Florence. I had gone to PetsInc to walk dogs that had been evacuated
from the coast. Bringing home a dog was the last thing on my mind that
afternoon.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I was leaving my shift, I spotted her in a small pen in
the office where she enthusiastically greeted visitors as they came into the building.
Our eyes met, and I was drawn to her for a few belly scratches and ear
rubs. I asked if I could take her for a spin around the property. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3wk-S4mEn4BK4etvivVDw1swQTkhuBddcWTEK3odckw4z_NUEYM9lnL77cQPhexHd-7fY0C1ylTSgQQnOjxT_K75UNmv0dVtidhKCd1e4uOvQ4fkLhDESTYl99iVcUPH21z7pQdkc6zNYe0bJMupBkkzpGk9QtJEpjdQQBOGNY-7FYl-j5txgO4jN2I/s1280/me%20and%20flossie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="959" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3wk-S4mEn4BK4etvivVDw1swQTkhuBddcWTEK3odckw4z_NUEYM9lnL77cQPhexHd-7fY0C1ylTSgQQnOjxT_K75UNmv0dVtidhKCd1e4uOvQ4fkLhDESTYl99iVcUPH21z7pQdkc6zNYe0bJMupBkkzpGk9QtJEpjdQQBOGNY-7FYl-j5txgO4jN2I/s320/me%20and%20flossie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Long story short <a href="https://bit.ly/rcpflossieday">(read the full "gotcha" story here</a>), she came home
with me. She was named after the hurricane that took me
to PetsInc that muggy, wet September afternoon. The sassy nickname Flossie seemed to fit her
better than the stodgier sounding Florence. We didn’t know exactly how old she
was, but the vet said her teeth indicated likely at least three. She had recently birthed puppies when she arrived at the shelter.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It quickly became apparent that Flossie had excellent house
manners. She didn’t jump on furniture, counter surf, beg for people food, dig in the trash or
even bark (well, maybe once in the middle of the night that annoyed one
neighbor).
When she came home for the first time, she settled in immediately like she knew
she belonged here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Flossie was a calm and steady presence in our home. She
wasn’t an effusive tail wager, jumper or snuggler. She moved quietly plopping down in her favorite spots with her paws
daintily crossed like the true southern lady she was. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvzNePSLyciC0MvPOTjH9fV9A7dzBpEExCZZTTa3Ddf0bkUxORO6xOG2DyrWWssMe3-pmrbHcDKRDvVWfAVIg1ag5iJuiZlQIF97p9dFNiqO6-PkSFA_PTqczm3Po-I2gTokaC68cguexK_QTwrfwJOpkw50FosR7DdS_tNeZBpcK2Y3As11nQbq5Xjc/s2048/IMG_0135.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvzNePSLyciC0MvPOTjH9fV9A7dzBpEExCZZTTa3Ddf0bkUxORO6xOG2DyrWWssMe3-pmrbHcDKRDvVWfAVIg1ag5iJuiZlQIF97p9dFNiqO6-PkSFA_PTqczm3Po-I2gTokaC68cguexK_QTwrfwJOpkw50FosR7DdS_tNeZBpcK2Y3As11nQbq5Xjc/s320/IMG_0135.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">I called Flossie my “shop dog,”
and she usually showed up early for work in my home office to claim her spot
under the desk or in the morning sun puddle. Flossie kept watch there daily. Until recently before she lost her hearing, she could even sense David's car coming down the street and turning in the driveway long before I ever saw it. </p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgHfRiFEgQuCrPWHO-2T4EbSz8CdzptmAfAC_aGoD9RYDPUZx-1ul8EjbaU0UodLyydflAYIAFJfE9O6NWIShum8jmC8IrK8qnAsmRIqFfzITcPHlS0jcFgmvRhk4qhxUVgOx314L6R6QCwmT5URstFo8lbtAKxa1MtZjAg3QpzRkeoIRoWCq2onQBGA/s4032/flossie%20sun%20puddle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgHfRiFEgQuCrPWHO-2T4EbSz8CdzptmAfAC_aGoD9RYDPUZx-1ul8EjbaU0UodLyydflAYIAFJfE9O6NWIShum8jmC8IrK8qnAsmRIqFfzITcPHlS0jcFgmvRhk4qhxUVgOx314L6R6QCwmT5URstFo8lbtAKxa1MtZjAg3QpzRkeoIRoWCq2onQBGA/s320/flossie%20sun%20puddle.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiN3lcNyZDGDJ5wozlEsmUEgoGaU6kPfRvQ0wp572CHp7dMY_W6TuUxPCesapA8DhGkH6m_GUeO-MBM0lFZRIjs0caWuyO06rlZfNNW0UjjVH4rwX337jkwPAk93G4gjm10QbPS2nDpZQY-7O7l4LBeyzfU1y5yNe7MqbNoHqCHojO2ng7CXFP_50XCs/s4032/flossie%20desk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiN3lcNyZDGDJ5wozlEsmUEgoGaU6kPfRvQ0wp572CHp7dMY_W6TuUxPCesapA8DhGkH6m_GUeO-MBM0lFZRIjs0caWuyO06rlZfNNW0UjjVH4rwX337jkwPAk93G4gjm10QbPS2nDpZQY-7O7l4LBeyzfU1y5yNe7MqbNoHqCHojO2ng7CXFP_50XCs/s4032/flossie%20desk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiN3lcNyZDGDJ5wozlEsmUEgoGaU6kPfRvQ0wp572CHp7dMY_W6TuUxPCesapA8DhGkH6m_GUeO-MBM0lFZRIjs0caWuyO06rlZfNNW0UjjVH4rwX337jkwPAk93G4gjm10QbPS2nDpZQY-7O7l4LBeyzfU1y5yNe7MqbNoHqCHojO2ng7CXFP_50XCs/s320/flossie%20desk.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></div></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Food and walks were Flossie’s love languages. Her keen sense
of hearing could pick up the rustle of the “doggie bags” clear across the house.
She knew meal time by the sound of the can opener and the dig of the measuring cup into the dogfood bag. Seeing one of us pick up ear buds or slip on a jacket meant walk time. </p><p class="MsoNormal">That quiet and steady personality meant Flossie always made
it easy to take her along for a ride, a walk or an adventure. Nothing phased
her. She was easy to take out for beach walks, trips to the riverwalk, rides in
the convertible, people watching at Soda City, multiple quick spins daily around
the block, or visits to Still Hopes. Flossie patiently let little kids rub her
ears and allowed neighborhood dogs to “meet and greet” without fear or anxiety.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LLFGg3YuL47vivwbFLmb-P34hdHJHAM91aH26SEPetEDacFosBRPMJf1wOBsA03x3xL2hcLb4GrdQbrgNyz4sWaZSG-hpqEvrHawvblmhcuaeR3CZYVfbfYTVdulolYRtE5HRxrxYdGCAjctK_5DDcbDq1Ms_vPohQF2eom3TTDRcZoeu5uxsjCyziI/s3318/flossie%20car1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="2488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LLFGg3YuL47vivwbFLmb-P34hdHJHAM91aH26SEPetEDacFosBRPMJf1wOBsA03x3xL2hcLb4GrdQbrgNyz4sWaZSG-hpqEvrHawvblmhcuaeR3CZYVfbfYTVdulolYRtE5HRxrxYdGCAjctK_5DDcbDq1Ms_vPohQF2eom3TTDRcZoeu5uxsjCyziI/s320/flossie%20car1.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW6YWReLIKI79JvuAlASp35Lk4A4xpTffI87aHXrqYsGL6lLtsSqXuFxGleRghQvAHBYbkLAgFYdhbN3as0tsExbIsSyKvVnQXJAQwTYCH7LavJqbGQ_zaP_JCW8DMnleIpNpKKODajzdBx18q-gWRWzJVcRtSamAoWEQpbGTxNHd5Jpy_m1nr7S-sF0/s3088/flossie%20car.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW6YWReLIKI79JvuAlASp35Lk4A4xpTffI87aHXrqYsGL6lLtsSqXuFxGleRghQvAHBYbkLAgFYdhbN3as0tsExbIsSyKvVnQXJAQwTYCH7LavJqbGQ_zaP_JCW8DMnleIpNpKKODajzdBx18q-gWRWzJVcRtSamAoWEQpbGTxNHd5Jpy_m1nr7S-sF0/s320/flossie%20car.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>She chose her small circle of doggie friends wisely and enjoyed
her occasional romps in the yard with Josey, Clarence and Kudzu.<o:p></o:p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPwywyZlOWSBirWho_MQw8dRZeqB2uscdsdRFfAkqtC4nzPFGobPvgF2uIQaIV4HEG7jiLr-H_X36g2UI8uJgUbcUJjvjnx6IiPyemXH5UwYRwgS1O5n9loUNDBsk3Eg_CdjS_7NexedmsxvbKfsNeRE1wcVXWqcAyuxUCmJDkoiDcpOcbM7sPUDso1o/s2018/flossie%20josey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="2018" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPwywyZlOWSBirWho_MQw8dRZeqB2uscdsdRFfAkqtC4nzPFGobPvgF2uIQaIV4HEG7jiLr-H_X36g2UI8uJgUbcUJjvjnx6IiPyemXH5UwYRwgS1O5n9loUNDBsk3Eg_CdjS_7NexedmsxvbKfsNeRE1wcVXWqcAyuxUCmJDkoiDcpOcbM7sPUDso1o/s320/flossie%20josey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6HpNQ_LwnwVj_09v36Kx4rs-OKyJAgKygum9NKnQRxk9-U72a6Ihb3Q5mh-DDIxoyr7jN72lrtys_C_dAjObG2KXHsXASSqXTCaIl0P4QizI6HFHCDL3iKicRcl-L3hXzgT_MPzip0t2WVuF-TsYSNABW0u51cqaZw-bb5gFmvTiNoWHl_p30JmG1QY/s4032/flossie%20and%20kudzu.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6HpNQ_LwnwVj_09v36Kx4rs-OKyJAgKygum9NKnQRxk9-U72a6Ihb3Q5mh-DDIxoyr7jN72lrtys_C_dAjObG2KXHsXASSqXTCaIl0P4QizI6HFHCDL3iKicRcl-L3hXzgT_MPzip0t2WVuF-TsYSNABW0u51cqaZw-bb5gFmvTiNoWHl_p30JmG1QY/s320/flossie%20and%20kudzu.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">Flossie was a good sport with holiday celebrations wearing
bunny ears, July 4th garb, reindeer antlers, Halloween costumes and Mardi Gras beads. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7QgupTDugZak4b0Ik7SxZ6suLQeKRTsrVSvBxq-kPx51mL2_Rbb48qDkD2UVVpCEQNhUd4bybnNQHVCPwqDELzcGZDC3wTj3xhT6AevILeKLT8LaHOjLfBooVuwzmrG3nSAk7ZnMkDlDiHqj5gczOyEZOcuNtlRndhP0wiLZI8aIhd9XksHSYK2NPow/s4032/flossie%20july%204%20lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7QgupTDugZak4b0Ik7SxZ6suLQeKRTsrVSvBxq-kPx51mL2_Rbb48qDkD2UVVpCEQNhUd4bybnNQHVCPwqDELzcGZDC3wTj3xhT6AevILeKLT8LaHOjLfBooVuwzmrG3nSAk7ZnMkDlDiHqj5gczOyEZOcuNtlRndhP0wiLZI8aIhd9XksHSYK2NPow/s320/flossie%20july%204%20lake.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">This Christmas, she even got her own visit with Santa Claus.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINLpu_JspbKMxA-RwAZyZtzaZrrGaunoB8-xyZKEt01o__Ak9j2zXeobU_oeROf7-Fpy1pEyul2LBr0sqszlcdsQFBBzmbq2Z7qnn_vTlQOvrrFHw3Q0NtJ_1XWnO76YBEvWl9t-PPc6tX0Ro_Py29IXe2zbdN3gctfZas4AZcAx56TGFFVBFdqjrOYE/s4032/flossie%20santa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINLpu_JspbKMxA-RwAZyZtzaZrrGaunoB8-xyZKEt01o__Ak9j2zXeobU_oeROf7-Fpy1pEyul2LBr0sqszlcdsQFBBzmbq2Z7qnn_vTlQOvrrFHw3Q0NtJ_1XWnO76YBEvWl9t-PPc6tX0Ro_Py29IXe2zbdN3gctfZas4AZcAx56TGFFVBFdqjrOYE/s320/flossie%20santa.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>But just because she was a quiet behind-the-scenes kind of
gal didn’t mean Flossie couldn't put on the glam when necessary. First, she became
the namesake for our band, the Flossie Dog Band. She even joined us for last summer's Flossie Fest in the backyard to jam with David. Flossie’s profile graces our Flossie Dog Band logo and
can be seen on t-shirts, stickers and coozies. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Zrs3edwesU4VbYd6PSdIcegqGNUdjiTD-B9M8EPe7EvNkbKFj92cPAhiV1v5Oo5RbK7u_TuxeYe3ltnVcx2Neui3bKblR-dT-h22izxju3zZLChO-bwcAN51jnD6mHlmwFEhG0BWUnFVTfXO46cqUZ7WJb9CnxXHCuIicWfQfGAQ8p8JQ5Q8EqGXcsw/s1240/flossie%20D%20band.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1240" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Zrs3edwesU4VbYd6PSdIcegqGNUdjiTD-B9M8EPe7EvNkbKFj92cPAhiV1v5Oo5RbK7u_TuxeYe3ltnVcx2Neui3bKblR-dT-h22izxju3zZLChO-bwcAN51jnD6mHlmwFEhG0BWUnFVTfXO46cqUZ7WJb9CnxXHCuIicWfQfGAQ8p8JQ5Q8EqGXcsw/s320/flossie%20D%20band.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Be3UFv7iiO8YstlGZJnhiI3x9gH2O-TgAkNXuR5pHxr8wdyzdsLNy7WNjyHDabinsqsTBV-YoDnA0qZWxTgguZ3VDsTW1v0Ra02dncCb9CEIQbEC-zQD6qtvjJHC3RSsQN_edXRV66IoZZSmIqSvpc52rkbTeSYP2OP868wR0M8oN-Mpv-DjoHin0w/s2049/flossie%20and%20full%20band.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Be3UFv7iiO8YstlGZJnhiI3x9gH2O-TgAkNXuR5pHxr8wdyzdsLNy7WNjyHDabinsqsTBV-YoDnA0qZWxTgguZ3VDsTW1v0Ra02dncCb9CEIQbEC-zQD6qtvjJHC3RSsQN_edXRV66IoZZSmIqSvpc52rkbTeSYP2OP868wR0M8oN-Mpv-DjoHin0w/s320/flossie%20and%20full%20band.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqWQOqXssJPBZZuv_yyoJdZAh_DInwYdw-qS5t7GiroEXBBq1QDhDFtzMy_M2BP1uAMkbJjFJ3zAMFqYHrmaYRTkQWGvgDqWCAM4v1yrI3ZYUSy-LLPml3awbf9kmNln3q7i6CZp-vg1-Pk5_chOWQjCMnrHFFGLtoXsktErnA88XPAulgEt_wZpoqco/s4032/flossie%20swag.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqWQOqXssJPBZZuv_yyoJdZAh_DInwYdw-qS5t7GiroEXBBq1QDhDFtzMy_M2BP1uAMkbJjFJ3zAMFqYHrmaYRTkQWGvgDqWCAM4v1yrI3ZYUSy-LLPml3awbf9kmNln3q7i6CZp-vg1-Pk5_chOWQjCMnrHFFGLtoXsktErnA88XPAulgEt_wZpoqco/s320/flossie%20swag.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Then last summer, Grace Outdoor featured our
girl in their “National Dog Day” campaign. But always the genteel southern
lady, she never let this fame go to her head.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RjoZTNjhIpOkgdrmZM7F3y-0z2GM-DwlQ3z44G39ueVxAcTkTfc55IDW8pabkKt5QZdRpPXxboIb-7tJnLtqyWLfMTLef-xMag4eSMVxaxollCaz8yDeWSLw6ISJJBxrKi6mXugXFV1LLoCDjUo1f21GIauPi51oKWeBOPqR3qbutJ3Xnh5wYwbs3Rk/s1783/flossie%20board.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1783" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RjoZTNjhIpOkgdrmZM7F3y-0z2GM-DwlQ3z44G39ueVxAcTkTfc55IDW8pabkKt5QZdRpPXxboIb-7tJnLtqyWLfMTLef-xMag4eSMVxaxollCaz8yDeWSLw6ISJJBxrKi6mXugXFV1LLoCDjUo1f21GIauPi51oKWeBOPqR3qbutJ3Xnh5wYwbs3Rk/s320/flossie%20board.PNG" width="210" /></a></div><br /><div>Last winter, Flossie plotted an escape. Friends, neighbors
and strangers banded together like a SWAT team over 24 hours to share social posts,
put up flyers and search the streets. In typical laid-back Flossie style, she
was found just around the corner waiting out the panic in a neighbor’s yard.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This dog was my spirit animal in that she functioned best, as I do, in
a routine. We walked her around our block hundreds of times where she
smelled and did her business in the exact same spot on every spin. Flossie
quickly found a similar routine at our lake place watching the ducks and birds
from her perch on the porch. Last summer, after her first trip on the boat, she
quickly claimed her favorite spots.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznuINl3pYSF_f16anhWcpb0nJNj-5MP-gps_qdIzFkz3iadhHcZn97KBehf6ITg-cu7TX5h4IBtTv6TiVCgD8el8NcqBvr5PpSHcdPR3I45J8Duezt6vnK7ds8xsc-Cp1DySGVbI04Muw5a0Lo2LL8cZ7nKZR54HyJ2KfgDg1nbllLe7VA5T1fcY0uN4/s4032/flossie%20boat%20d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznuINl3pYSF_f16anhWcpb0nJNj-5MP-gps_qdIzFkz3iadhHcZn97KBehf6ITg-cu7TX5h4IBtTv6TiVCgD8el8NcqBvr5PpSHcdPR3I45J8Duezt6vnK7ds8xsc-Cp1DySGVbI04Muw5a0Lo2LL8cZ7nKZR54HyJ2KfgDg1nbllLe7VA5T1fcY0uN4/s320/flossie%20boat%20d.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvwTvULair1Ru8K5NbLzo9Rca5gWPvbbhj_j2mi7lSWDtE0uYhYIsmo5NIwWP2l698fki7UPIjk0qri4DK1XqC_zdEc_r-rg6WvMQ6uZLfbil0O_Kt2JmJEsc9ES1UROazrkBgbKWT1RsLhutVrjxBVuXkK-uO94Vyf9U5b0_zDz0_eZaNUB93fbL0bc/s4032/flossie%20boat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvwTvULair1Ru8K5NbLzo9Rca5gWPvbbhj_j2mi7lSWDtE0uYhYIsmo5NIwWP2l698fki7UPIjk0qri4DK1XqC_zdEc_r-rg6WvMQ6uZLfbil0O_Kt2JmJEsc9ES1UROazrkBgbKWT1RsLhutVrjxBVuXkK-uO94Vyf9U5b0_zDz0_eZaNUB93fbL0bc/s320/flossie%20boat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Flossie’s calm eyes and sweet demeanor were always a source
of peace for me. But over the past month, those calm eyes became cloudy and unfocused. Her gait
became wobbly. Her hearing was almost completely gone. A couple of scary trips to the vet led us to discover she was
very ill. We kept her close and comfortable for as long as seemed humane and in her best interest. But Thursday, it became clear that her earthly time with us had become too
painful.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Four Paws team treated us with the grace we
needed on Friday morning to say good-bye. The absence of her presence in our home
is intense. For now, the things that grounded her earthly presence will remain
in their place while we learn to live without her routines, her snores, the tick-tick
of toenails on the floor, her "food dances,” and her waiting at the gate when we got home.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6qP6hfPQ8y7AjNlku7TzaSH2dHdeOR6ZRrYRtVyQr9Vl784tbSeZLh9UsUUgKGKsScl8_zexUndZwP_oJmWNztlsVJLHD4HYXBeyyPhzypcv6Ph74kYx7n26yZprchgARhiYUrPAPuAhdYnfeXcSiK1iEKL36LGxxqES4r6j4qI567IDmrORWp2xG8k/s1973/flossie%20at%20the%20gate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1973" data-original-width="1480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6qP6hfPQ8y7AjNlku7TzaSH2dHdeOR6ZRrYRtVyQr9Vl784tbSeZLh9UsUUgKGKsScl8_zexUndZwP_oJmWNztlsVJLHD4HYXBeyyPhzypcv6Ph74kYx7n26yZprchgARhiYUrPAPuAhdYnfeXcSiK1iEKL36LGxxqES4r6j4qI567IDmrORWp2xG8k/s320/flossie%20at%20the%20gate.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">As the great philosopher Winnie the Pooh said, “How lucky we
are to have had something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rest easy sweet Flossie. Be whole and healthy again in the company of our beloved Dixie and Beaufort! <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80uPSMbsbHVDOboOz7_r6vq2IZ27Tw724-UEYQ_SbyZf4zn6znwfsp1RSVirsQftkMwSL5LahoXcjYN6nlzcLT_YiCn1_TZ43MNEh31Kfn3HV04-I2Un8QRI1rcsnuORGRMCbhQw86V8fIfiRK4facw9CSYM6O9AVaAYcoyUqG9DDQYF0EofTl-d97Bk/s1466/flossie%20dixie%20beaufort.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1466" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80uPSMbsbHVDOboOz7_r6vq2IZ27Tw724-UEYQ_SbyZf4zn6znwfsp1RSVirsQftkMwSL5LahoXcjYN6nlzcLT_YiCn1_TZ43MNEh31Kfn3HV04-I2Un8QRI1rcsnuORGRMCbhQw86V8fIfiRK4facw9CSYM6O9AVaAYcoyUqG9DDQYF0EofTl-d97Bk/s320/flossie%20dixie%20beaufort.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JulieHollawayFineArt">artist credit to Julie Holloway Fine Art</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-30153802436313456152024-01-23T14:25:00.004-05:002024-01-23T15:47:40.407-05:00It's National Handwriting Day ... A tribute to the loveliness of the handwritten note<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrktyCeqO5GGBA7IGjogUG6HhAzkLD6X0TkxFOoFzuQ8x5AaY0y_jK4j9T2w0BRprTMxFSjCDxg0YnP_xX1SnKj9W4l42Wvx-8jf5bZF10gFvVqyD5LGp5bee3bCyIxWeBo8vwBy9LPl8rG6RvOACgdrIMt7MNqnPkgwZQF93OqIQfhyasdiJmua8E1os/s472/pen%20for%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrktyCeqO5GGBA7IGjogUG6HhAzkLD6X0TkxFOoFzuQ8x5AaY0y_jK4j9T2w0BRprTMxFSjCDxg0YnP_xX1SnKj9W4l42Wvx-8jf5bZF10gFvVqyD5LGp5bee3bCyIxWeBo8vwBy9LPl8rG6RvOACgdrIMt7MNqnPkgwZQF93OqIQfhyasdiJmua8E1os/s320/pen%20for%20blog.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPhandwritingday" target="_blank">National Handwriting Day</a> which got me to thinking about why handwritten notes bring me such joy. </span>(I've written before about the magic and mess of handwriting on a blank page. Read that post<a href="https://bit.ly/MGSCPApen" target="_blank"> here.</a>)<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When I was growing up, the family mailbox was a magic chamber that delivered cards with good wishes, post cards from interesting places and an occasional gift from a far-off relative. Today's mailboxes, however, often are more of a torture chamber spewing out political post cards, overdue bills and unwanted solicitations. What used to be a daily treat of checking the mail has now become just another chore. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Think about how you react to what you find in your mail cubby at work or in your mailbox at home. What’s the first thing you automatically throw out? But more importantly, what’s the first thing you put aside to read?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Human nature will likely take us to the piece of mail that looks to be the most personal and least threatening…the handwritten, individually stamped envelope. How many of those do you receive a week? Not many, I’d guess.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When I pull a hand-addressed envelope out of the mailbox, I get a thrill…is it an invitation, a note from a friend, a thank-you for a nice gesture? Hand-addressed envelopes say to me that someone has taken time to send me something personal. I always save them to open after I’ve gotten in the house, dumped my work-out bag, and let myself sit down and savor the reading experience.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Magic in the box of old letters</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When my parents moved from my childhood home, I found a file box of letters that had been in their attic for well over 30 years. When I opened the box, I found dozens of letters neatly stacked in near-perfect chronological order from my late college years through early adulthood. The letters smelled musty and were a bit faded, but what a gift to open that box and get a glimpse of my younger self.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Az_t4woGo-_5RFJDwPDLMKotfxRWxVIHHZ95hN3SfNRP64Bpdl2Gn_DlDMVnft1vwQn4OW5YKLjRzLL_bERY2Ww2yurpaMyMhxoTvQOWKg6B5tPcZGmtYK1YcXqXKg4opHgtn_15Dm3g_5u4KOjP72aBKhVGAyzRnQc3_uSl3E_H2vDdzmGp3zdiOY/s2048/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Az_t4woGo-_5RFJDwPDLMKotfxRWxVIHHZ95hN3SfNRP64Bpdl2Gn_DlDMVnft1vwQn4OW5YKLjRzLL_bERY2Ww2yurpaMyMhxoTvQOWKg6B5tPcZGmtYK1YcXqXKg4opHgtn_15Dm3g_5u4KOjP72aBKhVGAyzRnQc3_uSl3E_H2vDdzmGp3zdiOY/w245-h245/photo.JPG" width="245" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The emotion and connection in the handwritten words floating out of those letters could never be duplicated today by preserving email chains, Facebook posts or text messages, even if someone was so inclined to file them somehow. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In reading these letters, I marveled at which friends were the most prolific writers. I wondered what questions I had posed that prompted a long epistle back to me. I laughed at the things we knew were critical in our lives at the time. I was awed by the insight my friends offered to life challenges we were facing. I loved watching my husband’s notes change in content and tone as we moved from our early dating days through our engagement.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A year-long writing challenge</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A number of years ago, a friend’s young adult daughter took on a year-long personal challenge to hand-write a letter a day during her first year in the work world. She said she did this when she first moved to Washington DC after college because she was frustrated that she couldn't keep in touch with her best friends nearly as well as she could when they all lived in the same city.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJUD-Pt5GUagI09eIkogOGqk2-krhT88z5Z1uUBg8DN-sfnUZzQJolhact6J0BOS3piICpFHKO3ftgxZm5ViXRyyp7ZONgbZLUjKp03cv742enXSBO7YJXfPbpUXEkakK9K3h-02QnN_mSG5petouqfWFuwsYjiPCR0WDkAhGbNuQwVBvE_w_4PXSIM/s2048/letters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJUD-Pt5GUagI09eIkogOGqk2-krhT88z5Z1uUBg8DN-sfnUZzQJolhact6J0BOS3piICpFHKO3ftgxZm5ViXRyyp7ZONgbZLUjKp03cv742enXSBO7YJXfPbpUXEkakK9K3h-02QnN_mSG5petouqfWFuwsYjiPCR0WDkAhGbNuQwVBvE_w_4PXSIM/w195-h260/letters.JPG" width="195" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Over the course of that year, I received several of her “one-a-day” notes, not knowing I was part of her personal challenge process. Later when I found out what she had done, I cherished those notes even more because I knew that she knew how I love to get cards and letters in the mail. Ultimately, she ended up writing 472 notes in a year!</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This same young woman has traveled a good bit internationally. I love sharing in her experiences through her texts, Instagram photos and Facebook posts in “real time.” However, I really feel connected to her travel experiences through the charming handwritten post cards that have arrived in my mailbox…sometimes days after she has returned from the trip. I keep the postcards and re-read them living vicariously through her travels.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Granted, I don’t practice what I preach as much as I would like to in handwriting notes. I have all the best excuses for not shooting off a handwritten note – can’t find a stamp, I messed up and can’t backspace to fix a word I don’t like, I’m missing the right sized envelope…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And while I can’t say I’m willing to take on my young friend’s “letter a day” challenge, surely I can be more attentive to my aspiration of staying connected through handwritten notes. Writing by hand makes me think in a different way than shooting out words through my fingers on a keyboard. I must be more deliberate. I must allow myself to think through what I want to say and how I want to say it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As my young friend so wisely told me…handwriting these 472 letters taught her to be “deliberate with your words and intentional with your time.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Not just good rules for writing letters…but good rules for daily living.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-45928937717372683812024-01-09T10:24:00.002-05:002024-01-09T10:29:31.985-05:00It's National Word Nerd Day: Consider how smoking a pig is like writing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUHaF8unC9Oiy7lx6ohX_jKpszynDHVB68ePo4nUVeKZgFZXbfpEtWVDd9CE5DMG2u04VbCBhGS0hjqSfq_GjvuxL8hBAJmFhetYeTZ_VvrAtamjxT6wOnQY56Y6KVo56vB_I5ZX1vf5CRGxYPyRuUlTQW9x0ntjhRAtmq1iTIPIAy1_h2Il-tQXk830/s1121/d%20and%20pig%203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1121" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUHaF8unC9Oiy7lx6ohX_jKpszynDHVB68ePo4nUVeKZgFZXbfpEtWVDd9CE5DMG2u04VbCBhGS0hjqSfq_GjvuxL8hBAJmFhetYeTZ_VvrAtamjxT6wOnQY56Y6KVo56vB_I5ZX1vf5CRGxYPyRuUlTQW9x0ntjhRAtmq1iTIPIAy1_h2Il-tQXk830/s320/d%20and%20pig%203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It's National Word Nerd Day. I'm guessing most people would rather think about food than grammar rules, right? So here's a chance to do both. My husband's love of grilling isn't all that different from my love of words.</div><p></p><p></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">To take a page from Stephen Covey, we both begin with the end in mind. My husband knows how he wants the final product to look, feel and taste. I know the story I want to tell. Getting to our individual ends involves some of the same lessons, compromises and processes.</span></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><b>Follow some basic rules</b></span></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">First, both writing and smoking a pig involve following some basic rules.</span></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">When smoking a pig, the temperature has to be at a certain level to ensure food safety. There is no way to speed up the process. A lot of personal preference is involved relative to taste or doneness.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Writing isn't all that different. You have to accept certain basic rules of grammar and usage to ensure the reader understands what you are trying to say. Writing will flow at its own pace…inspiration can't be rushed. Everyone writer has his own personal preferences for structure, tone and voice.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Each time you smoke a pig the circumstances change. Humidity, weather, the source of the meat and other variables can change the cooking process slightly resulting in a longer or shorter cooking time. The meat’s temperature could go into a stall, and you have to wrap it to get it to jump from 165 to 185 degrees.</span></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">You can’t throw the meat on the grill and come back eight hours later and expect it to be the same as it was last time you cooked one. You have to tend it, adapt and change along the way.</span></p><p><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><b>Be aware of all the variables</b></span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">With writing, circumstances change with everything you write. Variables depend on where you get your inspiration, what is your frame of mind and what is the goal of your piece. Are you on a word count deadline for pay or are you sitting on the porch at the beach writing intense personal reflections? Different types of writing require adapting to the influences of the situation. </span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">As the meat moves thought the process of breaking down from a raw slab to the deliciousness of BBQ, it absorbs what is around it…the rub, the marinade, the smoke.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">As the written piece moves through the process from inspiration to publication, it absorbs the life experiences of the writer…perspective, insights, biases.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><b>Let it rest before the finishing touches</b></span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Just because the meat reaches the appointed temperature doesn't mean it's ready to eat. Before it can be served, the meat must rest. When you come back to it later, the juices have absorbed, adding another dimension to the final taste of the meat.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">The same is true with writing. Just because you have hit the word count doesn't mean your story is ready for publication. Before it goes to the editor, the piece must rest. You come back to it later and see what nuances have absorbed and which ones you may have missed.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Once the meat has rested, it's time to pull it apart, add some sauce and serve up the BBQ that looks completely different from the slab you started with on the grill.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">In writing, you want to pull your work apart one last time, add some sauce (or sauciness) and your final product can be something completely different from that slab of a first draft.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><b>Present the final product</b></span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Serving up the BBQ to your guests is laying your time, talent and passion out for all to see (and taste). It takes some courage to set that plate down not knowing if your guest will taste it with the same palette you have. Or what if the diner douses it with ketchup to make it more his liking? At that point it becomes more about what your guest likes not what you wanted him to like.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">In writing, hitting the send button to the editor is like setting the plate of BBQ in front of your guest. You lay out your thoughts, passions and stories not knowing if they will be loved by the editor or eventually the reader. Your work may be published after lots of red ink (the ketchup of writing) has been spilled on it…and that's when it becomes more about what the reader wants to read not what you wanted to say.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Both writing and cooking must be done for the joy of the process as well as the end result. Sometimes the end result turns out just as you'd hoped but, like everything in life, sometimes it doesn't. Either way the passion for learning through the process is what makes both writing and cooking fun and fulfilling.</span></p><div><br /></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-52900405959871051872024-01-05T14:39:00.006-05:002024-01-05T17:27:16.433-05:00'Tis the season for reading plans<p>Isn’t it great how the new year gives us license to both look back
and look forward at the same time? It’s a time for reflection and resolutions.
While I do my best to avoid hard core new year’s resolutions I’ll never keep, I
do enjoy reflecting on my past year’s reading choices and looking ahead to what
might be on my 2024 reading list.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">First, a quick look back. </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I didn’t set a reading goal for the year other than to read more,
screen less. My “Blink Book Review” series gave me some accountability in that
area. The books with yellow checks are part of that series. <a href="https://bit.ly/RCP2023books">Are the reviews are available here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPDnSXjQgrGHKMWRMs_DjUgu__I2q4cb-afFCGaSUy0Mt73Ba-zUwabrpZN8J4P10JEsCE4tu1HMCpIDQDrwGxy8BtGQLzCzLoJX7ZxRXxxhtTeVs-G_K_SXhTE_514T-MaItnq5ycVaOFxGJkyw05QoiEh15NXW2m0-eIRUwvG_QJ4M2UO9OmoK-njA/s397/2023%20books.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="365" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPDnSXjQgrGHKMWRMs_DjUgu__I2q4cb-afFCGaSUy0Mt73Ba-zUwabrpZN8J4P10JEsCE4tu1HMCpIDQDrwGxy8BtGQLzCzLoJX7ZxRXxxhtTeVs-G_K_SXhTE_514T-MaItnq5ycVaOFxGJkyw05QoiEh15NXW2m0-eIRUwvG_QJ4M2UO9OmoK-njA/w423-h460/2023%20books.png" width="423" /></a></div><b>A few superlatives:</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite:</b> “Lessons in Chemistry” by a mile! Unfortunately, I didn’t
write a review, but this book is inspiring, funny, insightful and beautifully
written. The dog, named Six-Thirty, was my favorite character. (The tv series is
OK – the book is stellar.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Most inspiring: </b><a href="https://bit.ly/BBRCalm">“The Art of Calm.”</a> A former Columbia resident,
Roger Hutchison shares beautifully his journey through anxiety and depression
with a writing and storytelling style that’s approachable and easy to read.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Most pleasant surprise:</b> <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRThePersonalLibrarian">“The Personal Librarian.”</a> Normally, I’m
not a reader of historical fiction, but I read this one after hearing an
interview with one of the authors. The book inspired a visit to the Morgan Library
in New York in December, and now I’m reading an “official” biography of the
amazing Belle de Costa Green that I got for Christmas.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Best audiobook:</b> “<a href="https://bit.ly/MGBlinkKelly">It. Goes. So. Fast.” </a>I’m a huge fangirl of Mary
Louise Kelly, host of NPR’s All Things Considered. I might have loved any
audiobook she reads, but this one is her own story accounting the triumphs and
challenges of a working mom | journalist | writer | juggler of life during her
oldest son’s high school senior year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Least favorite</b>: “Spare.” Boring and don’t think I’d have gotten through it had it not been an audiobook (I liked the British accent).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"><b>Now on to 2024 </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the forward looking side, I have a few leftovers from 2023 and received
several new books for Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPSDy7bzQMDBMDroxWn5JYdlSblK2SkW5FNR5vM69C4hAxMwCDfJY8Py0cYoip4Zz7n8xVDkdMjTbhsXsVcHoIMdQ-XosO1dSrDTd6PSfoyBZLMkVh-zcEM2z-gcwgArHYDoKICYVn9zJpNaf-YIqdHLZbm3ooZhXAuxCbBNgvtnRecIz6X6iIA7vwO8/s4032/2024%20book%20stack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPSDy7bzQMDBMDroxWn5JYdlSblK2SkW5FNR5vM69C4hAxMwCDfJY8Py0cYoip4Zz7n8xVDkdMjTbhsXsVcHoIMdQ-XosO1dSrDTd6PSfoyBZLMkVh-zcEM2z-gcwgArHYDoKICYVn9zJpNaf-YIqdHLZbm3ooZhXAuxCbBNgvtnRecIz6X6iIA7vwO8/s320/2024%20book%20stack.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I’m still working on “To Set a Watchman” and “Emmett Till” that I
bought at Square Books in Oxford while attending the Conference on the Front Porch
back in the fall. Also I’m trying to finish “Tom Lake” but seem to have hit a lull
in the story about halfway through.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I got several books for Christmas – a signed first edition of
Patricia Cornwall’s latest, a Garden and Gun publication featuring inspiring Southern
Women, and a novel by a South Carolina native. A gift card let me buy a hard
cover novel, “All You Have to Do is Call” that I’m devouring right now (I typically
only buy hard cover non-fiction, so reading my own hard cover novel is a nice
treat.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I finally found an original copy of “All the President’s Men” at a
bookstore in New Orleans this year and continue to work my way through the
amazing machinations that resulted in Watergate. It may take a while to finish this one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:rebahcampbell@gmail.com">Drop me a line</a> or message and tell me what to add to this list.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">Reading more in ‘24</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Last year, I shared my list of a dozen ideas to help with reading
more in 2023. My updated list for 2024 is below: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">1 – Change up your reading genre.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> I’m
more of a best-seller fiction type of gal. But 2023 showed me I can also love
historical fiction. There were several on my list in 2023 including "<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRThePersonalLibrarian">The Personal Librarian,</a>" "<a href="https://bit.ly/BBR10firstladies">The First Ladies"</a> and "Looking for Jane."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">2 – </span></b><b>Re-read books you've already read.</b> In 2023, I pulled out my dog-eared copy of <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRkeyserling">"Against the Tide, One Woman's Political Struggle,"</a> a book I'd read many years ago about state house politics in the '70s. Yes, political nerdery, at its best. But I was inspired to re-read this book after hearing three excellent podcasts featuring people and stories from that era when I was just beginning my career path that would eventually include working in and around state politics.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">3 – </span></b><b>Give away the books you love.</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> If I lend a book to a friend, I rarely get it back – and that’s the way I like it. I do always put my name in the book along with the date and location purchased. It’s kind of a fun history to send along when I lend/give a book to a friend. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">4 – Read multiple books at once.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> I’ve
always kept with a plan of reading one “good for you” book (most likely
non-fiction that teaches me something), one “must-read” book (best
seller-types) and one “junk food” book (just pure easy reading). That’s enough
to keep one by my bed, one in my knapsack that goes everywhere with me, and one
in my car. You’d be surprised at how often you can find a few minutes to pull
out the “car” book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">5 – Download a digital or audio book version of a hard
copy book you’re reading.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Admittedly, this kind of felt like cheating at first,
but it’s a great way keep reading even when there’s not time or circumstances
to sit down with the hard copy book. Some audio books even help you keep track
of switching between digital and audio versions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">6 – Make reading a reward and not a chore</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">.
Reading should be a pleasure, a gift, an adventure and an enriching experience.
Find ways to make reading your reward. Mine is sitting down with my book in a
relaxing place after I’ve checked my to-do list for the day – whether it’s the
comfy chair in my office, a chair on the beach or snuggled up on my bed. I
place my phone and iPad more than arm’s distance away. I get comfortable and
give myself the gift of time to read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">7 – Borrow from and contribute to a nearby Little Free
Library </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">if there’s one in your neighborhood. There’s a box near
us, and I check it weekly. Clearly someone nearby has reading tastes like mine,
as I’ve enjoyed several books I’ve found there. And the books I leave seem to
be nabbed quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">8 – Keep up with new books coming out and read reviews.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Check
the lists at bookstores and in newspapers like the New York Times and the
Washington Post. Read friends’ social posts about books. I have several friends
who share insights about books by writing reviews or giving suggestions. That’s
how I’ve found lots of good suggestions about books I never would have heard
about otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>9 – </b></span><b>Join <a href="https://bit.ly/MGgoodreadsrhc" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>or a similar reading site</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">. When I joined in late 2022, I quickly connected to several friends already who already use Goodreads to share their reading experiences. I find the “want to read” feature the most helpful. As I’ve upped my library use this year, this feature has been great. (Feel free to “friend” me on Goodreads.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">10 – Accept it’s OK to use audio books.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> For
many years, I disparaged audio books as “less than” reading. But as I’ve
increased the time I spend in my car in recent years, I subscribe to Audible,
but might dump that in 2024 as I’ve become a huge fan of the library’s Libby app.
I also put in my ear buds to “read” while folding laundry, cleaning around the
house or walking the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">11 – Don’t finish a book you hate</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">. I’ve
always been in the camp of finishing every book I start. Nope. Not anymore. If
I hate it, I leave it in my neighborhood Little Free Library or just return it
to the library. No need to waste valuable time on books that don’t make sense,
make me too sad, scare me too bad or are just badly written.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">12 – Make reading (not scrolling) the last thing you do
before turning out the light at night.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Research overwhelmingly shows screen
time before bed is a big contributor to insomnia. Even reading just a couple of
pages calms my racing brain. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">What reading advice can you add to my list?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-45199916160393220172023-12-18T13:50:00.000-05:002023-12-18T13:50:26.131-05:00Oh Christmas Tree<div aria-label="Message body" class="XbIp4 jmmB7 GNqVo yxtKT allowTextSelection OuGoX" id="UniqueMessageBody" role="document" style="border: 0px; color: var(--neutralDark); cursor: auto; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 12px 16px 0px 52px; outline: 0px; overflow-y: auto; padding: 0px 0px 2px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; will-change: scroll-position;" tabindex="-1"><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="rps_9068" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbBANI9InRRdSUamswpoTQ57iSChnbRXb2KQTwVmBR21-SSItGhb8ZWehO2qPrWHaJtFc2HhFezRdQdUw3igD0-mYjyAE8chiz8fu0LAVeaKWX0ql27M25FQFaQUm-xYezbso2pV5EeoD8dRNq6G5ZDncmmDxRrl-Qeidao0ftnWdrCDrf3h9XcxMjWE/s4032/IMG_4447.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbBANI9InRRdSUamswpoTQ57iSChnbRXb2KQTwVmBR21-SSItGhb8ZWehO2qPrWHaJtFc2HhFezRdQdUw3igD0-mYjyAE8chiz8fu0LAVeaKWX0ql27M25FQFaQUm-xYezbso2pV5EeoD8dRNq6G5ZDncmmDxRrl-Qeidao0ftnWdrCDrf3h9XcxMjWE/w270-h360/IMG_4447.heic" width="270" /></a></div>Christmas trees can gin up pretty strong emotions and opinions in people at this time of year. First, there's the "live" vs. "artificial" tree debate. Then, there's the decision of how early a tree should go up. Is it too early to have a tree up before Thanksgiving? And how long can it stay up? Multi-colored lights vs. white lights? Garland vs. tinsel? The options are endless.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I always get into the holiday spirit early seeing my Mississippi sister-in-law and </span>nieces'<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> trees decorated when we </span>visit<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> at Thanksgiving. That said, </span>I fall squarely in the Sunday after Thanksgiving as the first day I feel ready put up a tree. <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I'm also one of the first on my block to drag my tree to the curb the day after Christmas. While many people these days opt for the more-high tech, beautifully lit, artificial trees that are way easier to put up and take down, I still love the process of choosing and decorating a live tree. </span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the first year I've bought a full-sized tree after opting for a shorter, table-top version for the past 15-plus years. This beauty stands ceiling height in a full-length window in the sunroom/office on the front of the house. Granted, it's a little lopsided and has a few bare spots, but I l<span color="inherit" style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">ove the smell of the fresh tree as I work just feet from it.</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br aria-hidden="true" /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some people may look at this tree up close and think it gives off a Charlie Brown-ish vibe. There are no shiny glass balls on the branches or a fancy star on top. But this tree is full of memories from thousands of miles traveled, dozens of cities and people visited, family history, childhood artwork, dogs, homes, cars, music and hobbies. I am grateful for surge of happiness I feel every year when I unpack the boxes of ornaments that hold a lifetime of memories.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">David and I have been buying ornaments from places we've visited ever since we got married. I treasure the annual unwrapping of memories from trips to places as varied Israel and Idaho, Bangkok and Boston, Peru and Paris and lots of others. Back around the third and fourth grades, my friends gave each other hand painted or cross-stitched ornaments. I still hang several of those every year. <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In addition to ornaments, we have a few items from childhood also hanging on the tree - one of David's swimming ribbons hangs next to a key to my childhood home. </span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn58QHoUtX7ync9uz1MgSrOpQumsZKyMywp4We_80X8ky4OseC-QiKmGeWLBK0RgQ14mQwiQLW4HthYxjYy6qAQqRuxc7shSyPXludIpUdzaRTsLmaGheUxxf5Pi0xt4IFUk-6IcM-TuCDYBm_6mWJ8-MF0kjcoSlSdYB_Z5vXL8zIA5581Xi2y2GRqVs/s4032/IMG_4448.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn58QHoUtX7ync9uz1MgSrOpQumsZKyMywp4We_80X8ky4OseC-QiKmGeWLBK0RgQ14mQwiQLW4HthYxjYy6qAQqRuxc7shSyPXludIpUdzaRTsLmaGheUxxf5Pi0xt4IFUk-6IcM-TuCDYBm_6mWJ8-MF0kjcoSlSdYB_Z5vXL8zIA5581Xi2y2GRqVs/w154-h205/IMG_4448.HEIC" width="154" /></a></div>My tree topper isn't a fancy bright star. Rather, it's a slightly lopsided and years-worn angel my Granny gave me as a young child. She also gave one to my sister and my first cousin - her third granddaughter. Several years ago, all three of us realized we still lovingly unpack that angel for our trees in Columbia, Mt. Pleasant and Georgia. A couple of years ago, my cousin made an ornament for each of us featuring photos of these angels in memory of our grandmother. Such a sweet memory to unwrap each year.</span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In recent years, I did ditch the old white lights for some new sparkly multi-colored ones. But the brightest part of this tree </span>isn't<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> the lights - it's the glow from the memories it sparks. When friends gather at our house over the holiday season, I always love finding someone being drawn to the sunroom to look at the tree and to be reminded of many of the memories that we share.</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">As the great </span>philosopher<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> Charlie Brown said, "</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.48px;">It’s not what’s under the tree that matters. It’s who’s gathered around it.” And I would add to that, it's also the </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.48px;">memories</span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.48px;"> that hang from it.</span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.48px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESivAYje0iRUn_lPbwoIiPkjjeU_wxX8rS0eHcMtmqzCjn_4GOvcatlnc3djo-DuQLomLCLNkxtoA7eaeWGuMkB-KA9Y1TKdM0H33s6QjJWc6tFYS_tjqVbI-mW_iPOZ9dlCTP2B9rutAz9yK5islKjnd-D4F2Fhyphenhyphen9bJEwXFBaEwltCJ8Qj7uE3gLHww/s4032/IMG_4436.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESivAYje0iRUn_lPbwoIiPkjjeU_wxX8rS0eHcMtmqzCjn_4GOvcatlnc3djo-DuQLomLCLNkxtoA7eaeWGuMkB-KA9Y1TKdM0H33s6QjJWc6tFYS_tjqVbI-mW_iPOZ9dlCTP2B9rutAz9yK5islKjnd-D4F2Fhyphenhyphen9bJEwXFBaEwltCJ8Qj7uE3gLHww/s320/IMG_4436.heic" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Memories that include Paris with friends, White House ornament from Callie, Wimbledon tennis ball, Paddington bear from Betsy, Beaufort the dog, the 1993 inauguration</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjrnJs3yR42467442lIbnFCYuhMJhl08exJNg2DZabH-pt2pa3yhia6-K1nB46-JMRXrbVZEvueTzAnEmcCEBxtt0OQOel3E8MONz3TCjYhkHhIGlRA87dGSfTowSa8oNS4Fp_E_lg7z9E5XrAjFOD8yhkDX1MTYwXMtagJ2D-lzcIBiPTeVUtDH-4Nw/s4032/IMG_4437.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjrnJs3yR42467442lIbnFCYuhMJhl08exJNg2DZabH-pt2pa3yhia6-K1nB46-JMRXrbVZEvueTzAnEmcCEBxtt0OQOel3E8MONz3TCjYhkHhIGlRA87dGSfTowSa8oNS4Fp_E_lg7z9E5XrAjFOD8yhkDX1MTYwXMtagJ2D-lzcIBiPTeVUtDH-4Nw/s320/IMG_4437.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David's swimming ribbon, Granny's three angels, Paris gift from the Bradfords</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFmGnT3ePTEcfxPruZfnpsc1mJSjESsONwNWlIGJxFMP2jBsVIRRstBk2f0oDyA-EJQcFQHW7fc8nvC87jGuSh8r7iSIPdLm926fGukJx8r2f2qPqDo4f0ayxVpchN_Ev4pdw5-UocQDKFdG5ctvVzjrXN8xzh8gU6CidO3ccqd9EVOG26Z0Kf3pMivE/s4032/IMG_4438.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFmGnT3ePTEcfxPruZfnpsc1mJSjESsONwNWlIGJxFMP2jBsVIRRstBk2f0oDyA-EJQcFQHW7fc8nvC87jGuSh8r7iSIPdLm926fGukJx8r2f2qPqDo4f0ayxVpchN_Ev4pdw5-UocQDKFdG5ctvVzjrXN8xzh8gU6CidO3ccqd9EVOG26Z0Kf3pMivE/s320/IMG_4438.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mississippi santa, key to Roslyn Drive, needlepoint from Rachel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv73q2uh2o-kUnUpb2xM9EAyPYt7rIkIp4F-Lg7yzVKWce_rsarrYrysPD8quQKfPVwNlz29bYOW8QdJ8WIN1diDeeJSCJbTVkW-rfjWpuboOtqM1AUGPGFFJm4rfApjq_Z-fk_g4rujumP_BICS2_e9EkDRodfD7RoGdGERpKgMA1dap8RWXAHCObkqg/s4032/IMG_4439.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv73q2uh2o-kUnUpb2xM9EAyPYt7rIkIp4F-Lg7yzVKWce_rsarrYrysPD8quQKfPVwNlz29bYOW8QdJ8WIN1diDeeJSCJbTVkW-rfjWpuboOtqM1AUGPGFFJm4rfApjq_Z-fk_g4rujumP_BICS2_e9EkDRodfD7RoGdGERpKgMA1dap8RWXAHCObkqg/s320/IMG_4439.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourth grade Christmas gift, shoes from China</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuZPK_a6mB6QFFU0PI-rx5IPkkfr1RgYV2q8CFfLTdpr-3DzJp2AiIPIVysyu0Jz2mEZy-RQ4qAPuBx4b968bS_ofVuAUt659xRiiG92bhgw-UqoSFgxPgYpMSlDOSd9Wigr77lPyLo8b_UIgBi24kQ6PPbRAbePjzDH_1_LZwFlVLDz_kWtfQljlrXE/s3152/IMG_4445.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3152" data-original-width="2364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuZPK_a6mB6QFFU0PI-rx5IPkkfr1RgYV2q8CFfLTdpr-3DzJp2AiIPIVysyu0Jz2mEZy-RQ4qAPuBx4b968bS_ofVuAUt659xRiiG92bhgw-UqoSFgxPgYpMSlDOSd9Wigr77lPyLo8b_UIgBi24kQ6PPbRAbePjzDH_1_LZwFlVLDz_kWtfQljlrXE/s320/IMG_4445.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much-loved angel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek3JfLoBL9dr5aaS11GYIMAdetZHdALpqGE4H2BZ9bFvNnUV_3u67RJzGiCAUOpKFnMKWaVJ0G9M8xf3moGe88SlwLR9VNF8zokRKdN7aikghB-IIFAC3CqqLMhqBUu4axR6oUIoDxTJqEWvHMBixjdkzqPGcmK92triLtd44IAZWDUE-k3K11Jk69sM/s4032/IMG_4446.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek3JfLoBL9dr5aaS11GYIMAdetZHdALpqGE4H2BZ9bFvNnUV_3u67RJzGiCAUOpKFnMKWaVJ0G9M8xf3moGe88SlwLR9VNF8zokRKdN7aikghB-IIFAC3CqqLMhqBUu4axR6oUIoDxTJqEWvHMBixjdkzqPGcmK92triLtd44IAZWDUE-k3K11Jk69sM/s320/IMG_4446.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the crowning glory</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-53063890223746777652023-11-07T13:45:00.000-05:002023-11-07T16:54:29.851-05:00Election Gratitude Reflection<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My latest post went live over on my professional blog at <a href="https://bit.ly/MGelection">The Medway Group.</a> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fffdf6; color: #474747;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For anyone who has worked in campaigns, the week leading up to the election is like no other experience. It’s a blinding minute-by-minute chaos of decisions on the fly, anticipating every possibility that could stand in the way of making it to election day.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Good memories abound from many of my "last week of the campaign" adventures. </span></p><p>But two fine ladies who were part of these early career memories have now left us, Mary Lou Price and Emilie Theodore. </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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bdVeLoz2LDlWE8AG6dFXDgNDABerY3iKR2d1_d3nd-Fv6RJMfICBZkyGxwZwdYzKlGWSErg1AAxypzole5ghu_3JwmlJOccoSgGEz3m-PqS96npbn9_l5TW5_M3ijOQUVE0T3nWSop1xaDrKqHKdKp-ojIwRKP_bnyR13aGKfanWeHe0Kyz1VKG4uW8/s3264/day%20after%20election.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bdVeLoz2LDlWE8AG6dFXDgNDABerY3iKR2d1_d3nd-Fv6RJMfICBZkyGxwZwdYzKlGWSErg1AAxypzole5ghu_3JwmlJOccoSgGEz3m-PqS96npbn9_l5TW5_M3ijOQUVE0T3nWSop1xaDrKqHKdKp-ojIwRKP_bnyR13aGKfanWeHe0Kyz1VKG4uW8/s320/day%20after%20election.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning after the 1994 election.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsZiVj-Pd0WRL1kzmzEBV_1uj97MOWIvspOKTXCxMBswZ9nKe3uRdlkS_1xnITN6hbtHzVVAvC-o9CUJSUG-WGgI9KcC2UYICqWgnwWpkoZEC5JLT8dS-dKpPdr2UytzsYOQIuj0BWeUBInTS6X7ROPFdYv-Ynd4o1KYpiWqX7NO25lPr6Qp97NMes4g/s640/IMG_2963%20-%20Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsZiVj-Pd0WRL1kzmzEBV_1uj97MOWIvspOKTXCxMBswZ9nKe3uRdlkS_1xnITN6hbtHzVVAvC-o9CUJSUG-WGgI9KcC2UYICqWgnwWpkoZEC5JLT8dS-dKpPdr2UytzsYOQIuj0BWeUBInTS6X7ROPFdYv-Ynd4o1KYpiWqX7NO25lPr6Qp97NMes4g/s320/IMG_2963%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The week-end before the 1994 election "fly-around"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EUoRPHIzOSWh3PZO6mNGyvf_NmOpQauK_4BfuG4w14RpKkXlPUJAEG3a8sLHCzGTuXCDWCTJoab3ncgZy8IhwPNXAeuqIs6KUyisgLdwahh7qhbRD8WKzuMrCmyCIziAivOZPXy2sz4WLcUq-ixZ8X-wuAS1EQydhvLg0ME7mk8DUSGa8nkKk8T_/s604/cap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="604" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EUoRPHIzOSWh3PZO6mNGyvf_NmOpQauK_4BfuG4w14RpKkXlPUJAEG3a8sLHCzGTuXCDWCTJoab3ncgZy8IhwPNXAeuqIs6KUyisgLdwahh7qhbRD8WKzuMrCmyCIziAivOZPXy2sz4WLcUq-ixZ8X-wuAS1EQydhvLg0ME7mk8DUSGa8nkKk8T_/s320/cap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJOlKvEan-ExFYFfdAab94qs-euFtZQjsGn0Yk9A5MBBUpAvi3esbCbcePmPEN81YDiLnVWWo1v-bcUnCizPrzns6k1EiAPAUOGq9jim942a7bkK6flXEbkXp-hFvLNhlX4qTN2gIIhqfIJ1Dr3Pzs3Ypwr0ImWF_L2YKeJd6ek2j_vZdrfiw99Uq/s2048/miss%20emilie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJOlKvEan-ExFYFfdAab94qs-euFtZQjsGn0Yk9A5MBBUpAvi3esbCbcePmPEN81YDiLnVWWo1v-bcUnCizPrzns6k1EiAPAUOGq9jim942a7bkK6flXEbkXp-hFvLNhlX4qTN2gIIhqfIJ1Dr3Pzs3Ypwr0ImWF_L2YKeJd6ek2j_vZdrfiw99Uq/s320/miss%20emilie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both of these fine ladies have left us now.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB9ZkQS1c4x9o540fwVh-Xul9qy8zXbteNr2-KSkODo6Omp6NaTkdnIRnFoARYumeMGDFzGQW0-9d1EOaDAK7nwhs8W168x11PxLFZr5WlSReN2Gbef-EaEdDDycPJKQmA5O5fjixjlbG-FpYwZ5ISEx8Oh8W-K4G43ypvHfNpHULiZl3Yw7XdP2E/s640/RC%20hollings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB9ZkQS1c4x9o540fwVh-Xul9qy8zXbteNr2-KSkODo6Omp6NaTkdnIRnFoARYumeMGDFzGQW0-9d1EOaDAK7nwhs8W168x11PxLFZr5WlSReN2Gbef-EaEdDDycPJKQmA5O5fjixjlbG-FpYwZ5ISEx8Oh8W-K4G43ypvHfNpHULiZl3Yw7XdP2E/s320/RC%20hollings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-50947270474964476342023-10-20T14:43:00.001-04:002023-10-20T14:43:46.108-04:00October 28 - Danielle Howle House Concert<p><b>House concert: (hous KON-sert) - A gathering of friends, neighbors and music lovers in an intimate home setting to celebrate and support local musicians.</b></p><p><span>OK … so I kind of made up that definition, but it does describe the concept.</span></p><p><span>The idea of house concerts goes back generations to Appalachian traditions. A performer en route between gigs may have had an open night to play at a host’s home along the way in exchange for a good meal and place to lay his head. The host would charge a small ticket price with all proceeds going to the performer.</span></p><p><span>In the modern twist on a house concert, <a href="https://bit.ly/DHOct28Cola" target="_blank">guests pay a small admission fee</a> and bring a snack to share if they'd like, their own adult beverages and chairs (we will move inside to the dining room if it rains.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNCGo00CPYGNgzYjFCFFnSJ9Wp6XO_A2BnLtr19K_vXFGPhdWUZkQ2s0JlUkw4ZO9pyh78F-l_DfaWtkmGaxGbpMnNwvr0tQlzXxKxmMO-QabG1wjRxaITebEiZtxo6BD_0kSLuI213dpE_iYP50TI7DGW-NH0rWZ-D6BWrSh_PllN9ViCvszU_6NMjM/s1080/231028-forestacreshouseconcert-post001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNCGo00CPYGNgzYjFCFFnSJ9Wp6XO_A2BnLtr19K_vXFGPhdWUZkQ2s0JlUkw4ZO9pyh78F-l_DfaWtkmGaxGbpMnNwvr0tQlzXxKxmMO-QabG1wjRxaITebEiZtxo6BD_0kSLuI213dpE_iYP50TI7DGW-NH0rWZ-D6BWrSh_PllN9ViCvszU_6NMjM/s320/231028-forestacreshouseconcert-post001.png" width="320" /></a></div><span><br /></span><div><span><span>So that's what’s going on October 28 – a house concert at our house featuring </span>the fabulous <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPDHwebsite" target="_blank">Danielle Howle</a> who is just days away from releasing her latest album on Nov. 3. (<a href="https://bit.ly/RCPDHCurrent" target="_blank">Pre-order the album.</a>) Joining her will be <span>a very talented duo from Winston-Salem, the <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPDHBMLB" target="_blank">Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs</a>.</span></span><p><span><a href="https://bit.ly/DHOct28Cola" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;"><span>Here's the link </span>to </span>purchase advance tickets online </a>(ALL proceeds go directly to the performers). Once you purchase a ticket, Danielle will send you the house address for the concert. We ask you purchase tickets in advance ($15) to avoid the hassle of cash at the event – we can’t take cards that night. </span><span>Kids are welcome, and those under 12 are free. No pets, please.</span></p><p><span>I’ve loved Danielle’s music for many years going back to when she got started in the early ‘90s as “Danielle Howle and the Tantrums” in local venues. Over the years, she has shared the stage with the likes of the Indigo Girls and Mark Bryan and opened for legends like Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Sam Bush, The Avett Brothers, Fugazi, and Elliot Smith.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><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;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="1546" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQC9sWrJjeobY2-_7mXyFTu_EtZKCuWhGomR3gdeLOnPbr8_RT0jn-tGSEJFeW_qTdY_HX4wADVsU9dardZAVIH3tMO2ngjkgxEsbEK9HbxgONPueUysx3mAqofydi9b0tmLFRevhtm937CWjoScig18F6_lZRvZKUyAH78JvlilOnYbKsP8qsdzg/s320/DHMB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="317" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2018</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQC9sWrJjeobY2-_7mXyFTu_EtZKCuWhGomR3gdeLOnPbr8_RT0jn-tGSEJFeW_qTdY_HX4wADVsU9dardZAVIH3tMO2ngjkgxEsbEK9HbxgONPueUysx3mAqofydi9b0tmLFRevhtm937CWjoScig18F6_lZRvZKUyAH78JvlilOnYbKsP8qsdzg/s1563/DHMB.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span></span></a></div><span>You just never know what's going to happen at a Danielle house concert. One year, she brought a special guest whom many of us later saw in the summer of 2019 play three blockbuster shows with a little local band called Hootie and the Blowfish. Another year was the launch of her new CD, and the year before that, it was her send-off to a tour with the Indigo Girls.</span></div><p></p><p><span>This year will be her tenth concert at Chez 1425. The opening act starts at 6:30 and Danielle will start about 7. </span></p><p><span>Weather permitting, we will be outside on the patio. There will be a few chairs - or bring your own or a blanket for picnic-style seating if you want. And in the spirit of a true house concert, please bring whatever you want to sip and a snack to share...this is potluck at its best!</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><span><br /><br /></span><p></p></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-83215058624452837622023-10-15T21:17:00.008-04:002023-10-17T11:04:36.398-04:00Taking a breath of gratitude<p>Panic, fear and worry were only a few of the emotions I felt
on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-September when my mother had a second stroke. For
the past two years, she has been oh-so-well-cared-for in the skilled nursing
area of<a href="https://bit.ly/RCPSH"> Still Hopes Retirement Community</a> following a previous stroke and the
death of my dad. When I walked into her room that Tuesday afternoon for a quick
visit, I knew immediately something was wrong. The team sprung into action to
quickly get the medical attention she needed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over the subsequent month, I’ve tried to keep a running list
of all my lessons learned and kindnesses received during this scary experience. Hopefully, these may
help others who find themselves managing this type of emergency.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Appreciate that the medical professionals are people
first - caring, dedicated people.</b> To a person, the medical professionals we
encountered from the ambulance to the ER and the ICU to the regular hospital
room at <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPlexmed" target="_blank">Lexington Medical Center </a>were committed, kind, smart, helpful and wanted to do the right thing. <div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ACz_ryvwY8ZAYCurrdWpqA9Lr8m00OB3opKI8lnN64eQjIXhDBq_lKctid75JegkzOVQNfh0TwvQQolALX9taSP_BHRfjmFCftw-exZqo3px51UDQPxsXpGruWkSpjk9v5yiyJ3jGH7usRIIJrY9mog01Gs9vvEIbHnPuHoaVTGpBgbxatFXo_730CE/s4032/IMG_2835.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ACz_ryvwY8ZAYCurrdWpqA9Lr8m00OB3opKI8lnN64eQjIXhDBq_lKctid75JegkzOVQNfh0TwvQQolALX9taSP_BHRfjmFCftw-exZqo3px51UDQPxsXpGruWkSpjk9v5yiyJ3jGH7usRIIJrY9mog01Gs9vvEIbHnPuHoaVTGpBgbxatFXo_730CE/w191-h255/IMG_2835.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Driving in the wake<br />of the ambulance</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b></b>For
example, the ambulance driver kindly suggested Mom would be fine with them and encouraged
me to follow them to the hospital so that retrieving my car would be one less
thing to worry about once we got her settled (I did laugh several times on the
drive as my little car scooted in the wake of the ambulance blowing through red
lights and hopping medians). The Lexington Medical Center ER staff immediately
got her to a stroke room and quickly into a procedure to remove a clot. In less
than three hours from when we initially called the ambulance, she was in an ICU
bed. The medical professionals were amazing!<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But I was quickly reminded throughout this experience that there’s frequently a disconnect between the compassionate people who serve their patients on the front lines and
the unspeakable red tape around patient care in today’s medical economy. The caring
people who are in this profession to do good are stymied so often by
staffing issues, bureaucracy and layers of regulation. Be kind to them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaB_z_tAjPh3gLkEjrItgNvIXaaykIb23hBFn6bcBTbOuOex3B55wpde9HVS-HwWpLlKaI39RLqDh7tf6kHYZ3eus-OXiP1d_rGrmWWieAl1kOKD1PW429Ue5LG8nADWwuzp2_wcUW0YESQ1Fx2ZGNLvvjXCw07-q2r34sJhuRXN74pSqTZ9fFnTx6ak/s4032/IMG_1379.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaB_z_tAjPh3gLkEjrItgNvIXaaykIb23hBFn6bcBTbOuOex3B55wpde9HVS-HwWpLlKaI39RLqDh7tf6kHYZ3eus-OXiP1d_rGrmWWieAl1kOKD1PW429Ue5LG8nADWwuzp2_wcUW0YESQ1Fx2ZGNLvvjXCw07-q2r34sJhuRXN74pSqTZ9fFnTx6ak/w174-h232/IMG_1379.jpg" width="174" /></a></b></div><b>Breathe, move and eat right.</b> None of these are easy
when you’re in the midst of any type of crisis in a hospital. Walk the halls.
Climb the internal building steps. Walk the perimeter of the property. Do a few
yoga stretches. Breathe to calm your anxiety (thanks to<a href="https://bit.ly/RCPMEH" target="_blank"> Mary Ellen Haile</a> for
that one). Get outside for a few minutes to eat. Just move. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately David
and I been on a plan to re-set our eating habits at home when this emergency
happened. We had some pre-prepped meals already in the fridge which I packed up
each day to take to the hospital. I’ve never been a cooler-packing lunch-taker,
but this practice and the healthy food it provided was a lifesaver and kept me
out of the hospital cafeteria and away from the vending machine. Shout out to
David for keeping us on track with our meals!<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Respect the daily flow of business in a medical facility</b>.
Shift change is a busy administrative timeframe. I’ve learned to pay attention
to the flow of shift changes and avoid interrupting the meetings where staff is
tagging off the patient data from one shift to the next. Figuring out the
division of labor among staff also helped us understand who can answer certain
questions and help with various tasks. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Say thank-you. </b>Everyone appreciates being
appreciated. Saying thank-you for a small kindness rendered goes a long way.
Even when these wonderful medical professionals say, “I’m just doing my job,”
it’s really more than that to those of us on the receiving end of their work. I always tell the Still Hopes caregivers they must leave their angel wings in the closet when they arrive at work because they are surely angels on earth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Be prepared.</b> In the midst of the confusion to get Mom
into the ambulance, I somehow remembered to grab her ID and insurance cards
because we keep them in a small packet in a specific place in her dresser.
Everything also resides in a Google Drive folder along with the
power-of-attorney paperwork, living will and list of medications. We had
learned the value of cloud document storage while managing our parents’ medical
emergencies several years ago. Having these documents at my fingertips at all
times was invaluable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Advocate and ask questions. </b>You know your situation
best. Do you research, ask questions. Sometimes the best path may be “trust but
verify” if you feel the hospital professionals may have been too quick to make
assumptions (happened daily) or if they may have overlooked something you
believe is important (happened daily) when they aren’t the patient’s daily
caregivers. If something doesn’t feel right, it might not be. If you’re not
clear on a medical recommendation, ask for clarification. Just because a doctor
has many years of education and experience doesn’t always mean they are always
good at communicating in layman’s terms.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Take good notes.</b> In the midst of a crisis, nothing is
clear. Even in the best of situations, I’ve learned to write down notes or I’m
doomed to a den of confusion down the line. I’m always writing down questions I
have and furiously scribbling the feedback from doctors. Today, technology
makes notetaking a whole lot easier. My family uses a long email thread to
share notes on the various things we are each tracking related to our mother’s
care. I personally use the OneNote app that resides on my phone, laptop and iPad
to keep my various lists and questions organized.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keeping these notes and questions in one place has allowed
us to track trends and progress we may not have noticed otherwise. It’s kept us
organized on medical follow-up, thank-you notes and errands.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Accept help.<span style="color: #999999;"> </span></b>Ask for help and be willing to accept that help. I have a very hard time asking for and accepting help. Friends, family, neighbors church people, and co-workers all want to help. Some instinctively know what you need, and others are happy to do whatever you ask. Prayers work. Accept them with grace and gratitude.</p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEoYldDzmUi82lagRJKrnuaJfZshT9CqyqQjBlLSGfaG3bjmNLjIRe3zCiM6-3A7UhbzG5n2N5Y30cpfskwz-hDDylijaRLERoCbKVumemKGcj9UqVDKIAaJQsuBqRmDcI50aj5Dc8BOhoUmbhdmo6sCo1BWS9eR0d_hjv4EwOhEZVn-dnABv3mj2UsA/s4032/IMG_2844.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEoYldDzmUi82lagRJKrnuaJfZshT9CqyqQjBlLSGfaG3bjmNLjIRe3zCiM6-3A7UhbzG5n2N5Y30cpfskwz-hDDylijaRLERoCbKVumemKGcj9UqVDKIAaJQsuBqRmDcI50aj5Dc8BOhoUmbhdmo6sCo1BWS9eR0d_hjv4EwOhEZVn-dnABv3mj2UsA/w160-h212/IMG_2844.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><b>Practice gratitude. </b>Admittedly this is hard in the midst of an emergency. But taking a few minutes each day to absorb the many kindnesses, check-in calls and texts, food, treats, distractions and positive vibes people sent our way over the past month gives me great peace. From a friend showing up with breakfast delivery from my favorite spot, text check-ins and homemade soup to pumpkin pie, hospital deliveries of clothes and essentials, and encouragement to take a little time for ourselves I am so grateful for the many kindnesses people have sent our way. It also reminds me of how much a small gesture can mean to a friend in the midst of an emergency.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>And the rest of the story . . . </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After three days in ICU and a week in a regular hospital
room, Mom was able to return to her Still Hopes room – and her loving caregivers (which is a whole other story of gratitude for that daily team of angels.) Within hours of arriving back at Still Hopes, we could see a difference. She was loved on, set up with a
new recliner chair, and dressed in her favorite shirt. Today, she’s working
daily with her physical therapists, and we say she’s nothing short of a miracle
after a pretty scary prognosis that first night in the ER. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-22904300291161482562023-09-11T09:37:00.005-04:002024-01-05T12:27:14.835-05:00Blink Book Review #12: History Repeating Itself? Three podcasts and a book<p>Maybe it’s my age or maybe it’s the fact that some of my
current work has me skirting around the edges of politics again. I’ve recently devoured three podcast episodes and re-read a book that took me back to
the policy issues and politics of the '70s and '80s that interestingly continue
to shape our state today. The old adage of "the more things change, the more they stay the same" certainly plays out when looking back at how we got to where we are today.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">First the podcasts</span></b></p><p>All three of these podcast episodes brought up political and policy issues from the '70s and '80s that still taunt South Carolina today. All three are must-listens for anyone who works in or around legislative politics and state government.</p><p><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Podcast hosts and former state senators Vincent
Sheheen and Joel Lourie spent an hour in conversation on </span><a href="https://apple.co/3Elw4b4" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">“Bourbon in the Back Room”</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> with long-time
editorial writer Cindi Scoppe from the <i>Post and Courier</i>. She covered the State
House for <i>The State</i> paper in the ‘80s and ‘90s and knows more about SC politics
than just about anyone in the state.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Gavin Jackson interviewed former SC Supreme
Court Justice Kay Hearn on SC Public Radio’s </span><a href="https://bit.ly/RCPlede" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">“The
SC Lede”</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> podcast about the recent rulings on the state’s abortion ban after
the US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Casey Fields interviewed former Senate Clerk Jim
Fields (her dad) on the Municipal Association’s </span><a href="https://bit.ly/RCPdome" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">“From
the Dome to Your Home”</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> series of the “City Quick Connect” podcast about his
recollections of working for long-time Senator Marion Gressette in the '70s and '80s during a period of rapidly shifting political tides.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Now the book</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pRveCh_PGZL-oV7AdZr4UUiCwFlxO7or2Gyo403BixeH2zsFJhFbHh3-ecGUUIDGl6VQOyhC6aUlNzWIsWg8q01LwBor5Cohm4xBDLhR1LCmHjiAIQ8R1LDIYKMxRYBQGwidDYIrhWrD7ll1DpDwv-NRPHSC8IbZEz4uyAqwZRTYbjGW-R-qaY2R4o4/s3590/keyserling%20book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3590" data-original-width="2692" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pRveCh_PGZL-oV7AdZr4UUiCwFlxO7or2Gyo403BixeH2zsFJhFbHh3-ecGUUIDGl6VQOyhC6aUlNzWIsWg8q01LwBor5Cohm4xBDLhR1LCmHjiAIQ8R1LDIYKMxRYBQGwidDYIrhWrD7ll1DpDwv-NRPHSC8IbZEz4uyAqwZRTYbjGW-R-qaY2R4o4/s320/keyserling%20book.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Mulling
over these three interviews sent me to my home library to re-read <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRKeyserling">“Against the Tide: One Woman’s Political
Struggle,”</a> by former state Representative Harriet Keyserling (D-Beaufort).
I remember buying this book at The Happy Bookseller when it first came out in
1998 and I was working as a lobbyist for SCETV. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book explores the state’s political landscape in the ‘70s,
‘80s and early ‘90s through Keyserling’s eyes. She represented Beaufort County in
the SC House from 1977 until 1993 as one of the few women legislators. There
were 12 Republicans (two were women) 13 Blacks and 10 women in the House. She was
the first woman from Beaufort County elected to the Legislature which followed
her election as the first female Beaufort County council member.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At first glance, the 388-page book both looks and feels
heavy. The title sounds heavy. And yes, some of the book’s content is dense,
especially when she describes all the political machinations around education, state
finance policy, nuclear waste and the arts. Keyserling must have kept daily
meticulous notes to be able to recall the details of conversations, debates and
compromises that she recounts in the book. Dense and heavy it may be, but I
found it fascinating.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I devoured the book in less than a week already primed for
that era after listening to the podcasts. I’m a little too young to remember
the rough and tumble state politics of the '70s, but I did gain a front row seat
in the legislative arena as a page in the SC Senate in the early 1980s. While,
at the time, I didn’t have the perspective to understand the bigger picture political context, I do remember the days of girl pages who had to wear dresses and
answer office phones while the boy pages got to accompany the legislators to the floor.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Women in politics</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book explores in vivid, first-person detail, what it was
like to be a woman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- and a Jewish woman
– in the state legislature that was only just beginning to crack the
long-established, rural-focused, good old boy's network in the late 1970s.
Keyserling describes how her naïveté about the mechanics of the General
Assembly actually worked in her favor as she quietly (at first) learned the
ropes by watching coalitions develop and across-the-aisle friendships flourish.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I particularly enjoyed the chapter about “Women and Politics,” recognizing the names of many women I’ve admired over the years, including Nancy Stevenson whom I had the pleasure to know when I was a page for her in college (and she didn’t relegate the girl pages to just answering the phone). A major “women’s issue” of the time was passage of the ERA, rather than abortion, since that issue had been decided by the 1973 Supreme Court decision. But the chapter also touches on issues like reproductive choice, domestic violence, housing and nuclear energy that Keyserling championed over the years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Education and other issues</span></b></p><div>The book is peppered with long-established names like Blatt,
Gressette and Riley (Dick and Joe). It not only describes groundbreaking reforms
like the Education Finance Act and the Education Improvement Act, but also reminds
us of other legislative changes that took place in that era like mini bottle
sales, blue law repeal, establishment of a state reserve fund and passage of home
rule.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyone involved with education policy in South Carolina
should read the 22-page chapter focusing solely on the Education Improvement
Act that passed in 1984. When Gov. Dick Riley first circulated the bill, he
found 21 sponsors that Keyserling describes in the book as “the Smurfs … an
unlikely medley of people” that included Republicans and Democrats, Blacks and
whites, rural and urban, men and women - none of whom were in leadership. She
notes Gov. Riley said, “We had to organize a new leadership” to get the bill
passed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The chapter goes on to describe how the EIA efforts trace
their roots back to a 1951 study committee then-Gov. Hollings established to
look at school funding. Her narrative could be describing today’s ongoing education
debate around teacher pay, tax increases, education equity, race relations and
school choice. She even noted “… if the move toward school vouchers becomes
successful, there will be further competition for public education funds.” She writes
the effort was stifled in 1996, but noted “it can always re-appear.” Foreshadowing,
for sure!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keyserling retired in 1993 and her son Billy took over her
seat (he later went on to become Beaufort’s mayor). After her retirement, she
returned to Beaufort focusing on passion projects until her death in 2010.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For anyone interested in reading this book, it’s hard to
find. The Richland Library’s copy is only available for in-library use. Copies
are still available through the USC Press and Amazon. I’m always happy to lend
out my copy to anyone who shares my love of SC politics in the ‘70s, ‘80s and
‘90s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as long as you don’t mind the dogeared and
marked-up pages!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the summer. I set a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short </span></i><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #2196f3; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration-line: none;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">Blink Book Reviews </span></i></a><i style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">(so short you can read them in a blink). Join my </span></i><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #2196f3; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration-line: none;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;">Blink Book Review Facebook</span></i></a><i style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.2667px;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. Or <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPsubscribe" target="_blank">subscribe to my Random Connect Points Stories here.</a></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-41309721686842189542023-09-04T14:36:00.005-04:002024-01-05T12:27:24.530-05:00Blink Book Review #11: "Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhChhl8KYHiUqnmolbJ2qpn7CgI4eZveTm5ZSt8dan41ABY4kANayn-FekeGtRO2xZrtQvk_Xfb3Hhd5O7iNbqdgGtRr9Cd32h90Fr1WogQpZaNY00OrPIVJrjv-mbiR5Pd4F-t8wMJT-zhqIRLR7HOmxL_hJmC_EPcNRNEpvu9fVeam6NfUOYc-eAig/s4032/BBR%20Hello%20Beautiful.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhChhl8KYHiUqnmolbJ2qpn7CgI4eZveTm5ZSt8dan41ABY4kANayn-FekeGtRO2xZrtQvk_Xfb3Hhd5O7iNbqdgGtRr9Cd32h90Fr1WogQpZaNY00OrPIVJrjv-mbiR5Pd4F-t8wMJT-zhqIRLR7HOmxL_hJmC_EPcNRNEpvu9fVeam6NfUOYc-eAig/s320/BBR%20Hello%20Beautiful.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>"Hello Beautiful” by <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRannapolitano">Anna
Napolitano</a> is the sweeping story of a large chaotic family in the late ‘70s
– early ‘80s with more than its share of eccentricities. It’s a book about
love, loss, low lows and high highs, family, forgiveness, grudges and grace. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Padavano family of four girls and their parents live in
a working class Chicago suburb. Alcoholic father + mother mired in unfulfilled
dreams = four daughters who heavily depend on each other while, at the same
time, also learn to rely on their individual strengths.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Willams Waters, a broken young man saved only by his basketball
talent, joins the family by way of his marriage to the oldest daughter, Julia.
The imbalance that results throws the entire family into a series of
life-altering changes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each of the characters is developed enough to firmly
illustrate their individual superpowers. For William, his superpower begins as
talent in basketball. For Julia, it appears to be her ambition. The second
sister Sylvie, only ten months younger than Julia, is a besotted book lover. Cecelia
sees the world through her art while her compassionate twin Emeline is the one
who most wants to be a mom but is the one who can’t. By the end of the book,
the reader sees the attributes that were laid out early in the book were only a
vehicle for the characters’ real strengths to later emerge. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The writing in this book is magnificent! Napolitano is a
master storyteller whose vivid descriptions and believable dialogue kept me
turning pages. If I had read a personal copy instead of a library book, this
one would be marked up with all my favorite passages and turns of words.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’re a “Little Women” fan, this book also pays homage
to the four March sisters (although I must admit I didn’t have enough of a
recollection of the Little Women characters and story for this to really
resonate with me).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I often pick up a book based on the cover catching my eye,
and the cover art on this book is particularly appealing. I even went so far as
to research the artist and how she came to grace the cover of the book. I did
find her name – <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRjessicamiller">Jessica Miller</a> –
and learned she is a portrait artist out of the Hudson River Valley, but wasn’t
able to find anything more about how her work ended up as the book’s cover art.<o:p></o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-72318436775008872202023-08-24T18:31:00.000-04:002024-01-05T12:27:33.517-05:00Blink Book Review #10: “The First Ladies” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnMirVCLngJkzddd8Au0PU2_nnBC3BPFeVW9tAA9euSf9l2pdRkw7PTjJuBY__8HB6VnqJ87AweJyIjUC9xqcsK6c2h79QSOhIWEIW34TKOu8GRc9KtFvVPEOzDmxK5X_hZfny-Jv0zO2-sDN4brjjeDE2QxYgkZ9yYlaEtHjWwkxQY2250q8siHLRlc/s820/THe%20First%20Ladies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnMirVCLngJkzddd8Au0PU2_nnBC3BPFeVW9tAA9euSf9l2pdRkw7PTjJuBY__8HB6VnqJ87AweJyIjUC9xqcsK6c2h79QSOhIWEIW34TKOu8GRc9KtFvVPEOzDmxK5X_hZfny-Jv0zO2-sDN4brjjeDE2QxYgkZ9yYlaEtHjWwkxQY2250q8siHLRlc/s320/THe%20First%20Ladies.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>Another historical
fiction for the win with “<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRfirstladies" target="_blank">The First Ladies</a>” by Marie Benedict and Victoria
Christopher Murray. After I really enjoyed “The Personal Librarian” earlier in
the summer, this newest book by the same authors piqued my interest.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the story of friendship, political will, and a
passion for righting wrongs that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Black activist
Mary McLeod Bethune shared. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Many of the issues familiar in today’s culture –
race, gender and divisive politics - played a big role in how these two women
made their way through their individual and shared lives. Together, they wielded
a behind-the-scenes power that changed the course of the civil rights movement
in our country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune’s lives ran
parallel and intersected repeatedly both in spite of and because of their
shared vision for civil rights, equal education and social justice in the
country. Plus, they forged a personal friendship that crossed racial lines unheard
of at the time. The book is structured between alternating chapters in each
woman’s voice which made the audio version particularly enjoyable. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After doing a little more research on Mary McLeod Bethune
because of her roots in Mayesville, South Carolina, I realized that this book,
like “The Personal Librarian,” is so soundly grounded in historical accuracy.
As a matter of fact, one of the stories Mrs. Bethune tells in the book is about
how her passion for reading was ignited as a very young child. Interestingly,
that same story showed up in <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRMMB">a recent column by
the SC Superintendent of Education</a> about the importance of reading.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In
2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the
summer. I set a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing
short </span></i><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Blink Book Reviews </span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">(so short you can read them in a blink). Join my </span></i><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Blink
Book Review Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-46327580476063150282023-08-19T16:47:00.007-04:002023-10-15T21:18:39.355-04:00Random Connect Points gets an upfit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_b9WXYj0aZ5tTWhiuLXrnew2eL7au0R5E5VnVvfiLpbGTI8MHUn5Fy-jIx5kukLA2tigXFloi6ovAi1Z0GCSXwopIMNA4qYlSHAu85yCQJq1Eh5YZ5ukEwAGcPjp80RvC9TKYR2nYOkE1gSbfmrMS9jViZ8YA4txQK9YZvhTS2Hw9vpgCr2f5gPMylE/s2193/updated%20RCP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2193" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_b9WXYj0aZ5tTWhiuLXrnew2eL7au0R5E5VnVvfiLpbGTI8MHUn5Fy-jIx5kukLA2tigXFloi6ovAi1Z0GCSXwopIMNA4qYlSHAu85yCQJq1Eh5YZ5ukEwAGcPjp80RvC9TKYR2nYOkE1gSbfmrMS9jViZ8YA4txQK9YZvhTS2Hw9vpgCr2f5gPMylE/s320/updated%20RCP.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Ten years ago this summer, I sat at the kitchen table at the
beach and finally put together <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPwhy" target="_blank">a blog</a> for my writing. It wasn’t a pretty site. My
design skills were non-existent. The design options for an amateur like me were
minimal. At that point, it was just going to be a place for me to catalog my
published writing and maybe post a few personal pieces I wrote.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd9cHCNrE_-mVLKFFL5MfoP0d4pY6h_7siTbAFjLWupYh_gP1f_tm_ZRpCaMLELRzLCms8Xxrqv9KkwUVugr8q8YrMvFcZV10APtSnme-ng0HJCVoCgQeSwe4asCSFY2rOggJ9csCBtLQAkjaVEr4J0j9mcEPOd0UwLx9p5dPpJ0LpTl51zjQG2D8Kzo/s2661/first%20post%202013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="2661" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd9cHCNrE_-mVLKFFL5MfoP0d4pY6h_7siTbAFjLWupYh_gP1f_tm_ZRpCaMLELRzLCms8Xxrqv9KkwUVugr8q8YrMvFcZV10APtSnme-ng0HJCVoCgQeSwe4asCSFY2rOggJ9csCBtLQAkjaVEr4J0j9mcEPOd0UwLx9p5dPpJ0LpTl51zjQG2D8Kzo/s320/first%20post%202013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ten years and 162 posts later, I’ve finally gotten around to
a reboot of Random Connect Points thanks to another quiet week at the kitchen
table at the beach. I can’t say my design skills have improved but the options
available to an amateur designer have increased. Maybe one day I'll get around to properly tagging posts and photos so the search feature will work, but for now, I'm happy with this!<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpVDzAttUoUpuEFGFyThhp-L9n_3-VGP4FUdtXY6OkhYY1gFt6f60bf1_I7VQ-hei1Wv3GhyosCRc59jMWVBH9AFJ6Qq020rNI6s9nSYIgZGjQcKepR_HjLq6FJcifhea3dJkUFE3hyFzwH74I46y37gaAV7x4yqo1LKrfRNMyXZJ_KizU94iTMjMGWo/s4032/kitchentable.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpVDzAttUoUpuEFGFyThhp-L9n_3-VGP4FUdtXY6OkhYY1gFt6f60bf1_I7VQ-hei1Wv3GhyosCRc59jMWVBH9AFJ6Qq020rNI6s9nSYIgZGjQcKepR_HjLq6FJcifhea3dJkUFE3hyFzwH74I46y37gaAV7x4yqo1LKrfRNMyXZJ_KizU94iTMjMGWo/s320/kitchentable.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">My beloved yellow bike continues to grace the cover photo.
The more modern “hamburger” drop down menu cuts down on clutter on the landing
page. I’ve chosen a simple white background with a fun headline font. And finally after all these years, the post fonts match and photos have margins!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Over the years, I’ve written about fun, heavy, frivolous,
silly and serious topics. Some of my posts have appeared in local weekly newspapers,
professional publications and weekly e-newsletters. Some have gotten hundreds
of views and others got just a few clicks. Some of my favorites are odes to
things that stir my passions – <a href="https://bit.ly/RCP8thbike">my yellow
bike</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/rcpflossieday">dogs</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPdontstop">music</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/signedsealedrcp">handwritten letters</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPnoxmasperfection">rich friendships</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPpresence">travel</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPgrammar">good writing habits</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPgatherread" target="_blank">bookstores</a> and <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPbooks2023">books</a>. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://bit.ly/RCPcovidmusic" target="_blank">During early COVID days, posts</a> kept me connected to neighbors and far-off friends. Over the past two summers, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPBBR" target="_blank">the Blink Book Reviews</a> have connected me with people who've expanded my reading choices. Several years ago, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPgranny" target="_blank">I shared the most random of connect points </a>when I discovered my grandmother who had lived in Virginia taught one of David's high school friends in second grade.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa5Xjqvvljhtt_8jdzfDJec4rjLIvxDjVVlz-wgAYnBfoGQa48_ERuw1bKj_POR90NGUZZWw4za82EXTwDT5No_ZMg0cze7uUIdSJ3qsPLMx7VN1A2U6LpV2O5nn_fwbU1_bNVgzZfUlTLUiZFUc9T0r64vjj973mZuCoFgRUNLAVYaKeEJtC_5g4xwQ/s2495/Inkedsubscribe.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2495" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa5Xjqvvljhtt_8jdzfDJec4rjLIvxDjVVlz-wgAYnBfoGQa48_ERuw1bKj_POR90NGUZZWw4za82EXTwDT5No_ZMg0cze7uUIdSJ3qsPLMx7VN1A2U6LpV2O5nn_fwbU1_bNVgzZfUlTLUiZFUc9T0r64vjj973mZuCoFgRUNLAVYaKeEJtC_5g4xwQ/s320/Inkedsubscribe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>One new feature of Random Connect Points is a way to subscribe. Just click on the “hamburger” menu and you’ll see where to click (or just click <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPsubscribe" target="_blank">here</a>). I promise I won’t sell or share email addresses!</div><div><br /></div>The posts that have meant the most over the years are the ones that prompted someone
to drop me a line, tell me a story, or let me know of a random connect point it
stirred up. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m often told I can run across someone I know or someone
who knows someone I know just about anywhere I go. These random connect points
I discover are soul-filling for me. They remind me of the connectedness of our
big, mysterious, sometimes troubled world. I get great pleasure from making
these random connect points – both in writing and in person. Thank you for
reading!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-65921947381423735422023-08-13T16:18:00.005-04:002023-09-22T20:29:24.154-04:00You've Got to be a Friend to Have a Friend<p>Every year, I dust off this “first day of first grade” photo
taken in front of then-Crayton Elementary School. It makes me thankful for these
girls and the many other friends who have walked with me, loved me and showed up
for me along the way. </p><p></p><table 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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCX-eigJelX509_v9cSAyGJTOXjeO-bODsiedKj9iMNl7uWHTc8b1oGF4gpgPwGnJFue_RKMDQ-oVN3g-yLLOQCp9ZQiINWZsK2O6_e0cKh7CnYTM1_IYKDvZvxrrUZciTL_NblDbH_U-vc4TdCQwIjFdlzQkpie5YEHrLIWNf0DNakiY1RwJf5CEDzY/s1440/first%20day.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCX-eigJelX509_v9cSAyGJTOXjeO-bODsiedKj9iMNl7uWHTc8b1oGF4gpgPwGnJFue_RKMDQ-oVN3g-yLLOQCp9ZQiINWZsK2O6_e0cKh7CnYTM1_IYKDvZvxrrUZciTL_NblDbH_U-vc4TdCQwIjFdlzQkpie5YEHrLIWNf0DNakiY1RwJf5CEDzY/w341-h341/first%20day.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of first grade. Crayton Elementary <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These five little girls became friends as very young
children primarily because of proximity living in the same neighborhood. <i>(Front row: Libby Heath, Nora McArthur Fowles. Back row: Katherine DuBose Duvall, Nancy Marchant Harris, Reba Hull Campbell). </i>Our
mothers were friends, too, because of proximity, church and family connections.
I’ll always be grateful to our moms for the playgroups, carpools, spend-the-night
adventures, the “six for $24 dress specials” from White’s at Richland Mall,
birthday parties, watchful eyes and family trips that we all probably took for granted.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the time these five little girls reached this first
day of first grade milestone, we’d known each other the better part of our short
6-year-old lives. Then, I moved to Virginia for the second grade and returned the
next year. The five of us split between three schools in the fifth grade. One skipped sixth grade, graduated high school early and then went on to Clemson. The remaining four of us
walked across the high school graduation stage together at Hammond. Two went to UNC and
two went to USC. Over the years, all of us made lots of other friends who also
became part of our individual and collective circles and stories.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of my mother’s favorite sayings is “you have to be a
friend to have a friend.” From these girls – and their mothers – we learned early
on how to be a friend. We learned how to share and trust. We learned how to be
a friend to each others’ friends. We learned how to navigate the presence (and sometimes
annoyances) of older and younger siblings. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because of these girls (and their moms), I eventually got
over my fear of spending the night out. During summers, we traded handwritten
letters from family trips and camp (and yes, I still have lots of those letters). We’ve married each other off and cheered on each other's kids, many of whom
have married and now have their own kids. We've moved around the world and stayed put in Columbia.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t take for granted how lucky we are to have known each
other for 60+ years. Even more though, I know how fortunate we are to have
grown lots of other rich and wide circles of overlapping and interconnected friendships
because of these very early years together.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In today’s world, we’re not in each other's lives daily. I
can’t even remember the last time all five of us were in the same place at the
same time (probably the 2003 photo re-enactment below). But I do know we share the gift of
these early friendships that taught us so well. Today, I count my blessings of
many friendships and overlapping friend circles who are daily gifts and
delights in my life.<o:p></o: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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaemu6HvnG-j2-xOumUxIKnbg-t3y4oO8so031lhY2IrO_PtQWi94_pT6mjN7V3-rdWIwtw52nHuCeP9tDagLwd8kgLCDe50dER9eYKBKOc94i9df5Reboxqp4I4S4aAjuiSB1NvYrG8I4laEdNMzTEW8hezMhjbeIYtZ3CeZtMUrkvlUe_ipD7mK-kQ/s2048/IMG_5691.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaemu6HvnG-j2-xOumUxIKnbg-t3y4oO8so031lhY2IrO_PtQWi94_pT6mjN7V3-rdWIwtw52nHuCeP9tDagLwd8kgLCDe50dER9eYKBKOc94i9df5Reboxqp4I4S4aAjuiSB1NvYrG8I4laEdNMzTEW8hezMhjbeIYtZ3CeZtMUrkvlUe_ipD7mK-kQ/s320/IMG_5691.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2003 - the day before the Crayton building was bulldozed</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">###</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Photo credits: </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>First grade pic: Nora Fowles’ mom, Mary McArthur </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Re-enactment pic: Rachel Chapman, who moved into the neighborhood in the fourth grade
and quickly became the sixth of our crew.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Also
thanks to Susan Childs, who was principal at Crayton Middle School when the
original building was demolished and helped us organize the “after” photo in
2003.</i><o:p></o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-17956575208329680662023-08-07T11:45:00.004-04:002024-01-05T12:27:43.605-05:00Blink Book Review #9: Pops: Learning to be a Son and Father by Craig Melvin<p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3gEGBjjX7L6E6cHIRSx8MlLQ-QEhlWNqpq0CFgIOcZqaZkNkViwJWuNHw8ULBNy0OPs67lo34mHu9k3utSJNpEEZh9GE8OcnEIkYJ5pJhEYwkKHdKtThWVafl6OGAmitU_K8H49IeZ0tJEhRjc5Cs1dJM0zmx0TAq9KppRcjzHNw8ce79cCTZ3lRnIw/s681/craig%20melvin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="451" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3gEGBjjX7L6E6cHIRSx8MlLQ-QEhlWNqpq0CFgIOcZqaZkNkViwJWuNHw8ULBNy0OPs67lo34mHu9k3utSJNpEEZh9GE8OcnEIkYJ5pJhEYwkKHdKtThWVafl6OGAmitU_K8H49IeZ0tJEhRjc5Cs1dJM0zmx0TAq9KppRcjzHNw8ce79cCTZ3lRnIw/s320/craig%20melvin.JPG" width="212" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times;">Stories of local folks who’ve found national acclaim always
interest me. And if they’re in the world of journalism or politics even more
so. That’s part of the reason I picked up Craig Melvin’s book, "Pops," on a recent trip
to the Richland Library. While I don’t know Craig personally, we’ve got enough
mutual friends that I feel a little kinship with his story.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">While this book focuses on Craig's path to the Today show set, it’s
more than just his professional story. This book explores his journey
to understand and accept an unaccountable father who battled alcoholism and who
wasn’t very present in Craig’s growing up years. The timing of the book lines
up with Craig’s own journey as a father to his young children,
Delano and Sybil.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">Craig’s storytelling skills from years in television translate
nicely to the page with a writing style that’s conversational and descriptive
without sugarcoating the challenges his family faced. He deftly balances facing
down the demons he dealt with around his father with celebrating the strong
women and extended family who surrounded and guided him growing up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">The local references to Columbia landmarks along with his
descriptions of his Washington years at the NBC affiliate all resonated
strongly with me because of my overlapping path … not to mention it was fun to
see the role old friends from WIS played in Craig’s career path.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: times;">This book is the convergence of an intensely
personal story with a larger examination of addiction, redemption and forgiveness.
And I imagine the book is also a personal gift to Craig’s children as they get
older to understand and accept their family’s story. </span></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFVkhbvIYxzi8jKyGVKThEj_S-4Enw2oQiO76X6FOZMAHbGWzyNGD3jW9bgImdEszIZS_GrJCiTDvQgrYPRQ9vijuyNpPBr5t1PR3nEd_YTtOdGoTwDQ7N3RVFY7efSV_oXNlKktKhTiNTIBgPQdBGuZ3oj7noifnPImE1UCNr0mCc43dmRulfDzIVA4/s3011/RC%20and%20CM%20Today%20show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3011" data-original-width="2258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFVkhbvIYxzi8jKyGVKThEj_S-4Enw2oQiO76X6FOZMAHbGWzyNGD3jW9bgImdEszIZS_GrJCiTDvQgrYPRQ9vijuyNpPBr5t1PR3nEd_YTtOdGoTwDQ7N3RVFY7efSV_oXNlKktKhTiNTIBgPQdBGuZ3oj7noifnPImE1UCNr0mCc43dmRulfDzIVA4/s320/RC%20and%20CM%20Today%20show.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November 2022</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the summer with a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Reviews </i></a></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(so short you can read them in a blink). Join my </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Review FB</i></a></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. You can email me at reba@themedwaygroup.com.</span></i></div></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-40903714928270970402023-08-01T17:19:00.005-04:002024-01-05T12:27:49.622-05:00Blink Book Review #8: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray<p><a href="https://bit.ly/BBRpersonallibrarian"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3Lh_DmzRnLRCdl9F4RCsCjB1ghxfO3wWpZDCsj9Js2jLKeZE1ax8gee2i6VKrQTYc3T0lDIKx9L1JJAkTUx4OjdJSVfPo49eH2vM8GlLTqGENKpaKzSMTd9gJEZjnbAmSfvcq10PCFElTYlveUhccdn5Ml9LztzcXYCEfgh0W2El8KGUXrZtANkU5Sc/s807/Personal%20Librarian.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3Lh_DmzRnLRCdl9F4RCsCjB1ghxfO3wWpZDCsj9Js2jLKeZE1ax8gee2i6VKrQTYc3T0lDIKx9L1JJAkTUx4OjdJSVfPo49eH2vM8GlLTqGENKpaKzSMTd9gJEZjnbAmSfvcq10PCFElTYlveUhccdn5Ml9LztzcXYCEfgh0W2El8KGUXrZtANkU5Sc/s320/Personal%20Librarian.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>“The Personal
Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray was such a
delightful surprise. Historical fiction isn’t normally my top reading choice,
but to stay true to one of my summer reading goals, I’m trying out new genres
and new writers. This one was spot on.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book follows the life of a young woman in the early
1900s who is hired by the mega-wealthy financier JP Morgan to be the personal
librarian for his extensive manuscript and art collection in the Pierpont
Morgan Library in New York City. While this was a perfectly acceptable type of position
for an unmarried young white woman of the time, the intriguing story line of
the book is based around the fact that Belle da Costa Greene is actually Belle
Marion Greener, a Black woman.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book builds from Belle’s family story that includes her
father, Richard Greener, the first Black Harvard graduate who spent his life as
an activist for equal rights. Belle’s father leaves the family over the fact
that her mother wanted to raise their family as white which was possible
because of the lightness of their complexions. (Although the book never exactly
explains how the family of the first Black Harvard graduate could fly so easily
under the radar, I wrote that off to the times. After all, there was no internet
back then to allow for deep dives into anyone’s past.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After JP Morgan hires Belle, she carefully crafts her public
persona built around her intelligence, beauty and inner strength. Over the years,
she accumulated great power and wealth – neither of which would be been available
to her had she been seen as Black. Her sometimes over-the-top behavior and flamboyant
dress seemed to draw attention away from questions that might arise about her race.
In an NPR interview, the authors said it was as if she was “almost was hiding
in plain sight.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This book has all the elements of a great story - influence and power, love and lust, wealth and poverty, family conflicts and human frailties.
But it also raises complex questions about race that our society still struggles
with a century later. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An interesting aside to this historical part of the book,
Belle’s parents lived for a short time in Columbia while her <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRgreener">father taught at USC during the university’s
brief period of integration during Reconstruction</a>. There’s a statue in his
memory in front of the Thomas Cooper Library.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The historical notes and author’s notes at the end of the
book shed light on how the authors blended history with fiction. I often skip
over these last pages of a book once I’ve finished reading. In this case, I’m glad
I didn’t as they provide rich insight and context around many of the issues
raised in the book.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"># # #</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the summer with a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Reviews </i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(so short you can read them in a blink). Join my </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Review FB</i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. You can email me at reba@themedwaygroup.com.</span></i></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-87979840197328905032023-07-16T12:14:00.001-04:002024-01-05T12:27:55.757-05:00Blink Book Review #7 – Travel Guides<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V3xogMStDt_a4IK13ReOT15YKPAqvSzJ4bgWTe7A_68C7M8YO4ONx5cJYghet8NPFSjfnCXn-fahdeuaot_5pC-OvAjTvSxib42XoiYxlulyGNl40EJMMNNthtrIS0OG3YSpsq9a0yXn9sEMYQTHtXZ1F8qVYa4XhyI9c8CSuF-f9QZslWNYhivlUgo/s4032/travel%20guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V3xogMStDt_a4IK13ReOT15YKPAqvSzJ4bgWTe7A_68C7M8YO4ONx5cJYghet8NPFSjfnCXn-fahdeuaot_5pC-OvAjTvSxib42XoiYxlulyGNl40EJMMNNthtrIS0OG3YSpsq9a0yXn9sEMYQTHtXZ1F8qVYa4XhyI9c8CSuF-f9QZslWNYhivlUgo/s320/travel%20guide.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I’ve long been a collector of travel guides. There’s a stack
on my bookshelf of books about Spain, Mexico, Italy, Thailand, France, England,
Scotland, Israel and Egypt among others. Then I stopped buying travel guides
somewhere in the mid-2010s when the internet put travel planning at my
fingertips in real time.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In today’s digital world, old fashioned travel books may seem
to be obsolete. Who wants to travel with a 300-page book when the same info is
available right on your phone? Not to mention, so much of the info in a
hard-copy travel guide is outdated the day it’s published.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For recent post-covid travel, however, I’ve become a fan of
travel guides again. I enjoy going to the library and checking out a stack of
books about my travel destination. I vicariously pre-travel to my destination running
fingers over the colorful maps, pondering the adventures to be had in various
parts of a new city. Then I pick my favorite book of the bunch and buy a copy
at the local bookstore (my latest Paris book came from All Good Books in Columbia).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once I’ve got my own travel guide in hand, my purple pen
gets to work. I turn down pages, making scribbles on the sites I want to
research further. I often use the book to find the less traveled tourist
attractions – the smaller museums that might have shorter wait times or the
exquisite gardens hiding behind a seemingly locked gate. Then, I save my list
of places I would like to visit in Google maps for each city I visit. These
maps are also great to share with friends looking for advice about places we’ve
visited.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve particularly enjoyed the 2023 Fodor’s Paris guide for
planning a July trip. For example, it has a nine-page section dedicated to
prioritizing a visit to the Louvre. It gives several tour options that ensure a
visitor can not only hit the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa but also find hidden
gems like the little-known collection of the museum’s only Impressionist works.
The book also has a primer on French cheeses and great suggestions of books and
movies to check out before the trip.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The best part of purchasing a travel guide is the hard copy
map attached in the back of the book. I love nothing better than plotting out
my day on the hard copy map that eventually comes back from the trip frayed at
the folds. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I imagine most travel guide fans have a favorite brand.
Right now, mine is Fodors, although Rick Steves’ books run a close second (and
his app is definitely the best). Lonely Planet books are easy to travel with
because of their more compact size and sometimes off-the-beaten-track
recommendations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love sharing my travel books with others. The only caveat is
returning them with notes I can use to plan my next trip.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the summer with a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Reviews </i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(so short you can read them in a blink). John my </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Review FB</i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. You can email me at reba@themedwaygroup.com.</span></i></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-91873836661610899822023-07-07T19:53:00.002-04:002024-01-05T12:28:02.898-05:00Blink Book Review #6 - “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3TwoiutF2bqUSIXyjO9b9KSvgyo-DO7Mr5OZKSeA0VQwvU6M_OT9IZDiqZLv-67HBi-y1pxuurShR9uJO5f8pp5I26-9UvxREyxz8075T4QDPHGkKd8ItLNwIDOvJb7A4832MKIpDS6aQ0_aXn7azv9BW6gWXNERgMi6XHW50Z5q_xGkSO7Ht54fuIk/s606/eleanor%20oliphant.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3TwoiutF2bqUSIXyjO9b9KSvgyo-DO7Mr5OZKSeA0VQwvU6M_OT9IZDiqZLv-67HBi-y1pxuurShR9uJO5f8pp5I26-9UvxREyxz8075T4QDPHGkKd8ItLNwIDOvJb7A4832MKIpDS6aQ0_aXn7azv9BW6gWXNERgMi6XHW50Z5q_xGkSO7Ht54fuIk/s320/eleanor%20oliphant.JPG" width="210" /></a></div>"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Scottish writer <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRhoneyman" target="_blank">Gail Honeyman</a> caught my eye at the library on a book display for
Mental Health Awareness Month. The cover and the title drew me in
(although I ended up “reading” as an audiobook on a driving trip – the accent
of the Scottish main character is spot-on).<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the beginning of the book, Eleanor appears to be an
eccentric young woman with a one-dimensional, rigid, and highly judgmental world
view. She seems to take every experience and interaction so literally that she can’t
fathom why a barista would need to know her name when ordering coffee. She's baffled at why
anyone would have reason to eat in a restaurant where food is more expensive
and more likely to have been touched by unclean hands.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I felt the book started slow, but, as it progressed, I realized
the tempo was probably part of the author’s scene-setting to lay out Eleanor’s narrow
world perspective. Bit by bit, Honeyman brings the reader into the story of the
early trauma in Eleanor’s life. Details are doled very sparingly through often ironic humor. Slowly, we
learn Eleanor has scars on her face, grew up in foster care, went to college on
scholarship and was involved in an abusive relationship as a young adult – life
challenges that would certainly shape anyone’s world view.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The author describes Eleanor’s rigid personal and
professional routines with just enough humor to keep the story moving. Eleanor
toils away in a low-level administrative job during the week and drinks through
several vodka bottles at home alone on the weekends. She talks with her
estranged (and seemingly strange) mother every Wednesday night never fighting
back against her verbal abuse and tirades. Her socially awkward exchanges with
co-workers are cringy-worthy as Eleanor makes no attempt to understand the
dance of human interaction. Despite all of this, Eleanor has learned to believe
everything is “completely fine.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The pace begins to pick up when Eleanor and Raymond, an
equally awkward colleague from the IT Department, come upon an elderly gentleman
who has collapsed in the street. They help get him to the hospital. The
gentleman’s situation and his kind family provide a backdrop for Eleanor and Raymond
to participate in a growing number of basic human interactions that she has
never had reason to experience in her 30 years. Empathy, kindness, an awareness
of a range of emotions, and the magic of human connection all begin to creep
into Eleanor’s increasingly expanding world where it’s OK that everything isn’t
“completely fine.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After getting to the end of the book with its plot twist
finale, I enjoyed looking back at how many of Eleanor’s quicks and assumptions make
perfect sense once the full puzzle of her life is exposed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the understated humor in the book certainly carries
the plot, there is a story line around mental health always looming in the
background. Eleanor’s childhood trauma informs every part of her life, but she
has absolutely no sense of life outside of her narrow existence. Her growing awareness
and acceptance of personal self-awareness that everything isn’t “completely
fine” can be a bright light for anyone who has struggled their way through difficulties.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books for the summer with a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Reviews </i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(so short you can read them in a blink). Join my </span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>Blink Book Review FB</i></a></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. You can email me at reba@themedwaygroup.com.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-47692718123276008092023-07-05T12:03:00.000-04:002023-07-05T12:03:02.676-04:00Happy 8th Bike-i-versary to my Beloved Yellow Bike<p>When I made an impulse purchase of a shiny yellow bike eight years ago, I had no idea how much I'd learn from those 30 pounds of metal over the years.</p><p>Just to be clear, this isn’t some fancy multi-speed bike that requires special shoes, flashing LED lights and an expensive water bottle. Think Pee Wee Herman on his cruiser not Lance Armstrong speeding through France.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUkdav6nOh3fQaNKxMkhcJCmsgIAWKu7P1fj67wllQfwyrCPze_C8iVtnCF6WfGpLP8J2_BiLHFBwZw9McPKtMQA0hwJktnHvcui4SDoUszzmg2fD0RzRY7Qjs_Bnr2OBek2d_QxsvLfML-7J597lxQHKGcAu4EOUNMifFwE3K6_2p2cKNnW2NEvZE3c/s320/beach%20bike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="298" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUkdav6nOh3fQaNKxMkhcJCmsgIAWKu7P1fj67wllQfwyrCPze_C8iVtnCF6WfGpLP8J2_BiLHFBwZw9McPKtMQA0hwJktnHvcui4SDoUszzmg2fD0RzRY7Qjs_Bnr2OBek2d_QxsvLfML-7J597lxQHKGcAu4EOUNMifFwE3K6_2p2cKNnW2NEvZE3c/w228-h245/beach%20bike.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><p>Bikes were a rite of passage when I was growing up. I treasure the photo of me and my grandfather as I sat on my first tricycle. As a tween, I loved my pink bike with the banana seat and sissy bar. The last bike I had owned as an adult was stolen from my backyard in Washington more than 25 years before. After that, it wasn’t I disliked biking … it just never came up as a mode or transportation or form of exercise.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgybDMM4Nhzljb40lidrlxqOS0Mo8bEC_H0BgR9ngLD_0FGp0ISvCm8jrUmVAGDpsmK6DNxgsLQPfgY_kim_U_LQKpCi_Ntd7rqdZjTpbcLAg1ysbQnKlchGBRhM5pU57PpWK6dEf08N3VGwTYWOf_p_4gFRQgJWPMiWbhdpiDzXx3TgoxOrCtsBEfVI/s320/trike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgybDMM4Nhzljb40lidrlxqOS0Mo8bEC_H0BgR9ngLD_0FGp0ISvCm8jrUmVAGDpsmK6DNxgsLQPfgY_kim_U_LQKpCi_Ntd7rqdZjTpbcLAg1ysbQnKlchGBRhM5pU57PpWK6dEf08N3VGwTYWOf_p_4gFRQgJWPMiWbhdpiDzXx3TgoxOrCtsBEfVI/s1600/trike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I impulsively bought the yellow bike eight years ago after spending two afternoons in Greenville riding the Swamp Rabbit Trail on a rented bike that was a perfect fit for my small frame. This one stood out proudly among the more high-end racing and mountain bikes in the bike shop. The curves of the slanted center bar screamed girl power, and the seat felt like it would support my quirky back. </p><p>My practical side knew it wasn’t smart to invest in a bike just because I liked the color in the same way it’s not smart to buy the cute high heels just because you like the color. Both have to fit in order to be used.</p><p>The shop’s owner said that this yellow bike’s frame was slightly smaller than a typical woman’s bike. Perfect for someone whose driver’s license fibs that I’m five feet tall. The petite size sealed the deal. I knew that bike was meant for me. Fortunately, the bike fit in my convertible with the top down, so I headed back to Columbia with a huge smile on my face and my new yellow bike wedged into the back seat.</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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFNaJx6sGYI_YST73eDi_Uy1_JwWHix4Z26abFEMNX2y4yGjOyilwxvwvUWU37h4dbGl4nbadLDPz2LY45c5k_kts15_zv4DIZstykJYPAy3YhwcOC6ww0yFvdSY-jH9ng0NBRz9KBqUNY7BzxQgWNDrrGSnWTrQSPh4F2TVenuPTYbIbyd81w2YReT0/s1280/bike5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFNaJx6sGYI_YST73eDi_Uy1_JwWHix4Z26abFEMNX2y4yGjOyilwxvwvUWU37h4dbGl4nbadLDPz2LY45c5k_kts15_zv4DIZstykJYPAy3YhwcOC6ww0yFvdSY-jH9ng0NBRz9KBqUNY7BzxQgWNDrrGSnWTrQSPh4F2TVenuPTYbIbyd81w2YReT0/w300-h400/bike5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just purchased</td></tr></tbody></table>Now, eight years later, my beloved yellow bike is enjoying semi-retirement as my beach bike after I bought a more practical red gravel bike for in-town and trail riding. A friend lets me safely park the yellow bike in her shed at the beach so I don’t have to tote it back and forth. Over the course of a beach week, I can usually clock 60 – 80 bike miles. On my recent beach trip, I finally broke down and bought a new seat after years of duct-taping splits in the casing was no longer practical.<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lessons along the way</span></b></p><p>Eight years and several thousand miles later, I’ve loved seeing how my bike lessons have actually turned into life lessons.</p><p>1 – <b>Don’t avoid the hills.</b> Yes, they require a climb. But life is a climb and, just as with any challenge, there are different ways to approach the hills using gears, pace and speed. I've decided there's no disgrace in having to walk the bike up a particularly long or steep hill. I just start at the bottom with a slow steady pace, deep breaths and an eye on the next few feet in front of me.</p><p>2 – <b>Slow down and enjoy the ride. </b>Riding a bike allows a more intimate experience with what’s around me at that moment. I can smell the cut grass longer. I can differentiate the sounds of cicadas, crickets and birds. I stop and experience things I would never have slowed for from a car… ducks crossing a road toward a pond, an alligator sunning on the creek shore, words on historical markers.</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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvFc_IVVE1S2AeNOljx1AiMkya3GZESRJdhxAz3wHohOURMrpVi2WnTSaJM3-pVJ1aQj2ZUGxwQX_HpoJ1Ucx6I4jzD7rdE-Ge6tfKC8mhLQWhiUQ2ZmdcJszaJCPeLHCCNLihMVLBaBsFG5_shT8gWl3RRC_FoAzlIezVLl8NJTTUBYaT0j3dpAL5_U/s4032/blog%20bike%20gator.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvFc_IVVE1S2AeNOljx1AiMkya3GZESRJdhxAz3wHohOURMrpVi2WnTSaJM3-pVJ1aQj2ZUGxwQX_HpoJ1Ucx6I4jzD7rdE-Ge6tfKC8mhLQWhiUQ2ZmdcJszaJCPeLHCCNLihMVLBaBsFG5_shT8gWl3RRC_FoAzlIezVLl8NJTTUBYaT0j3dpAL5_U/w400-h300/blog%20bike%20gator.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beside the bike path in Huntington State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I’ve found when riding my bike on the beach, the salt air smells saltier and the crunch of shells under the tires feels crunchier than they do on foot. It's not about speed when riding on the beach. It's about negotiating around the various types of packed sand and the gullies from the tide or watching the egrets dip in the water for food.</p><p>3 – <b>Asking for help is OK.</b> The first time I tried to take the bike somewhere I wedged it in the back of my car. After struggling to get the bike out without getting grease all over the seats, I realized the chain had become dislodged. I had no idea how to re-string the chain onto that complicated looking gear thingie.</p><p>A guy unloading his bike asked if I needed help. I quickly told him I was fine. Ten minutes later, I realized I wasn't fine and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I forced the bike back into the car and drove to the local bike shop where the mechanic quickly restrung the chain … and patiently showed me how to do it myself next time.</p><p>4 - <b>Do the hard part first.</b> Ride into the wind and take the hard hills at the beginning. Just like a kid does his homework before watching tv, I found a ride to be much more enjoyable when I work hard and sweat a lot at the beginning. Then I get the downhills and wind at my back on the return trip.</p><p>5 – <b>Discover new things in familiar places.</b> I’ve been going to Litchfield Beach all my life and never noticed all the bike trails threading behind trees alongside main roads. What a pleasant surprise it was to learn it’s possible to ride on a paved, safe trail the six miles from Litchfield to Murrells Inlet to enjoy a quiet lunch on the water. That same path also safely takes me to my favorite riding spots – Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington State Park – two gems of our coast!</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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFbkVcjRILBKp6re5ZPTrma933z0ggKzoKL-IYd3l2I4myrn7WLzSFBQjNSHxsMlx3Zrf8WBXgcC7QLgPf4NqpT5dHO4CNOTqt4LB_0Xygau6a_pWPDbs1WxhARtE_nlnPklKxbZYVy8drr3xx9O-vT3uGaO5ZhWCfLxaf3L07QcVgwfzJffsv7EMy1g/s4032/blog%20bike%20huntington.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFbkVcjRILBKp6re5ZPTrma933z0ggKzoKL-IYd3l2I4myrn7WLzSFBQjNSHxsMlx3Zrf8WBXgcC7QLgPf4NqpT5dHO4CNOTqt4LB_0Xygau6a_pWPDbs1WxhARtE_nlnPklKxbZYVy8drr3xx9O-vT3uGaO5ZhWCfLxaf3L07QcVgwfzJffsv7EMy1g/s320/blog%20bike%20huntington.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huntington State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt2lRF0A3evRj8mRhrqsjsOqXDTndNwu2xGqoC2TzN2QwJfEOintRKLgd2FxyqaATJ9nH3KXfZCx1bl3SNlJ8S6CeA-aIC-xazuPEG09FkaARz5T8ASR4KGMkZSAmYc6Ww50djJpY-gz5S8iowRlp0-gqqeuUPRV55dd7MWr98qF0zKjG38-smQ69rNo/s4032/blog%20bike%20path.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt2lRF0A3evRj8mRhrqsjsOqXDTndNwu2xGqoC2TzN2QwJfEOintRKLgd2FxyqaATJ9nH3KXfZCx1bl3SNlJ8S6CeA-aIC-xazuPEG09FkaARz5T8ASR4KGMkZSAmYc6Ww50djJpY-gz5S8iowRlp0-gqqeuUPRV55dd7MWr98qF0zKjG38-smQ69rNo/s320/blog%20bike%20path.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path between Litchfield and Murrells Inlet</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://bit.ly/RCPjetty" target="_blank">The seven-mile ride north from Litchfield to the jetty</a> is my goal on every trip. The secret is catching the tides right to ensure a wide beach the whole way down and back. The view never disappoints. And on my most recent trip I had a wonderful conversation with two older gentlemen who had been fishing from the jetty for decades.</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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjyUyKtdbqDAsOmXnHqVjk0j2gD-ps5zWR0Tt_yb9D_C_7aV8yyrAbC_KgVz2NXxwp_WtUkcn-kKJm0aUS4SVoz5VOdnNhy8_DUgiklqQf5v73M6O1xbYZ70duhiOWW9SB2XKKRzQNneC964yfGMZ7JvmPT1VSMAI0iNRdVh3xrx5B_viFZArD7_roY4/s4032/blog%20bike%20jetty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjyUyKtdbqDAsOmXnHqVjk0j2gD-ps5zWR0Tt_yb9D_C_7aV8yyrAbC_KgVz2NXxwp_WtUkcn-kKJm0aUS4SVoz5VOdnNhy8_DUgiklqQf5v73M6O1xbYZ70duhiOWW9SB2XKKRzQNneC964yfGMZ7JvmPT1VSMAI0iNRdVh3xrx5B_viFZArD7_roY4/s320/blog%20bike%20jetty.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jetty</td></tr></tbody></table><p>6 –<b> Explore new places and try new things on a bike.</b> It’s really easy to find local bike rentals and bike tours. Last year, we toured Barcelona and Madrid by bike with a guide who could show us city secrets, back alleys and shortcuts we never would have found on foot or from a tour bus (not to mention guides have great restaurant recs). </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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKfMZQd5yHYkkDZERIMj2u88OFu3Er_hbjXt22awuNVnp93jAPci7qpjof9gOl9fQgpZ0pH7WraXKOXJZaroKXJKXrF0An13LKj6lgGwEkaFymgEtkjG2IbYyTvIqu80Y8sg6x2lA_dRAxVYBfLrHh7MtztpjEddNRWic2LvqDn198I820CfTH8xZv-k/s3423/blog%20bike%20madrid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2567" data-original-width="3423" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKfMZQd5yHYkkDZERIMj2u88OFu3Er_hbjXt22awuNVnp93jAPci7qpjof9gOl9fQgpZ0pH7WraXKOXJZaroKXJKXrF0An13LKj6lgGwEkaFymgEtkjG2IbYyTvIqu80Y8sg6x2lA_dRAxVYBfLrHh7MtztpjEddNRWic2LvqDn198I820CfTH8xZv-k/s320/blog%20bike%20madrid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madrid </td></tr></tbody></table>Over the years, I’ve ridden the 20-mile perimeter of the downtown lake in Austin, discovered parts of Detroit I never would have found, explored the shores of Lake Michigan, biked along the Chattahoochee River path in Columbus, GA, sped down Capitol Hill in Washington, pedaled the path all the way around Central Park and cycled along the edge of the Grand Canyon. I even got to participate in a test ride at the Rock Hill velodrome before the 2017 national trials.<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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LNYGCvIR7Nsxlo94EHHs3PQaSZduxO0u11oyH8SCXDbvGlUhJVLujxKOReZoNxzzmqquBqedJdgtl-SjWMig-U2Z9Ca2lVFk6K1t6AlUY_W-d6aob4EmwYD6xGilY1nFJJcLyrzNAfHFQTcg18enazc6sGpYSq2HsZ7DnECDSeraVDPMi0xj46HKbEo/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LNYGCvIR7Nsxlo94EHHs3PQaSZduxO0u11oyH8SCXDbvGlUhJVLujxKOReZoNxzzmqquBqedJdgtl-SjWMig-U2Z9Ca2lVFk6K1t6AlUY_W-d6aob4EmwYD6xGilY1nFJJcLyrzNAfHFQTcg18enazc6sGpYSq2HsZ7DnECDSeraVDPMi0xj46HKbEo/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWjVa8KI5n6hTtAns6EUcTeto4XazPguOGVezY5z437h_i9rUkD68pkDtUEPIfMecziq-uDroDiILbXwiZIZDU34AJlsXLN4K4viPJ1LE3Yl0j9FNLC5PJIQeRGHV4V5wv13NLG7oIyzYBK_389A-a72RAmw0mGZNfyCGw_NkW99Y_1T66Qsh6Gg6FiI/s2048/74945613-9D5E-4623-8A4E-378867959B28.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><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;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWjVa8KI5n6hTtAns6EUcTeto4XazPguOGVezY5z437h_i9rUkD68pkDtUEPIfMecziq-uDroDiILbXwiZIZDU34AJlsXLN4K4viPJ1LE3Yl0j9FNLC5PJIQeRGHV4V5wv13NLG7oIyzYBK_389A-a72RAmw0mGZNfyCGw_NkW99Y_1T66Qsh6Gg6FiI/s320/74945613-9D5E-4623-8A4E-378867959B28.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Hill Velodrome</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>7 -<b> Getting caught in the rain doesn't have to ruin a ride. </b>The rain started as a gentle drizzle after I'd been riding for about 15 minutes. By the time I arrived back in my driveway, the drizzle had become a downpour. I wasn't cold and I wasn't in danger of a lightening strike. I was soaked…but I knew I wouldn’t melt. The bike was wet, but it would dry off. So I just enjoyed the sensation in the moment of rain blowing in my face, beating down on my helmet and rolling down my back. </p><p>8 –<b>Trust the rack.</b> Once I realized I'd like to travel with my bike, I grudgingly decided to invest in a bike rack. I just never trusted those things.</p><p>At the bike store, the salesperson battened down the rack’s four straps and clips and positioned the rubber feet on the trunk. She showed me how to place the bike on the rack and strap it in with three … yes just three … buckles and a few bungee cords. I slowly drove the car home with the bike attached certain it would have flown off by the time I arrived in the driveway.</p><p>But before long, I was confidently lifting the bike on the rack by myself, strapping it in, bungee cording the wheels, and setting off without so much as a second thought. Not only did I learn to trust the rack, but I also learned to trust my own ability to get, not one but two, bikes locked in safely.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7PUpWgZeWcD2o14EBXk9LwksG1RsXuNaNAxd4FZqYhTib0Vfqr9trZji_V5zn1TiMX7NqXERjZSHREpmICKB1F0L7CC3rG4NsuKaxWfcGTN64VhpI6ArdGcQFlB1saxpnxKadogu0QQ5MP8Npy0QCwoFJf_KB9siDUS0Try0UGwMDP6PGBL95BMHb-s/s640/HH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7PUpWgZeWcD2o14EBXk9LwksG1RsXuNaNAxd4FZqYhTib0Vfqr9trZji_V5zn1TiMX7NqXERjZSHREpmICKB1F0L7CC3rG4NsuKaxWfcGTN64VhpI6ArdGcQFlB1saxpnxKadogu0QQ5MP8Npy0QCwoFJf_KB9siDUS0Try0UGwMDP6PGBL95BMHb-s/s320/HH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Never would I have imagined 30 pounds of yellow metal could teach me so much and bring so much joy. In eight years, I haven’t looked back (except maybe occasionally to glance back through my rear view mirror at my bikes safely secured on my trunk).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-78292939144693572392023-06-29T09:57:00.002-04:002024-01-05T12:28:10.254-05:00Blink Book Review #5: Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life<p> As a lifelong news nerd, I love reading
about the machinations of a newsroom – How do news stories actually get to the
front page? Who decides if the tone of a news story is right? When do reporters
know when they have gathered enough information to accurately report the truth?
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItROb6auN4AvwnXnmA64x2CFrv68-6k0gHCUGoM3xk66bRmz359iHPkAx8p3Tc7yW2emIR3qwdkBsviBw5JHbrkqnVc3z4x7-iGOQqeTwVUQsG6dFdTGrDbQxS9EBEoDv2vds_mT-07Fkzh4MFWpr8lXvV068AaQT5VrsDFH1tEpo0-jtpXFeZbrkKag/s4032/newsroom%20confidential.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItROb6auN4AvwnXnmA64x2CFrv68-6k0gHCUGoM3xk66bRmz359iHPkAx8p3Tc7yW2emIR3qwdkBsviBw5JHbrkqnVc3z4x7-iGOQqeTwVUQsG6dFdTGrDbQxS9EBEoDv2vds_mT-07Fkzh4MFWpr8lXvV068AaQT5VrsDFH1tEpo0-jtpXFeZbrkKag/s320/newsroom%20confidential.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>My interest in the news gathering
process is what prompted me to pick up “Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and
Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life” off the shelf at Litchfield Books
recently. The title and cover art could lead a bookstore browser to assume this
book is an intriguing work of fiction. However, a quick glance at the dust
cover describes real-life backroom stories written by Margaret Sullivan who was
the first woman to serve as the public editor at the New York Times and was later media columnist at
the Washington Post.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most newspapers in markets the size of South Carolina don’t
have a public editor. This is a role many large news organizations have on
staff to provide an outsider’s perspective and independent accountability to
the reporting process. It’s an interesting concept in today’s brawling media
landscape.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sullivan’s book tells the story of her rise through the
ranks in the newsroom at her hometown newspaper in Buffalo, NY, through her
roles at two of the nation’s largest newspapers. She chronicles tangling with
sexist editors and making more than a few mistakes along the way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the Times’ public editor, she helped readers understand
why the paper made certain decisions about coverage, while at the same time, she
challenged the paper’s leadership on the definition of “objectivity” in news gathering.
She raised issues around coverage of high-powered politicians, like Hillary
Clinton, and questioned long-established news operations, like Fox News. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From her time as the media columnist at the Washington Post,
Sullivan writes of her deep dive into the rise of Donald Trump, critiques the
shifting ground of “Big Journalism,” and examines the growing discord in large
newsrooms around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion – both in news
coverage and hiring practices.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For anyone who has newspaper ink in their blood, a fascination
with how the news machine works, or an interest in a front row seat to watch
the evolution of “big journalism,” this book is for you. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books
for the summer with a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was
writing short </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Blink Book Reviews </span></i></a></span><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">(so short you can read them in a blink). John my </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Blink
Book Review FB</span></i></a></span><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">
group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. You can email me at reba@themedwaygroup.com.</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-29857227955037068122023-06-20T18:42:00.002-04:002024-01-05T12:28:16.690-05:00Blink Book Review #4: Our Best Intentions by Vibhuti Jain<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnfD-Nvivpl8XhgmNe319IK3YsSi69ip705yxQE5Odo8U41_PlVcjUGbxlog562jyPkhyW3prlHzVlcpkRmAmibZ2bLj6JnBifi04fWkLDHvkYiNLPdI-4SIz7eK9gpXc5poFPTbKm-lnmImNLPypE0zz8F2Rv_zFSlyNmVoTHS1jR9zico7wtNbqhzE/s535/Our%20Best%20Intentions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="355" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnfD-Nvivpl8XhgmNe319IK3YsSi69ip705yxQE5Odo8U41_PlVcjUGbxlog562jyPkhyW3prlHzVlcpkRmAmibZ2bLj6JnBifi04fWkLDHvkYiNLPdI-4SIz7eK9gpXc5poFPTbKm-lnmImNLPypE0zz8F2Rv_zFSlyNmVoTHS1jR9zico7wtNbqhzE/s320/Our%20Best%20Intentions.JPG" width="212" /></a></div> <span class="formatted">“</span><a href="https://bit.ly/BBRbestintentions">Our Best Intentions</a><span class="formatted">” by </span><a href="https://bit.ly/BBRjain">Vibhuti Jain</a><span class="formatted"> </span>revolves around an Indian immigrant family living in a small,
well-to-do New York suburb. The father, Barbur Singh, is raising his teen-aged daughter,
Angela, alone after his wife abandons the family when Angela is a young child.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With a singleness of focus and a remarkable innocence about
the ways of the world, Barbur attempts balancing the grueling schedule of his
small business with ensuring Angie has what she needs to succeed in her highly
competitive high school swimming career.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During summer vacation, Angela stumbles upon a fellow high
school student who has been stabbed on the school’s football field. This
discovery drops Barbur and Angela squarely into an unfamiliar world of the
community’s upper crust shattering their innocence about what’s right and
wrong.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book has all the elements of a well-told story. The
characters are developed with plenty of subtleties that ultimately converge at
the end. Jain touches on many aspects of race, family conflict, poverty,
stereotypes, class distinctions, wealth, aspirations, privilege and ambitions.
She deftly weaves together viewpoints of two generations of diverse characters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The characters are believable and complex without becoming
tiresome for the reader to keep track of their intersecting stories. I
particularly loved how Jain overlaid the politics of high school, race, class,
and school board into the story. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I learned of this book from listening to the book club segment
on the <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRbestintent">NPR program, 1A</a> (listen to
this segment if you enjoy hearing an author’s backstory). This preview enriched
my reading experience thanks to the author’s interview. Jain tells of how she
based the book on her own lived experiences as an Indian-American and how she
came to write this story about a similar crime that she learned about from an
Uber driver who picked her up from the airport in New York. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the 1A interview, Jain notes one of the changes she made based
on input from her editor and beta readers was the ending. While the ending
makes sense, I was still a bit disappointed. I like a book to finish tied up
with a bow. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I listened to the audio version of this book. The seasoned
voice actor, <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Ulka+Simone+Mohanty&ref=a_pd_Our-Be_c1_narrator_1&pf_rd_p=df6bf89c-ab0c-4323-993a-2a046c7399f9&pf_rd_r=C17Y09RBJMRHQKT3RM53&pageLoadId=D5M7xqRZJVjz3f1x&creativeId=16015ba4-2e2d-4ae3-93c5-e937781a25cd">Ulka
Simone Mohanty</a>, did a very good job of narrating switching among a variety
of characters, most particularly hitting spot-on the voice of Barbur, the
father.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p> </o:p><i>In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and back to books
for the summer. I set a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was
writing short </i><a href="https://bit.ly/RandomConnectPoints"><i>Blink Book Reviews </i></a><i>(so
short you can read them in a blink). John my </i><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup"><i>Blink Book Review FB</i></a></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> group to follow along for the 2023 summer series. </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-84243223910395945672023-06-18T11:25:00.008-04:002024-01-05T12:28:22.634-05:00Bonus Blink Book Review: "Grace Will Lead Us Home" by Jennifer Berry Hawes (reprise from 2019)<p><i>(Writer's note: I wrote this review in 2019 shortly after the book came out. The eighth anniversary of the shooting this week-end prompted me to pull out the book again. The podcast mentioned below is still online and is as relevant today as it was when the interview was done in 2019. This book is a must-read for anyone who thinks they might have an understanding of this complex story).</i></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWDkd5NoPMcEJOa3cBMeoZqBXLq0YZlewl2XzOiYgFEz_KAdlss7c0G8Kfwiui7PgFIVI-qDPB_anfXBrtevpQyZLKlrFVl22ZsiKY1YnGlephKRVXkg2a_WY06aMNvMSQEzzDAb223A/s1600/GWLUH+book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWDkd5NoPMcEJOa3cBMeoZqBXLq0YZlewl2XzOiYgFEz_KAdlss7c0G8Kfwiui7PgFIVI-qDPB_anfXBrtevpQyZLKlrFVl22ZsiKY1YnGlephKRVXkg2a_WY06aMNvMSQEzzDAb223A/s320/GWLUH+book.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rarely does a book appeal to all my
“reading” senses – well written, important message, compelling story and human
connections. </span><a href="http://bit.ly/RCPgrace" style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">“Grace Will Lead Us Home”</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> about the shootings at
Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church is one of them.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">J<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRhawesbio" target="_blank">ennifer Berry Hawes</a></span> wrote the book while a reporter for the <i>Post
and Courier</i> and witnessed first-hand many of the details surrounding this
tragedy. Currently she writes for ProPublica.<br />
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I read writing by an author whose work really grabs me, I like to mark up the pages and go back and read those favorite lines over and over. This book is dog-eared with turned-down pages, numerous bookmarks and notes scribbled in the margins.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
For anyone who thinks they have an understanding of the circumstances, the
emotions, the complexities or the passions surrounding the shooting, the trial
and its aftershocks, this book illustrates there’s far more to this story
than just an accounting of events in a series of news reports.<br />
<br />
I was fully expecting this book to be written in the style of a reporter – all
facts, little emotion, neutral descriptions that would pass a newspaper
editor’s muster. That’s not the case at all. The best way I can describe the
book is the intersection of excellent journalism and passionate, purposeful
storytelling. I later learned that Hawes had won a Pulitzer Prize, so I
shouldn’t have been surprised at the elegance of her writing in this book.<br />
<br />
What I discovered before I finished even the first two pages was a beautifully
written story about an unimaginable human tragedy that affected people in ways
we can’t possibly understand without being part of the story. That’s where
Hawes’ writing comes in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">She doesn’t just tell the story –
she gently carries us there with a respectful, yet deeply insightful,
narrative. She masterfully weaves together the lives and stories of the many
people involved, while at the same time balances the issue of race relations
that always simmers just below the surface.<br />
<br />
There’s a sense of chronology in the way Hawes tells the story. However, the
narrative doesn’t always run in order of what happened, which could make the
book confusing if the writer had less finesse in the art of storytelling.<br />
<br />I particularly loved her account of Gov. Haley’s visit with Felicia Sanders, one of the
survivors. Hawes vividly describes the emotion of the occasion merging
perspectives of everyone who was present. I felt I was sitting in the room with
them as a respectful observer rather than a voyeur or third-party reader of a
news story.<br />
<br />
Hawes describes without judgment, yet with more than just a reporter’s
detachment, how the church leaders at Emmanuel AME Church failed the survivors
and victims’ families in several ways. Her descriptions are accurate and
human-focused without being sappy or judgmental.<br />
<br />
Hawes’ descriptions of the shooter’s family are humane but not accusatory. She
digs into questions that anyone who had read anything about the shooter and his
background would want to know. Yet she doesn’t sensationalize or hyperfocus on
this part of the story.<br />
<br />
She breaks down the complexities of the “forgiveness narrative” that started
shortly after the shooting when several of the victims’ families made public
statements offering forgiveness to the shooter. A reader can understand the
individual stories of grace from various families’ “forgiveness narratives” to
get past what Hawes called the “homogenous” descriptions that spread through
the media.<br />
<br />
There were a couple of things l learned from<a href="http://bit.ly/rcpsclede" target="_blank"> listening to a podcast interview</a> with Jennifer on the SC Lede podcast on SC Public Radio before I read the book that made the story feel even more real and human than
it would had I listened after reading it.<br />
<br />
First was Hawes talking about her own personal connection to the story and how
it impacted her family. One of these connections was the fact that her son’s
school was across the street from Mother Emmanuel. In the podcast interview,
she talked about personal “out of the blue” moments that grabbed her. One example
was leaving her son at school and becoming overwhelmed with worry that
something would happen – a worry that wouldn’t have crossed her mind before the
shootings.<br />
<br />
Second was how she described the history of race relations in South Carolina.
On a personal level, I found the history lessons intertwined throughout the
book forced me to examine my personal perspective on race. In the 1970s, I was in elementary, middle and high school living in a world
pretty well insulated from the racial conflicts of school desegregation taking
place around me. At that point, I didn’t fully understand that we were smack
dab in the middle of in an era that was shaping our state’s future. Hawes’
history lessons overlaid throughout the book helped me better understand my own
perspectives and the state of race relations today.<br />
<br />
This book is a rare convergence of straightforward reporting and empathetic
storytelling that fully held my attention - twice. I just finished reading it
for the second time. It will make you think, cry, examine your own biases and
feel more empathy for your fellow humans. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-49935570859710050022023-06-13T19:30:00.002-04:002024-01-05T12:28:28.209-05:00Blink Book Review #3: "Daisy Jones and the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraj-eMwfQBs1E-3d1jpY6zXQVkhogHzVe560JPvS0IRMVGFXxBd8FqqDYfPeLgFlHSlSvMl8OKh_8Lw8jPHzkVNZKKpuIunmBrpuZAicwaDxvzsK5XhMDI54qw4VU9TrHcD2QCoXQuIYu45FQvuwbPjZa__z4nvw2Fiilr1lpZJLOxANltcJjhW4g/s608/Daisy%20Jones%20cover.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraj-eMwfQBs1E-3d1jpY6zXQVkhogHzVe560JPvS0IRMVGFXxBd8FqqDYfPeLgFlHSlSvMl8OKh_8Lw8jPHzkVNZKKpuIunmBrpuZAicwaDxvzsK5XhMDI54qw4VU9TrHcD2QCoXQuIYu45FQvuwbPjZa__z4nvw2Fiilr1lpZJLOxANltcJjhW4g/s320/Daisy%20Jones%20cover.JPG" width="215" /></a></div>My dream has long been to quit life and join the band. While
I’ve taken up music lessons in recent years (see photo at the end), this book allowed me to vicariously
live out that dream without the messiness, madness and complexities of doing it
in real life. My fascination with the behind-the-scenes intrigues of being in a
band played out in every chapter of this book.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRDJbook">Daisy Jones and the Six</a>” (2018) by <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRTJR">Taylor Jenkins Reid</a> chronicles
the rise and fall of a successful ‘70s rock band, The Six, and its lead singer,
Daisy Jones. Written in a format that could be called an “oral history,” each chapter
is narrated in first person from the various characters’ perspectives. The
narrative feels more like an interview than traditional prose.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Daisy is a strikingly beautiful and hugely talented young
singer who makes her way to the stage in a band called “The Six.” The story
weaves through the drama, successes, secrets, failures and personal demons of
these seven people, their families and close friends.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Daisy is both self-aware and, at the same time, completely
unaware of how she impacts the people around her. She’s lovable and despicable
at the same time. Characters like this usually turn me off, but just when I was
ready to hate her, she shows her deeply human side. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A key to my love of this book was listening to it as an
audio book. The voice actors are spot on. Normally, I find listening to a book
with a lot of narrators confusing. The voices in this book are distinctive and exactly
what I would have heard in my head. My favorite voice was the keyboard player,
Karen. She sounds gentle and lilting exuding a calm that balances out Daisy’s sometimes-frenetic
voice and the male voices that I did occasionally get confused.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For anyone who grew up in the ‘70s, there are plenty of
generational references that keep you laughing about the food and fashion of
the era, not to mention the intrigue of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t until I finished this book that I realized it’s written
by the same author as one of my favorite books I read last summer - “The Seven
Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” Both are great summer reads. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This book crossed my radar because of the Amazon Prime series
based on the book. Several people advised me to read the book before watching
the series. I’m glad I did. I came to love the characters (and their spot-on
voices) so much, I doubt I’ll watch the series. Nothing could beat the audiobook
voices already engrained in my head.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">My summer challenge in 2022 was to get off the screens and back to books. My accountability was to write a dozen-ish short Blink Book Reviews of 300-ish words (short enough to read in a blink). Now we're back for summer 2023. <a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" style="color: #336699; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Join my Blink Book Review Facebook group to get the reviews and book suggestions from others.</a></i></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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIAlR6p_0kfJOGeg6k-WY8m7DlCwwgE7BuZ2gMusFXwjmSg0kWdBAziDBqdMrZYDL7LZEXf_tnkFq_7P5xdQSRiEhUYlkmGql-7DSlWKfAUXKfGCmd7RxTqKRPY0TdXe_tvWslLW1ttvCzHLUyK0qNBWNarUFl0CkHFyQHJG3tVNbUmeHy_lWcOwC/s2056/R%20and%20D%20for%20daiy%20jones.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="1542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIAlR6p_0kfJOGeg6k-WY8m7DlCwwgE7BuZ2gMusFXwjmSg0kWdBAziDBqdMrZYDL7LZEXf_tnkFq_7P5xdQSRiEhUYlkmGql-7DSlWKfAUXKfGCmd7RxTqKRPY0TdXe_tvWslLW1ttvCzHLUyK0qNBWNarUFl0CkHFyQHJG3tVNbUmeHy_lWcOwC/w300-h400/R%20and%20D%20for%20daiy%20jones.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm no Daisy Jones but this still is so much fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-15280281873502887182023-05-31T17:32:00.004-04:002024-01-05T12:28:37.589-05:00Blink Book Review #2: "Life in Five Senses" by Gretchen Rubin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJSrd4u68hHms3W-8Q35bV5n-mHGdnn0AtYCg4RaYYORXwz5htImCCwoE3209g67_OHLQkvWmgUyGsU6vQl8tt6iIL_xxBBbXfeCD2V86ZC6LzHKanVXE-4DrUEmJY3Lmawj3-gh1pgnvt47NhfF_f8SRkJJeql4xZHUjIlQ-liXsYi2lMolrl66U/s2420/five.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJSrd4u68hHms3W-8Q35bV5n-mHGdnn0AtYCg4RaYYORXwz5htImCCwoE3209g67_OHLQkvWmgUyGsU6vQl8tt6iIL_xxBBbXfeCD2V86ZC6LzHKanVXE-4DrUEmJY3Lmawj3-gh1pgnvt47NhfF_f8SRkJJeql4xZHUjIlQ-liXsYi2lMolrl66U/s320/five.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Is there anything that we take for granted more than the
power of our five senses? Gretchen Rubin’s new book, “<a href="https://bit.ly/BBR5senses" target="_blank">Life in Five Senses, How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World</a>,” stunned me out
of complacency. It reminded me about the riches we overlook daily because we fail
to pay full attention to what we are seeing, tasting, touching, smelling and
hearing.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gretchen studies the five senses through the lens of
connectivity to the world around us – a simple premise – but likely something
most people easily forget to appreciate. By overlaying art, literature, food,
science, family and the natural world, Gretchen chronicles her personal sensory
exploration. A reader can choose to ride along on her journey or use her
journey to plot their own path. I did a little of both.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The author responds to a potentially life-changing medical
issue as a jolt to examine the power of her own senses. Her research includes enough
scientific data to be credible, but not boring, for a general audience. But a
good bit of what she investigates is experiential. She primes her senses by
experimenting with a perfume class, a restaurant that serves diners who are
wearing blindfolds, and a sensory deprivation chamber, among other experiences.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Part of her personal project to learn more about her senses
was setting a goal to visit the same place every day for a year. She chose the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Of course, most people don’t live walking distance from the Met
like Gretchen does, but she ties in all five senses to her daily visits. These
adventures allow the museum to be not only a place to look at art, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>also a place to practice observation and
retrain her senses. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">While reading this book, I set out
on a mundane errand to buy new bathmats. I normally like a very sensible
towel-like bathmat with sticky stuff on the back. But when I touched one that
felt like soft puppy fur, I had a visceral reaction. I bought it. A small
thing, but a perfect example of how paying attention to my senses prompted me
to buy something simple (and relatively inexpensive) that gives me a joy jolt
every time I walk in the bathroom. This book is full of Gretchen’s practical examples
like this that can help readers retrain how they experience the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I checked out the book from the library to put in my beach
stack. But by the time I’d finished the first chapter, I knew that had been a
mistake. I had to own that book (I bought it at Litchfield Books as a shout out to local bookstores). It’s now got turned-down pages and multi-colored
highlights throughout marking ideas I want to remember, passages I want to go
back and re-read, and suggestions for my own experiments. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'm taking on one of Gretchen's activities this summer by developing my own <a href="https://bit.ly/BBRselfport" target="_blank">Five Senses Self-Portrait.</a> I'll be adding to it regularly.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Of all my favorite marked-up passages in this book, this one take-away I will long remember: "The word <i>listen</i> is just a rearrangement of the word <i>silent</i>."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCowxRJog3q3TlEs0alZv4KSbnHBYEB5rdYuVpHUfJPx1XiftCUxaDxSckw0xMWz5OVCkzFViX4InDJ5AM6_l48G-PEVHZOKI5axbLrGEDNU5R_TnLwafuJafKGWa9XL5oSTwbItEeI5knD1CL7OK4W70ErDKAR8DweFF_87yhvydXUaTWUUFkNYjB/s1706/listen%20silence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1657" data-original-width="1706" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCowxRJog3q3TlEs0alZv4KSbnHBYEB5rdYuVpHUfJPx1XiftCUxaDxSckw0xMWz5OVCkzFViX4InDJ5AM6_l48G-PEVHZOKI5axbLrGEDNU5R_TnLwafuJafKGWa9XL5oSTwbItEeI5knD1CL7OK4W70ErDKAR8DweFF_87yhvydXUaTWUUFkNYjB/w416-h311/listen%20silence.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><i style="text-align: left;">In 2022, I set out to get off the screens and
back to books for the summer. I set a goal of reading a book a week. My accountability was writing short Blink
Book Reviews </i><i style="text-align: left;">(so short you can read them in a blink)</i><i style="text-align: left;">. This review is the first of the 2023 summer series. <a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" target="_blank">Join</a></i><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" target="_blank"> Blink Book Review Facebook group</a> to follow along this summer.</i></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-87254831565866995872023-05-31T17:21:00.003-04:002024-01-05T12:28:49.081-05:00An Experiment: The Five Senses Self Portrait<p>One of the interesting exercises in "Life in Five Senses" is creating a "Five Senses Self-Portrait." As part of my personal accountability to pay better attention through my senses, I'm sharing my self portrait that I'm updating regularly.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Seeing</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The stillness of the ocean, the lake, any large body of
water</li><li>My weekly flower arrangements especially when I pop in the
ceramic flowers bought on a trip to Germany</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3HdBZCyOkjHxp60O5SqaZBkMt5qMnQqpQEQ_bk1bNw6LzR9jNpXlMw6v2LYVSQE4bIfEHVaPHOk3FxCayAJB40zbIBDyphEMqTfj83TWqP4W5nIrzXGQS-c7ZrQ5VtDOMjRANL5FSK55h1XuETBruQ1Ks3sZxVLOIwGEntMJIakzDTtJbP5tZzhZ/s2420/lowers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="1816" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3HdBZCyOkjHxp60O5SqaZBkMt5qMnQqpQEQ_bk1bNw6LzR9jNpXlMw6v2LYVSQE4bIfEHVaPHOk3FxCayAJB40zbIBDyphEMqTfj83TWqP4W5nIrzXGQS-c7ZrQ5VtDOMjRANL5FSK55h1XuETBruQ1Ks3sZxVLOIwGEntMJIakzDTtJbP5tZzhZ/w176-h234/lowers.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A bright blue sky</li><li>The vivid colors of sunset over water</li><li>Big dogs running and chasing balls on the beach</li><li>My yellow bike</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Hearing</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My dog’s toenails tapping through the house on the hardwood
floors</li><li>The barred owls in my neighborhood at night</li><li>Neighborhood kids playing outside on a summer afternoon</li><li>The deep resonant strum from a single acoustic guitar</li><li>The natural sounds of my neighborhood as I take a walk
without earbuds.</li><li>Early morning chirping birds outside my window</li><li>The laughter and music of my Sip N Strummers</li><li>'70s music playing in a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>random place</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tasting </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Dark chocolate mousse followed by a sip of dry white wine</li><li>Saltiness of the perfect raw oyster</li><li>My first sip of perfectly balanced half/half tea in the morning</li><li>The tanginess of Kraft Italian dressing on a Labraskas
cheese salad</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Touching</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My new bathmat that feels like puppy fur</li><li>Wind on my face speeding down a hill on my bike</li><li>Sand under my feet during a beach walk</li><li>High quality paper of a print project</li><li>The soft spot behind my dog’s ears</li></ul><p></p><p></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Smelling</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lavender in a yoga studio (although incense will kill that
buzz immediately)</li><li>Gardenias (live not artificial)</li><li>A bookstore</li><li>Fresh cut grass</li><li>The first scent of the ocean as I head to the beach</li><li>The various smells that occur on a drive with the top down
on my car – cut grass, manure, road construction, confederate jasmine </li><li>Almond extract</li><li>Labraskas Pizza that reminds me of high school</li><li>A print project fresh from the printer’s press</li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p></div>Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7645868428103697758.post-74201797470781989502023-05-21T14:28:00.002-04:002023-05-31T17:32:58.172-04:00Blink Book Review #1: The Art of Calm by Roger Hutchison<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QOjETDWBbUC88-KyUNzSxj9tTEONQTvOeni6TaGD7YR4b7sJKtT3JKTYFGFeRxn2j9Bxs2ZOnng0OU61ishUU-10lyXi8TRYYoXUDPPnEibEEAIT8_HFTHfreR0yovog4MPBLNAbRYGLlIJVy5Wt0gYXz766shkbXxlCJJZPbs9070SVRdWIDdOB/s595/Art%20of%20Calm.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QOjETDWBbUC88-KyUNzSxj9tTEONQTvOeni6TaGD7YR4b7sJKtT3JKTYFGFeRxn2j9Bxs2ZOnng0OU61ishUU-10lyXi8TRYYoXUDPPnEibEEAIT8_HFTHfreR0yovog4MPBLNAbRYGLlIJVy5Wt0gYXz766shkbXxlCJJZPbs9070SVRdWIDdOB/s320/Art%20of%20Calm.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>My normal reading habits lean toward the elements of a
well-balanced diet. I like to have several books going at once wanting each to supply
me with something different.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I like to have one book that teaches me something, one that entertains,
and one that’s just “junk food” reading. But recently I found myself with three
“teachable” books going at once (stay tuned for reviews of the other two). It
was unintentional, but so interesting to find these three books were perfectly
aligned to read in tandem. They all pointed me strongly toward similar types of
practices carried out in different ways to increase my capacity to be present to
the wonder of my daily world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://bit.ly/BBRRoger" target="_blank">Roger Hutchison</a>’s recently released book “<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRAoC" target="_blank">The Art of Calm</a>”
is the perfect mix of thought-provoking, easy reading, insightful and practical
helping bring new awareness to our daily lives. Roger is a former Columbia
resident, and I knew him many years ago when he was on the staff at Trinity
Cathedral in Columbia. He and his family now live in Houston where he is an author and artist and serves at
Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. This is Roger’s ninth book published shortly
after the release of his most recent children’s book, “<a href="https://bit.ly/BBRsparrow" target="_blank">Sparrow's Prayer</a>.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The book is structured around Roger’s journey following a mental
health crisis in 2017 that left him unsure of how to navigate a world that
included this diagnosis. “The Art of Calm” shares many of the tools Roger developed
on his path to the peace he’s found. As he began his journey to reshape his
life around the mental illness diagnosis, Roger says in the book’s introduction
that he “began to pay attention to the world in a new and more intimate way.”
And this book is kind of an instruction manual on how to do that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Through 31 short and very readable chapters, Roger offers up
his own story overlaid with life lessons helpful to both those struggling with
mental health issues and to those who are just seeking to be more present in
their daily lives. Each chapter – with titles like “hunger,” “rescue,” “hope,” “awe,”
and “truth” – includes an invitation to explore the world in a new way,
questions for reflection and a beautiful supplication seeking God’s presence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s a dash of creativity thrown into every chapter’s
invitation section, which I particularly loved. And even if you don’t consider
yourself a “creative” soul, think again. These gentle invitations include activities
like gardening, touching base with old friends, walking and even just sitting
in silence. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The title of this book is particularly appropriate focusing
on the word “calm.” Every chapter in the book exudes calm. There’s no finger
pointing or accusations about people needing to be fixed. The book lays out calm,
purposeful pathways acknowledging everyone’s narrative is unique while, at the
same time, exploring universal practices of healing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stay tuned for Blink Book Reviews of the other two books. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Roger will be reading from both of his books at Columbia's wonderful new indy bookstore, <a href="https://bit.ly/RCPallgoodbooks" target="_blank">All Good Books</a>, on June 10 at 10 a.m. (Sparrow's Prayer) and 6 p.m. (The Art of Calm).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>My summer challenge in 2022 was to get off the screens and back to books. My
accountability was to write a dozen-ish short Blink Book Reviews of
300-ish words (short enough to read in a blink). Now we're back for summer 2023. <a href="https://bit.ly/blinkgroup" target="_blank">Join my Blink Book Review Facebook group to get the reviews and book suggestions from others.</a></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Reba Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09788122584924279772noreply@blogger.com0