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Tryin’ to Stay Out of Trouble
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What if your fairy godmother arrived late, in support shoes and with arthritis, and thought candy apple red Porsches were pumpkins?
Meet Cinder Ella, a rebel with a knack for getting entangled in tree branches and her camo pants. As if losing her free time for exploits wasn’t enough, she now juggles wicked stepsisters who demand spam pizza and never-ending chores.
The Prom King’s bash is the year’s hottest ticket, but Cinder Ella is stuck on stair-sitting duty until a scruffy fairy godmother swoops in with magical (and sometimes off-brand) solutions. With a wardrobe revamp and a racy ride, she’s ready to face the tunes of destiny–but she’d rather enjoy the cool night and chat with David, a sidekick with charm and mischief.
When the clock’s magic ticks away, one shoe slip leaves the Prom King on a treasure hunt for his mystery dance partner. But when he finds Cinder Ella, she’s got nothing but sass…
Crack up with every twist in this uproarious spin on a classic fairy tale.
Adventures in Woodworking
What have I been doing?
Fell in love instantly with this slab of spaulted maple.
Oh my. Could it be my new dining table?
So I hauled my treasure home.
Taped the back and poured resin—
all a new process.
Had to wear my “bug mask” to protect from fumes.
Bought my table base from Bulgaria.
VOILA! Here’s the table—finally!
Took nearly 10 months to finish
with a lot of hands-on labor.
But worth it!!!
An Unwanted Gift…that Became a Treasure
Shari was a pal. A work buddy. A lunch companion.
I admired Shari’s go-get-’em attitude. She worked hard and stayed cheerful. Most of the time.
She trained horses, barrel raced on a quarter horse and handled farm chores as well as full-time work. She knew what was important to her. Didn’t mess with distractions. Stayed on target.
But when her marital relationship hit the rocks, she suddenly became confused. Trying to make sense of what was happening. Wondering what to do next. Whether to try to make it work or walk away.
That’s understandable. Most of us have been through those gut-wrenching times.
Her cheerful personality nose-dived into complaining and questioning and self-doubt. Even self-pity.
All of us gathered around her in support. But it became difficult when weeks turned into months. All of us were weary of hearing the daily tales of woe.
One day at lunch, I gave her a little wooden box. She was delighted. A surprise present! What could it be? A special candy? A piece of jewelry? A homemade cookie or brownie?
Nope.
It was a note that I had written her. Something that I thought that she needed to hear.
“Happiness is your own responsibility.”
Oh my. You could have heard a pin drop. Dead silence. Her face turned bright red. She closed the box with a snap. Tight lipped.
Not at all happy in that moment.
I did not apologize because I knew that I had spoken the truth.
And she didn’t speak to me for a month. Even though we sat at the same lunch table. I was invisible.
But it didn’t destroy our friendship.
Know what? Years later I was invited to an Open House when she and her new husband bought a house in the country. (With room for horses, of course.) She had a new baby and her life had changed for the better.
She showed me that little box I had given her…on the nightstand by her bed. Told me that she treasured my message. My gift.And that it was her favorite present
Sleeping Under the Stars
Do you like the stars? Since I was young, I have enjoyed looking at a dark sky with twinkling stars.
Some people feel small and insignificant when they view the vast expanse of stars. I feel connected. As though I’m part of the grand universe. My own little star blinking back “Hi there!”
I see myself dancing among the stars.
I even sleep under the stars. In our house, we have half plantation shutters on our windows so the night sky is visible from the top. On a dark night, the stars say “Good night.”
I also have a blanket of stars on the ceiling that sparkle in the dark. I painted them with a special paint and technique. A visible hug.
To me, stars are a confirmation that I’m connected to everyone I love—all under the same sky.
Saved by Humor and Acceptance
You know, a lot of things had to coalesce to keep me safe during that rear-end accident on September 17th. First of all, my vehicle. If I had been driving my small Kia coupe, that Ram at high speed would have completely crumpled my car. I’m sure that the rear end would have rapidly trapped me as the front end bashed into the car in front of me. I would not have walked out of that one.
I would have been removed on a stretcher.
Perhaps no longer breathing.
I bought that Toyota Venza nearly two years earlier when I interviewed for that Parent Educator job in Cadillac. Since I would be driving all over in iffy weather, I knew that I needed a better car for those conditions. And I wanted to be ready in case they called me to work.
The job did not materialize, but I suddenly had a car suited to my back roads and winter conditions. I had never heard of a Toyota Venza and knew nothing about them. Doing some research after my purchase, I discovered that it had an excellent safety rating.
So my car protected me. As the insurance examiner said after he viewed the wreck, “Your car did exactly what it was supposed to do. It diverted the force of the impact around you instead of a direct hit. Your car seat was not even bent.”
On the very day of the accident, I had treatment for a pesky knee problem. The therapist and I took time for a conversation. We each told stories and laughed like crazy coots. Shared frustrating stuff with humor. It felt like a genuine connection. Magical.
Walked out of the office floating on air because I felt so accepted. Such a warm bubble of protection. What I remember most was feeling delighted to see us relaxed, laughing and enjoying ourselves.
Just minutes after leaving, I saw a huge Ram truck barreling toward me. Not realizing that traffic was stopped. I knew that he was not going to be able to stop in time. Still feeling protected, I shrugged and said, “Oh, I’m going to be hit.”
Like “Oh well. What’s for tea?”
That state of mind kept my body relaxed so that I didn’t injure myself during the impact. It may seem crazy, but it softened the blow.
Kept me safe.
Who would guess that humor saved my life?
And the last thing that allowed me to walk away from what could have been a fatal accident was that the Ram’s driver hit his brakes at the very last second. That reaction must have slowed his truck at least 10 mph, which reduced the severity of the crash.
Another fortunate turn of events that reduced the damage to me.
So it looks like events were put in motion long before this accident that changed the outcome.
I am grateful for that gift of protection.
Understanding Our Culture of Entertainment
How did we get to this point?
With ignorance as a badge of honor. With critical thinking as optional…and usually not chosen. With people unable to have a conversation with each other. With common sense in the back seat…or shoved out the door.
You have to read this book. The author wrote It years ago, but the message is even more relevant today.
And what is the message? That we have become a society addicted to entertainment. To technology. That we have accepted without question. Without understanding how it changes our culture. And ourselves.
Are you willing to take a look?
Do Children’s Books Speak to You?
Children’s books aren’t just for children, you know. What a waste that would be.
The best children’s books speak to adults, too. To the little child that still lives within them. To show them that it’s still o.k. to giggle. To skip and hop and pick up pebbles.
To encourage them to see with the awe and wonder of a child’s eyes.
When you fuse the joy and magic of a child with the strength and kindness of an adult—you will be living in a land of delight where your feet barely touch the ground.
Won’t you come out and play?
Visit to Gulf Breeze Zoo in Navarre Florida
Wacky Kids Writer 