The Versatile Blogger Award! Thank you!

A Big Thank You to Sandra McLeod Humphrey for passing the Versatile Blogger award this way for the post 'Avoid Kid Melt-Down'

Sandra's excellent blog is called Kids Can Do It! Dare to Dream Big!

http://www.kidscandoit.com/blog/

Instructions for the Award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award

2. Include a link to their blog.

3. Paste the award on your blog.

4. Share 7 things about yourself.

5. Pass this award on to as many as 15 blogs you enjoy reading and let them know about the award!

Seven Things about Me:

1) Tea Drinker

2) Love Chocolate

3) Ride Horses

4) Ride Motorcycles

5) Love Big Dogs

6) First Children's Story was Randy Raccoon

7) Thrilled to help other writers; the focus of Inspiration Write Every Day

15 Bloggers Who Are Versatile:

Rob @ http://robztobor.blogspot.com/

ED @ http://flotsamandjetsamandderelictme.blogspot.com/

Donna @ http://donna-realworldwriting.blogspot.com/

Lynn @ http://lynnproctor.blogspot.com/

Kathleen @ http://parlezmoiblog.blogspot.com/

Jen @ http://whatsonthebookshelf-jen.blogspot.com/

Cami @ http://myaddictionisreading.blogspot.com/

Tracy @ http://pullupatoadstool.blogspot.com/

Joanne @ http://wordsplash-joannefaries.blogspot.com/

Delores @ http://mybabyjohn.blogspot.com/

Mieke @ http://www.miekezmackay.com/

Joshua @ http://vivelenerd.blogspot.com/

Mysti @ http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/

Sabrina @ http://sabrinaafish.blogspot.com/

Sarah @ http://sarahallanauthor.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Sandra :)

Avoid Kid Melt-Down

The Happiest Place on Earth is one of my favourite places. But it’s also a place where parenting is more important than ever. Why? Because even though everyone acts like they aren’t watching your parenting skills, they are.

Having children at Disneyland can be stressful for parents who aren’t adept at anticipating their child’s needs. You know, the basics: clean, full, happy, energetic or the way we see them: dirty, hungry, crying & mid-tantrum on the way to crash.

Parent anticipation is lost if the parent is too focused on their iPhone or conversation with other adults. Granted you want to have fun too. But it’s not fun for anyone if your child isn’t having fun, that's why you're there.

For Example: If a child doesn’t want to go on a ride like the Haunted Mansion, don’t make them, don’t talk them into it. A crying child doesn’t enhance the ride experience for anyone, trust me.

Remember Disneyland really is for the kids; your kids and the kid in you. Be aware of their needs before it’s too late. Are they hungry? Are they clean? Are they doing age-appropriate rides? Then everyone in your group and everyone around you will have a better time!

Save the Farmers! Save the Humans!

Driving up I-5 in California, travelers watch swirling dust as it moves along the ground by the roadside on what was once fertile farmland.

For the traveler the several hundred mile stretch of highway is dull and brown with barren land and the remains of orchards. The dead dark branches reach for the sky.

For the farm families the current situation is devastating. A broken economy, broken industry and even broken families are the result of broken promises as the water that once fed this land was turned off.

Signs along the road state 'Congress created a Dust Bowl' and 'No Water = No Jobs'.

What's the story? Why would Congress devastate a region and an industry?

It's all about a small fish in the Sacramento Delta that isn't breeding fast enough. The Smelt became endangered. Rather than seeking to relocate the fish or help it find additional breeding grounds, Congress upheld the decision to stop all irrigation to Central California Farms.

Is this bothering anyone? An even bigger story is that there is little to no coverage of this issue in over a year. Why is there no media coverage since the water has been turned off?

The farmers unnecessarily join the ranks of the unemployed. Fewer farm, transportation and food service workers are needed in an already struggling economy.

What are the numbers?

Estimated impact of stopping food production on thousands of acres is difficult to calculate. Of course all the consumers are paying higher food prices. Additionally, direct adverse economic impact adds more than 5,000 to unemployment lines with a calculable ripple effect of close to 20,000.

I'm not anti-fish. I'm not anti-environment. I'm also not anti-farmer nor anti-food for humans. In the larger picture do we as a society value a small inedible fish more than thousands upon thousands of people?

Save the fish but not at the expense of the farms and farmers. Humans need food too!

Save the Farmers! Save the Humans!

More information:

http://goodsensepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/12/fish-study-that-turned-california-into.html

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2012/02/house-can-prevent-big-green%E2%80%99s-california-dust-bowl/321401

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/20/its-farmers-vs-fish-for-california-water/

Pansies

Pansies, in the family of Viola or Violaceae, are hardy bedding biennial plants. Growing to an average of six to nine inches tall, the flowers are easily recognizable even if you don’t know their name.

The hardy pansy grows around the globe with the growing season determined by the variation in daily temperature. Pansies are the most beautiful when daily temperatures range is between 60s (highs) and 40s (overnight lows).

Pansies grow quickly from seed and fill in areas within a month or two. When transplanting the bedding plants there will be a shock period of approximately one week. After which the plants will spread to their full width in three to four weeks. Water pansies weekly and plan for regular pinching/pruning of the spent flowers to continue the bloom throughout the season.

Stone Soup

Once upon a time there were travelers who brought happiness and good times everywhere they went.

When they arrived in a new town, they would invite their neighbors over for Stone Soup.

"Stone Soup?" the neighbors' exclaimed. "Why would anyone want to eat Stone Soup?"

"Well," said Johnny. "It's a magical soup. It's different every time. Everyone always loves it!" Come by as I'm making it and I'll share the secret with you."

So Johnny started cooking his grandmother's recipe. He filled the pot with water and placed it on the stove.

Mrs. Jones was the first to visit first thing in the morning. "Can I see the soup?" she asked.

"No, but I can let you taste it." Johnny dipped the spoon in the pot & offered it to Mrs. Jones.

"It's a bit plain," she said.

"Is it? Well, what do you suggest?" he asked.

"I have just the thing, I"ll be right back."

Mrs. Jones dashed down the street and was back in a few minutes time. "Chop this and add it."

"Okay" smiled Johnny. Dinner will be ready at seven.

"I'll be here." Mrs. Jones smiled as she returned home.

Not three minutes passed when Mr. Singh came by. He tried the soup but he too thought the soup was somewhat plain. He had just the thing that would help flavor the soup. Mr. Singh returned with the ingredient.

Johnny thanked him and said dinner is at seven.

Just then Miss Chang arrived at the door.

The stream of visiting neighbors continued until everyone in the neighborhood had visited Johnny. It was noon by the time the last neighbor visited Johnny and his soup.

The soup simmered the rest of the day. The aroma wafted through the neighborhood. By seven o'clock, everyone was very hungry.

At seven, all the neighbors gathered together to share in the soup they had created. A good time (and dinner) was had by all.

A to Z Review

May 7th Review of the A to Z Challenge

It was challenging to blog daily on this otherwise weekly blog. But I followed directions to it wasn't impossible.

What I did:

Chose a theme

Set a schedule

Stuck to it

Visiting other blogs:

Over the course of the month, I visited about 300 blogs. The level of writing was superior. I'm so glad to find new blogs to follow.

Book Review: Face Forward Meeting Challenges Head On in Times of Trouble

Title: Face Forward: Meeting Challenge Head On in Times of Trouble

Author: Michele Howe Clarke

2011: New York: Morgan James Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-60037-960-4 paperback

ISBN: 978-1-60037-961-1 ebook

Paperback

Pages 212

Web: www.faceforwardbook.com

Face Forward is a book written for anyone who desires to make their life better.

Facing Death, Facing Life, Michele Howe Clarke shares long fought, hard learned lessons with readers. Hard choices and absolute determination to live Face Forward no matter what is a compelling story.

Michelle Clarke excelled to reach her goals of the modern American Dream. She was popular, successful personally, and happily married. She was successful in her career in the financial world. She attended parties and traveled. She took trips around the country and around the world. She had it all.

Until it all came crashing down with a diagnosis of a tumor. The surgery didn't seem like a big deal. In fact, she interpreted the first surgery as routine. But it was far from routine.

The tumor involved the nerves on the right side of her face. A necessary second surgery to save her life would certainly leave her disfigured. One doctor said that many people choose to die rather than go through the recovery process.

Michele's baby girl was six months old. She decided to fight. She decided to live.

Why read this story?

Michele shares the raw emotion and her path through this heart-breaking experience.

Her inner journey moved her from self-value gotten from her looks and smile to self-value from her achievements and inner strength.

Recovery was difficult. Thankfully Michele had an excellent support system but the growth came from within. She shares how she let go of her old life and built a new one.

Michele turned tragedy to triumph in a way that lets you benefit from her experience. She learned how to completely transform life into a happy, loving experience, every single day.

21 Insights begin with a phrase or slogan that introduces the concepts that create a thriving life by using the three principles of prosperity. Each insight includes an examination and indication to apply the wisdom as an action of transformation.

I finished Face Forward some days ago. My habit is to write the review almost immediately upon completion of the the book. However, this book Face Forward, is profoundly moving. I wanted to wait a few days to see if the feeling remained. She shares universal wisdom and tells a real good story, her story. Indeed, my respect for Michele Howe Clarke has grown.

Recommended reading for people in a transitional period due to changes in economy or health; and have a tissue box handy.