A fruit known to harbour an alternative cancer treatment, apricots can be grown in cold winter climates as well as in the Mediterranean. They are filled with fibre and antioxidants which may help to prevent heart disease, reduce “bad cholesterol” levels, and protect against cancer.
With all this natural medicine packed in a sweet to tart juicy surrounded by a “stone” or seed known to be filled with a cancer treatment, why don’t you eat one today!
I know I’ll have them on my grocery list tomorrow to try for the first time. If you’ve tried one, let me know what you think. If not, let me know when you do!
This is it! May 17, 2013 – a day to celebrate food! Not just any food, though, good cooked food, natural food and healthy food. Food Revolution Day!
With all the talk of GMO’s, all the myths about how expensive healthy food is and how inconvenient it is to cook your own meal, this day highlights the rubbish of all those lessons.
Chef Jamie Oliver starter a revolution with food and it’s easy to participate. Grow a garden, invite friends over for a home cooked meal, share recipes and educate. Have fun with it, knowing that it is easy to eat healthy, delicious and inexpensive!
Join us for a Food Revolution today and tell us how you’re making the right choice!
Try to read a book to your child at least once a day. No matter how busy you are this should be your number one priority to instill literacy values and the desire to learn in your child and our next generation.
I find it incredibly amazing to read a book to my three year old one and have him eagerly flip through the pages to recite the story. Ok, not word for word but he listens, learns and memorizes and that’s what reading is all about!
Yesterday I was able to catch our story time on video and, with permission from Robert Munschhimself, want to show it to you.
You may notice he appears to be bored in this video as this was our second time recording (first time was wonderful but memory card was full :( ) and the always exciting garbage trucks were at our house. I just want to emphasize how easy it is to take a few minutes to do this, once a day, and celebrate a good story and your ability to read!
Pat Brannon is an author I met through Facebook and have been enjoying her tidbits of wisdom throughout the years. Her effort and adorable stories keep me on my toes and feeling especially connected with her.
I wanted to share her with all of you so she graciously answered a few questions for all of us:
1) Your focus is on children’s books. Have you always been interested in writing for children?
Not initially. My first venture into writing was co-writing a Country song with my daddy.
2) Do you remember a particular moment in your life that led you to believe you’d be a writer?
Having starting my writing career in the third grade co-writing a song with my daddy, I never considered writing books until I stopped working in our local school district. Many of my students encouraged me to write books, but I never thought anyone would want to read the things I would want to write. For a long time I thought about the confidence and faith those students had in my writing, so I thought I’d give writing a try and see how it was received.
3) How do you find time to follow your passion in a hectic world?
I’m very fortunate that I can work from home. What I do is very time consuming and I work hard at my craft. I work long hours and try to maximize the time I have each day. Not having young children at home helps some and I don’t have another job. This is my job.
4) You’ve worked with your son for Snowman War… how was that and do you plan to work with him again?
I love writing with Jason. He has a very creative mind. He brings a different perspective to our books sometimes, offers suggestions I would never think of. I would absolutely work with him again. I have already pitched some ideas to him about our next book together.
5) You have various beautiful poems posted on your website, do you include poetry in your books? Do you find poetry is the heart of your children’s books?
My first book-Walk Softly – You’re Stepping on My Heart is a collection of 100 Christian poems. I also have a few poems in my non-fiction short story collection-Mud Puddles and Muscadines.
I find that poetry is only part of what I try to get across in my children’s books. I do like to teach rhyme in my books. It’s a fun way to learn without feeling like you’re learning. I feel that the actual act of reading is the heart of my books, getting children to read my books over and over again and wanting to return to read that same book for the10th or 20th time because it’s fun is something I like to hear about. I want children, parents, grandparents and teachers to hear my name and partially associate it with quality children’s books.
And, I want children to get excited waiting on my next book to come out. I work with some awesome illustrators (Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline and Karen Deming). They bring my texts to life. My books wouldn’t be as good as they are without Jimena and Karen’s wonderful art work.
6) I found some great endorsements posted on your site. Do you know things are going well when you are visiting a school? Are you finding readings/ presentations challenging to do or are you a natural?
I can gauge my school visits by the children’s faces. If they are sitting there still and totally focused on me then I’m pretty sure I’m accomplishing my mission at that school.
I’m definitely a natural in the sense that I have an extroverted personality. I never meet a stranger. I’m totally a people person. However, doing the bullying presentation I do at schools is definitely out of my comfort zone. I do some singing, dancing and totally crazy stuff in my presentation.
If someone had told me years ago I’d be dancing in front of total strangers, I wouldn’t have ever believed it. I entertain and educate at the same time.
7) Any tips for hesitant readers?
Yes. Pick subject matter that you like. If you like tractors, read about tractors. If you like ballet, find some books about ballet. The main thing is to read on a regular basis. Don’t camp out in front of the TV or play games all the time. Pick up a book and read it or read a book on your e-reader. I find that most successful people had a great reading background. Children won’t always be children. One day they’ll grow up and a solid reading history will serve them well.
8) You live in Amory, Mississippi, do you find your community accepting and encouraging of writers and other artists?
Absolutely, I do. I know I have received a massive amount of support from many directions. Folks are already pre-ordering my next children’s book and all I’ve done is post the photo of the front cover on my Facebook page. That excites me and it tells me a lot of folks like what I do.
9) If you weren’t a writer what other profession would you have loved to be in?
I would have tried to be a professional Country singer or a basketball coach. I come from several generations of singers, songwriters and musicians. My daddy once co-owned a recording company, record label and he owned a music publishing company. Actually, when I was a teenager my family considered moving to Nashville for me to pursue my love of music. I don’t ever remember a time I haven’t loved music and I love to sing. My love for basketball equals my love for music.
10) A question so many authors are asking these days – do you find social media sells books?
I think it helps and I do everything (Facebook, Twitter – @PatBrannon3, Goodreads and Pinterest), but I don’t think it’s the main thing. I find I sell more books when I can have a one-on-one connection with folks. That can be through Facebook with folks I’ve never even met in person or by talking to folks directly at my signings.
11) You mention on your Amazon page that you were bullied as a child and adult. Please tell us, from your perspective, how it feels to be bullied and what a victim should do about it. As well, now’s your chance to say something to your bullies (and all bullies or parents of bullies), please let us know how you felt and what they could have done to be more accepting.
During the times I was verbally bullied as both a child and a married mother of two sons, I feel there was a lack of self-esteem on the bullies’ part. Bullies like to draw attention to themselves, the wrong kind of attention. I felt awful when I was bullied. As a child I should have told my parents, my bus driver or my teachers at school, but I was embarrassed to discuss the matter. I was totally wrong in my thinking. Bullying should be reported to an authority figure every time. We must get the message out that bullying is wrong. Bullying is not cool under any condition.
Thanks so much for joining me, Pat and for you for reading!
Watch out Little Mermaid! There’s a new tail in town.
Helene Boudreau is an author I aspire to be. Although this is a book targeted for readers 9 and up I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m 30! I also kept wondering where this book was when I was young and impressionable. :)
Jade is a young girl trying to get through teenage life. With mockery, crushes, and lies she could be found in each one of us but then she becomes someone incredible we all only hope to become some day. We learn what it means to be a best friend, what secrets are ok to keep and to give someone the benefit of the doubt – always.
Friends are forgiving when you need them to be the most and this tale teaches the lesson of being yourself when all else fails. A delightful tale that beautifully transitions from land to water and back with an imagination all children would love to have.
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