Wanda Luthman's Blog, page 44
September 1, 2016
The World Is Still A Pretty Awesome Place Photos…
Just when you think the world has gone haywire, you see touching stories like these and you realize, “it’s a wonderful world.” I just had to reblog this because it made me so happy. I want you to share in the happiness too!
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog
Don’t Let The Evening News Get You Down,
The World Is Still A Pretty Awesome Place
Be The One!
I want to encourage you to check out newauthorsonline anthology–it’s for a great cause! All proceeds go to the Guide Dogs for The Blind Organization–dogs are amazing and they do a great job helping the blind. https://newauthoronline.com/anthology-to-raise-money-for-guide-dogs/
Children are malleable and therefore can be influenced greatly by their parents, siblings, teachers, and other people in their lives.
It’s important to be a good role model and to encourage good behavior so that they grow up to be productive citizens of society. But, we’re not just trying to raise productive citizens, are we? No, we are raising children to be adults who can think for themselves, are independent people, and are influencers in the world. We don’t want to raise automotons, we want our children to be all they can be! (I’m making an assumption here, but I hope you agree).
I believe the single most important thing that makes a child grow up to be all they can be vs. one that doesn’t, is love. That may seem over-simplified and to a point, it is. However, I can say both from a professional standpoint and a personal…
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August 30, 2016
Please Spread The Word
Hi, Everyone!
I’m having a BIG Release Day September 10, 2016 for my children’s picture book, Little Birdie Grows Up, as a Back To School Event!
I really need your help to get the word out. My PA has created this HeadTalker Campaign. If you wouldn’t mind supporting me, it will only take a moment of your time and it will mean so very much to me. Plus, it will help get the precious story of Little Birdie into the hands of more children.
And please encourage your friends to help too by Reblogging, Retweeting, and/or Sharing.
Thank you SO much!
Oh, P.S.–If you’ve never participated in a HeadTalker Campaign before, you click on the link “HeadTalker Campaign” and then show your support by clicking on either Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr, or LinkedIn. Then, on the day of the event, everyone who supported will have the post about Little Birdie on whichever account they chose to support with so that it will hit the World Wide Web with a big splash! It’s really cool and spreads the word beyond anything I could do by myself. Really, thank you for being part of this!
August 29, 2016
Growing Up and Letting Go
My daughter turned 21 this year. I remember when she was born. She was jaundice. So, I laid her in the sunshine by the window in her pack ‘n play. I had Enya playing in the background. I used to love Enya for her emotive music, so soulful. But this time, instead, it made me cry. I cried like a baby. I hadn’t noticed before that Enya’s music had a sadness to it. But, this day, when I was balling, all I could think about was this little bundle of love was going to grow up and leave me. Enya’s music, though soulful, also has a sadness, almost a dirge sound to it. My hormones were raging and somewhere inside of me that sad sound is what my emotions were responding to. This really isn’t about Enya’s music so much as it is about the feeling a mother has for her child. From the moment you give birth, you are no longer able to protect them because now they are separate from you. And one day, sooner than you realize, they’ll be leaving you. Childbirth is bittersweet. It’s a welcoming of a bundle of joy into your life that you love more than anyone in the world but also a realization that they have begun their journey of separation at the same time.
Somehow I shook off the feeling and went about loving and bonding with her. I loved the pre-school days where we enjoyed sweet, innocent TV shows and I was her playmate. Then came Daycare. She cried when I left her. I cried when I got back to the car. It’s just not fair that I had to work. But, she loved Daycare and all was well. Then came kindergarten. I cried when I dropped her off. I thought she wouldn’t need me anymore. I thought she would love her teacher more than me. But, all was well, yet again.
She’s at college now and has been for three years. When she was a senior in high school, I began anticipating her leaving. I had so much fear. I feared that our relationship would change. I feared what kind of relationship I would have with my husband once the house was quiet. I feared what I would do with myself no longer being a full-time mom. I can say that her first year at college was bumpy on all fronts. But, I can also say now that all is well. Not only do we still have a relationship but it’s better than ever. She’s not dependent and she talks to me because she wants to, not because she has to. I’m proud of the young woman she has become. She’s strong, smart, sensitive, thoughtful, funny, and loving.
All those stages and transitions, they are difficult. Letting go begins at birth in a small way but it is the path of life. We were all meant to bond and leave but there’s always a thread to keep us together and that is love.
My latest book and my first picture book, Little Birdie Grows Up, was inspired by this shared experience of parents. It’s getting great reviews. The Audiobook narrator even thought it would make a good graduation gift–probably for Mom. It’s available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and Audiobook.
Love those babies with everything you have and remember you only get one shot at raising them, be present, enjoy each moment and don’t let fear guide you, let it be love.
August 24, 2016
Bloggers needed
Looking for bloggers that would be kind enough to blog about the release of Little Birdie Grows Up a wonderful children’s rhyming picture book.
Please fill out this form.
Thank you so much.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jKPR00PncEBc6gr-FItaZNgzXtVug_iAjKKcHZqoWr4/edit
August 22, 2016
Local Author/Artist Interview
Picture above by Lou Belcher
Today, I want you to meet someone who is so incredibly talented. She is an author, a blogger, and a webmaster. I love her work and I think you will too. She’s local to boot! Her name is Lou Belcher. She runs a fabulous website called Florida Book News, amongst others. There you can find the latest and greatest in Florida Book News, aptly named.
Tell me something about yourself. (Where did you grow up, significant relationships, what do you do for fun because writing, as little or as much as you want).
I grew up in Michigan and moved to Virginia after college. For many years, I worked as a speech pathologist, but I always kept my hand in writing and art. Now, I live in Florida and am a full-time artist/writer/blogger. I have written several books over the years and am an oil painter too.
In 2008, I became interested in blogging and started several blogs. Two of them, Florida Book News ( www.FloridaBookNews.com ) and Brevard Art News ( www.BrevardArtNews.com ), are dedicated to giving attention to writers and artists from Florida. In addition, I have started several other blogs over the years: one about my cat, another about writing, and one about photography. Now, I have combined those into www.LouBelcher.com . And, I have another for my art at www.LouBelcherArt.com .
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? An artist?
I minored in English in college and loved to write, but didn’t have any aspirations at that time of writing for anyone but myself. In the 90s, I started writing fiction, but didn’t publish any of it. When I began writing magazine articles, I realized that I had found a home in writing non-fiction.
What have you written? Tell me about them.
At first, I mostly wrote magazine articles until I started editing and writing full time. In 2010, I started using Twitter and decided to write a book about how it works. I published Ready Set Tweet shortly thereafter , and wrote a book about my cat called, The Zen of Max (a memoir of great wisdom and many naps) around the same time.
In October 2014, I published Double Trouble A thru Z (The Adventures of Bugsy and Knuckles). It’s a cartoon alphabet book about my cats, narrated by their cartoon friend, Checkers the Mouse.
And, most recently, I published In the Company of Cats (a memoir of the early years of my current cats) and Black, White, and Color All Over: a coloring book for all ages.
What type of art do you produce? Tell me about your work.
Throughout my life, I have enjoyed crafts. It wasn’t until the last few years that I took up painting. I started out with pen and ink and continue to create in that medium. I have recently begun painting with oils and love it.
What is your favorite genre to write?
Non-fiction: how to pieces and humor.
Tell me about your writing process. Is it similar to your artistic process?
I suppose they are similar. I use an outline in writing and start with a sketch in painting. In both, I complete a rough draft and just keep refining until it reaches the point of completion.
Where do you get the inspiration for your art/writing?
I have two cats who provide daily inspiration for whimsical art. I have used them as models in many of my pen and ink pictures and in paintings I call KittyScapes. And as you can tell from the titles of my books, I do write about them also.
My other inspiration for art is everyday life. I love painting flowers, birds and just about any subject that shows the beauty of nature.
Do you have a special place where you write? Do your art?
I have a studio in my condo where it all happens. I have way too many books and way too many art supplies, but it all works out and I love being in my studio working on one project or another.
Do you have any type of music you listen to while you write/create?
I guess I’m not all that tuned in. I do love music, but it doesn’t seem to matter what I listen to when I’m working. Most of the time, I work in silence.
How long does it usually take you to complete a book? Or an art piece?
It takes me months to complete a book. Art is much more immediate. It takes sometimes a day and sometimes a month to create art.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start something (either write or art or both)?
I have always used my spare time creatively. I’m not sure that I actually decide to sit down and create. It just seems natural.
Do you write/create art full-time or part-time?
It’s full time. I don’t have any set hours. It just seems, with the studio in my condo, I’m either working on something or thinking about my next project most of the time.
The blogs take time each day. In addition, I write or create something (maybe just a sketch or two or a journal entry) daily. I have a journal that is full of ideas for blog posts, scribbles, and sketches – waiting to happen.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about whimsy. I think people don’t smile enough, so I hope to make them smile. Many times, my cats tell the story on my blog. By using them as my voice, they can tell it like it is and keep it light.
I am also passionate about keeping life simple. I have recently begun reading about minimalism. Although I have way too much stuff to call myself a minimalist, I am currently working to downsize to the point where I have only those things that are either necessary or bring me joy.
Have you written any books that made a transformative effect on you? If so, in what way?
I think the process of writing or of painting is what is transformative for me. I do enjoy the process and time just flies when I’m creating.
Do you find yourself returning to any recurring themes within your writing/art and, if so, are you any closer to finding an answer?
One recurring theme that I mentioned earlier is whimsy. I hope my work is a vehicle to boost others from whatever seriousness they are facing.
Another recurring theme is bringing attention to writers and artists in Florida. I like to hear when Florida Book News and Brevard Art News make a difference in the lives of writers/artists. I love hearing that someone sold a book or a painting because a reader saw a notice about it on one of my blogs.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I am currently working on a book called Before You Write. Hopefully, it will be out in the late fall. It’s meant as a resource of answers to the questions writers ask about writing and publication.
As far as my art is concerned, I have just begun making it available to the public by joining the Strawbridge Art League Gallery. It’s hanging in their gallery in Historic Downtown Melbourne, Florida.
If you could jump ahead in time, what would be happening for you?
I don’t have a clue. I generally try not to jump ahead in time. I find if I look too far ahead, I want to do everything right now. So, to maintain focus, I try to concentrate on what’s on my plate at the moment.
For self-published authors
What influenced your decision to self-publish?
I like to do things myself. When I was first writing, I had a couple of unfortunate experiences with agents and decided to keep things in my own hands.
How do you market your book?
I have marketed my books in person and on line. Yearly, I participate in the Author for Authors book fair in the Eau Gallie Civic Center during the ArtWorks Fine Art Festival in the Eau Gallie Arts District. On-line, I market through my blog and through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…. I mainly, keep the names of the books in front of the public.
Do you design your own book covers?
I designed the cover for the coloring book, and I painted a painting for the cover for Double Trouble A thru Z. All other covers were professionally done.
Tell me about your website—when did you start it and what made you want to start it?
Florida Book News started as a blog about writing in late 2007. It grew into a blog about Florida authors and organizations over the first few months. I decided I wanted to bring attention to the many books published by Florida writers and to spread the word about Florida writing organizations and writing events.
At the time, I was writing a monthly column on the arts for Brevard Live Magazine. During that time, I developed my first blog, Brevard Art News. Essentially, I wanted to bring attention to the many artists in Brevard. The reaction to it was positive and I thought it would be good to do the same for the writing community. Rather than a blog about just Brevard County writers, I decided to make that one about writers and writing organizations throughout Florida.
For both blogs, writers or artists send me notices about their books or about events coming up and I post them on the blog. I have received positive feedback and enjoy the many people I have met through the blogs.
Who can join and how do they join?
Essentially, Florida Book News is a free service. Anyone can send in information and as long as it would be of interest to Florida writers.
In addition, I have a program on it called Friends of Florida Book News. If people join this program, I post a badge with their name on it in the right column of the blog. If you click on a badge, you will click through to that person’s web page.
There is information about Friends of Florida Book News at the top of the blog. Also, there is information there on how to submit notices to Florida Book News.
Florida Book News www.FloridaBookNews.com )
Brevard Art News www.BrevardArtNews.com
Website about my cat, and about writing, and about photography www.LouBelcher.com
My art www.LouBelcherArt.com
If you’d like to post notices on Florida Book News or Brevard Art News should send the notices toLou@LouBelcher.com
August 11, 2016
Facebook Event for You and Your Children
Hi, Everyone!
My PA, Karina Kantas, and I are hosting a Facebook Event on Saturday, September 10th from 10:00-2:00PM EDT and we want you to attend! There are several other children’s authors scheduled so bring the kids. There will be fun activities and great prizes.
Please share the news!
Below is the link to the event on my facebook fan page
Hope to see you there!
August 10, 2016
6 Book Types for 4 Years Old Children
Child’s Castle is a wonderful blog for all kinds of information to help children learn and grow. Here’s one of the blogs that I’d like to share!
Four years old children have expanded their curiosity to things beyond their daily environment (home and school). For example, when they learn that lion lives in Africa, they will be curious to find out more about Africa. They will ask a lot questions about it which seems endless. It’s because after they get the answer of their first question, they may ask another questions which is based from the new information they get. They are able to do that because their cognitive skills have developed a lot since the age of three. At this age, they are able to absorb and process information faster than when they were three. And this enables them to think of many question in a short time.
The condition can be the right moment to give different kinds of books with the ones given at the…
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August 8, 2016
12 steps to enhancing Kindergarten skills
So, you’re child is ready for Kindergarten!
With school starting just a few days from today here in Brevard County, FL, I thought I’d share some words of wisdom from our favorite School Psychologist, Dr. Valerie Allen.
Your child is getting ready to leave the coccoon of your home and go off to school. You may feel a bit melancholy about this, as I did, and may even feel like your child won’t need you as much as they used to. It may feel that way, but you still play a vital role in helping your child succeed in school.
Here are 12 fabulous tips from Dr. Allen to help you help your child be successful during their first year in school. This will lay the foundation for the rest of their school life. Maybe having some ideas like this will help you let go of that little one’s hand that first day. You can come home and get some fun things ready for your child and you to do together when they come home.
Your little one will be excited to share with you all they’ve done and learned. So, take some time and listen to their day. And they may just be tired. The transition to Kindergarten can be a big one in terms of level of engagement and social activity and possibly foregoing a nap. Give them some time to unwind. They may even be cranky because they are so tired. This is all part of the transition and is normal.
12 Steps to the Big “K”
It’s the last long, hot summer days before your youngster sets out into the world beyond home: Kindergarten. For the next thirteen years, your child will spend as much, if not more, time in school than at home. School will be the springboard to learning, friendships, and ultimately, a career. Help your child prepare for this journey; get him ready for success; encourage him to enjoy discovery, and assist him to meet the challenges which are ahead.
Each youngster arrives at the Kindergarten door with a different level of preparedness. You want your son or daughter to be ready to learn. Some of the basic “readiness” skills are: number concepts, naming colors, identifying shapes, comparing things that are the same and different, speaking and listening vocabulary, and general information about self and the world in which he or she lives.
Here are twelve quick and easy at-home activities you can do with your youngster to enhance these skills:
Cut and paste pictures from magazines; name the items in each picture, make up a funny sentence about each. This will help develop fine motor skills and build vocabulary.
Trace around hands, feet, cookie cutters, jar covers, pop sticks and other objects. This is another fine motor activity, enhances creativity, and improves attention to details.
Line up items such as blocks, spoons, cups, and clothespins to create left to right progression and visual patterns. This improves visual perception, sequencing, and organization. It helps children find similarities and differences in objects. It also simulates the left to right eye movement used when actually reading books.
Start with a one-step direction, then a two part, to help children learn to listen, follow directions, and understand sequence. You can help your child follow directions and complete tasks by using auditory and visual clues. For example, use the words, first, next, and then when breaking tasks into various steps. You can also hold up a finger and as you state each step in the direction, stating #1 do …, #2 do …, and #3 do … .Another helpful tip is to have the child repeat the task(s) back to you. You can ask, “What are you going to do first? And then:?”
Share your “junk” mail; open envelopes, sort by size, discuss the picture on the stamps, find letters or numbers and circle them. Children can sort envelopes by size, color, and those with and without windows. They can sort the actual mail by size. You can use a highlighter to find a certain letter, perhaps start with the first letter of your child’s first name. They can cut the stamp out and paste them on pretend mail they can give to family members. You can have your child sort the stamps by their design, for example, flags, animals, flowers, people, and so on. You can extend this by allowing your child to put stamps on your outgoing mail, and let them purchase stamps at the post office.
After a trip to the store, post office, or library, have your child tell something about what he saw on the ride. To practice sequencing, ask: what happened first, next, etc.; write it down and let him draw a picture. This increases vocabulary and organization of time sequences. You can prompt your child by asking, which event happened first, for example, “Did we get dressed first or did we drive in the car first?” Also, ask about people you saw or buildings you passed along the way.
Write or draw in sand, flour, sugar, etc.; Hint: keep it in a zip-lock bag for reuse. Shaving cream is also fun for art expression. This activity begins to stimulate an interest in both art and science. It develops recognition of tactile sensation and differences between solids and liquids. It encourages creativity and free expression. It can also be used to reinforce shapes, letters, and numbers. Additionally, this is another activity for fine motor control.
Cut out pictures from magazines and classify them into groups of food, animals, clothing, toys, sports, and transportation. Using scissors is an important learning tool, and requires fine motor skills. This activity extends and enriches vocabulary. Organization, comparisons, and seeing similarities and differences are reinforced with this activity. You can also name colors and shapes and make up stories to go with the pictures. Two or three pictures can be placed next to each other to create the concept of sentence formation by putting words together.
Find upper and lower case letters in magazines or newspapers match them with each other, spell out simple words, put them in alphabetical order, or cut and paste onto cards. Have your child group tall letters, such as b, d, l, and t and letters with hanging tails, such as g, j, p, q, and y.
Draw a picture on a post card and mail it to a friend, relative, or neighbor. Drawing with pens, pencils, crayons and markers use slightly different motor skills. It develops appropriate grip technique and steadies those small muscles in the hands and fingers. Cutting out a picture and using glue are two more skills for control of fine motor skills.
Draw a line or design with a thick marker along the edge of a piece of paper and use a hole punch to go over the design. Use light weight cardboard from file folders or packing materials. Use a dark marker to make a different shaped line along the four sides and have your child punch holes along the line. You can also draw with a pencil and have your child trace over it with a brightly colored marker. This is a fine motor skill combined with eye-hand coordination. You can also discuss colors and ask where your child has seen this type of line. For example, a shoe string could be a straight line, a cookie is a circle, the kitten’s ears look like triangles., and so on.
Encourage your child to speak in complete sentences. Have him talk about the family pet, a television show, the clothes he has on, a visit to grandma’s, or plan an outing. Use three to five words to complete a sentence instead of a one word response. Ask your child for more details to describe what he or she saw, or what something tasted like or felt like when it was touched.
What is most important? Visit the library every week and read to your child every day. Dedicate these weeks of summer to enjoy time with your child; make him your priority. Invest time in your child now and you will both reap rewards for a lifetime.
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Dr. Valerie Allen
Licensed School Psychologist ~ Rehabilitation Counselor
101 E. New Haven Ave Phone (321) 722-3430
Melbourne, FL 32901 FAX (321) 722-3431
ValerieAllenWriter.com E Mail VAllenWriter@cs.com
Dr. Valerie Allen is a child psychologist in private practice. She presents seminars for parents and professionals in the field of child development and has published two children’s books for independent readers, “Summer School for Smarties”a nd “Bad Hair, Good Hat, New Friends.” Oh yes, she has also raised six children!
August 5, 2016
Meet and Greet: 7/30/16
Enjoy getting to know other bloggers!
It’s the Meet and Greet weekend!!
Ok so here are the rules:
Leave a link to your page or post in the comments of this post.
Reblog this post. It helps you, it helps me, it helps everyone!
Edit your reblog post and add tags.
Feel free to leave your link multiple times! It is okay to update your link for more exposure every day if you want. It is up to you!
Share this post on social media. Many of my non-blogger friends love that I put the Meet n Greet on Facebook and Twitter because they find new blogs to follow.
Now that all the rules have been clearly explained get out there and Meet and Greet your tails off!
See ya on Monday!!
