Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 52

Monday Movie Madness: The Shadow Riders

Hello Posse!

Sorry this is a little late. The combination of too much stress, a horrible low pressure front, and not eating enough yesterday just put me in migraine hell for a while. Sometimes I can still work with a migraine, but then I have days like yesterday when it affects my eyesight and I can't do much of anything. I was glad to see the message I wrote for you all yesterday was at least mostly correct. I had to guess at what I was typing because I could see nothing but blurry, black marks on the screen.

But enough about that, on with the movie!

Today's flick reunites actors Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott and Jeff Osterhagein (from The Sacketts) in another fantastic made for TV movie based on a book by Louis L'Amour, The Shadow Riders. The supporting cast also stars well-known such actors as Dominique Dunne, Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson and Geoffrey Lewis. While you may not recognize the names, if you watched any TV in the 70s and 80s, I guarantee you will recognize the faces.

The Shadow Riders aired on September 28th, 1982, exactly 38 years ago yesterday (man, that makes me feel old) and was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The story begins at the end of the Civil War. Confederate soldier Dal Traven (Elliot) is rescued by Major Ashbury and his forces just as he is about to be executed by a firing squad. Ashbury and his men are planning to continue to fight against the Union despite the war being declared over. Ashbury asks Dal to join him but Dal declines. He just wants to go home and live out a quiet life.

On his way back to Texas, Dal meets up with his brother Mac (Selleck) who had been fighting for the Union. The brothers hold no ill will against each other, even though they had fought on opposite sides of the war. When the brothers arrive home, they find the place has been raided by Ashbury and his men. The raiders also kidnapped their family; their brother Jesse (Osterhage), their sisters, and Dal's girlfriend, Kate (Ross).

The brothers set out to rescue their family and to stop Ashbury and his men. They track the men to the Gulf of Mexico where they had been camped. They find their brother who had been wounded and presumed dead in an escape attempt. Ashbury had made a deal with a smuggler, Holiday Hammond, to trade the raided goods and prisoners for guns to continue his fight against the Union. Hammond and Ashbury take them to Mexico to sell them.

With the help of Jesse, Dal and Mac attack the Confederate camp and manage to rescue Kate who hadn't been take with the rest to Mexico. She tells the brothers what happened. They decide they need a guide to help them track their sisters though the unknown Mexico territory. The decide the best man fo the Job is their uncle Jack (Johnson). They break him out of jail and head for the border.

In Mexico, things are not going as Ashbury had planned. Hammond is not being straight with him and the men finally have a confrontation. Hammond reveals he never intended to supply Ashbury with guns and takes him prisoner. Uncle Jack manages to lead the brothers to Hammond and a rescue attempt it made. Ashbury escapes during the fighting but Dal apprehends him. Dal was going to shoot Ashbury for taking his sisters but changes his mind. Ashbury had saved his life once so to repay that, Dal lets Ashbury live. His debt is paid.

Hammond manages to escape the battle with the Traven sisters. They catch a train but Dal and Mac are not about to give up on their sisters. The set out in pursuit and manage to catch the train, save their sisters, and capture Hammond who happens to be the most wanted man in Texas. Just as things look to be going their way with the whole family back together again, the Texas sheriff who had arrested uncle Jack shows up to take him back to jail. The brothers make him a deal with him and turn over Hammond to him instead. With the bad guys caught and the family reunited, the Travens head for home.

I remember watching this on TV when it first aired. It is definitely worth the time to watch it, but I can say that about any Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck western. They are both amazing actors but I especially love them in westerns.

Today's movie snack is something I cannot make too often because they are easy and delicious and I will inhale them all very quickly. I am talking about Beyond the Chicken Coop's, Puff Pastry Straws (. Seriously, I have no willpower where these are concerned.

Pair them with some pasta sauce or salsa for dipping and they are even better! I love them with sesame seeds but not a fan of the poppy seeds. If you want to add some protein, try chia seeds. I also like trying different cheeses, like a good cheddar. Any hard cheese you can finely grate should work with this recipe. Experiment and find which one you like the best.

Now, the recipe I shared does not have you making the puff pastry. If you want to go that extra mile and make your own, I highly recommend the recipe from Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking (

Enjoy!

Stephen

The Shadow Riders (Trailer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ZrV3UPR7M&t=7s

#MondayVibes #blogger #blog #Food #foodie #writing #book

Monday Movie Madness: Postponed Due to Migraine.

Hey Posse,

check back tomorrow for my movie blog featuring another Sam Elliott feature. Have a great night.

Stephen

Friday Funnies: Raising Spirits . . . Late!

,,,,Hello Posse!,,,,With National Ghost Hunting Day tomorrow (if I had remembered to post this on time, it is today), I thought a few ghostly jokes would be fitting. I love this time of year when the weather turns cooler and the leaves start changing and Halloween decorations start coming out. Halloween is my favorite holiday. It is one that is just so much fun and you can really let your imagination take flight. ,,,,I had forgotten I only saved this blog as a draft so I could add in some photos from Shaggy's 5th birthday. His birthday was Friday so the plan was to have his celebration at home, load up a few photos for you all, and then post this blog. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked and forgot to set this blog to post. So sorry about that, but I hope the adorable photos of Shaggy at the end of this blog might persuade you to forgive me. ,,,,But now, tell me what you love about this time of year. As you contemplate your answer, enjoy these kid-friendly jokes then be sure to check out my ,Into the West Saga Serial,. Part five is being written right now. Sign up for my newsletter for more announcements. The cover reveal and title for part five are coming soon, hopefully this week if I can figure out how to write the computer code I need. Wish me luck! ,,,,Now, on with the jokes! ,,,,Enjoy!Stephen,

Q: What’s a ghost’s favorite type of pie?

A: Boo-berry.

Q: Why did the police officer set the ghost free?

A: He couldn’t pin anything on him.

Q: Where does a ghost go on vacation?

A: Mali-boo.

,,Q: What kind of street do ghosts prefer to live on?

A: A dead end.

Q: What room of the house are you least likely to find a ghost in?

A: The living room.

Q: What kind of writer did the ghost hire to write his biography?

A: A ghostwriter, of course.

Q: What did the boy ghost say to the girl ghost?

A: “You look very boo-tiful today.”

Q: What do you call a dull ghost?

A: Boo-ring!

,,Q: What is a ghost’s official motto?

A: “Eat, drink, and be scary.”

Q: What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog?

A: They’re mist.

Q: Why did the ghost go into the bar?
A: For the Boos.

Q: Who did the ghost invite to his party?
A: Any one he could dig up.

Q: What’s a little ghost’s favorite game?
A: Hide and shriek.

Q: Why do ghosts hate the rain?

A: It dampens their spirits.

Last but not least . . .

Q: Why do ghosts love elevators?

A: It raises their spirits.

Now check out this great joke from Ethan LyBrand's joke of the day for MDA. Then check out the MDA site for more information on this charity.

https://youtu.be/wx9bgfCLvfEShaggy's 5th Birthday

Shaggy has never been thrilled with candles on his "cake". This year I made it with chicken liver, spinach, carrots, and rice with just a little oatmeal to make it into a thick pate. He inhaled it. I love this photo where he is looking at the lit candle. I can almost hear him thinking, "What is wrong with my people? Why do they keep lighting my birthday cakes on fire? How am I supposed to eat that?"

He was such a good boy today. He even put up with me putting the party hat on him, just long enough to get a photo. I know he really doesn't like it so I took it right off after I got a good shot. I know some people think I am a bit to crazy about my dog, but you can really get attached to a pet, especially when they are your therapy dog. They are with you constantly and you learn to rely on them for so much. It is a trusted bond. We are lucky to have him as part of our family.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2c304a_0bacb0e23c6c423586a3b441f616423c/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Whatever Wednesday: Ghost Hunting Edition!

Hello Posse!

This coming Saturday is National Ghost Hunting Day. No matter your belief on if ghosts exist or not, you have to admit, a good ghost story can be fun. Personally, I subscribe to the basic scientific belief that energy cannot be created or destroyed. We know the human body contains energy. We can prove this every easter with the little toys that look like chicks with two metal pins on the bottom. When you set the chick in our hand against your skin, it starts to peep.

That toy is using the energy in the human body to make sound. Since we know there is energy in a human body and we know that energy cannot be destroyed, we have to ask, what happens to that energy when the body dies? Could that be what we call ghosts?

It would explain some of the equipment used for ghost hunting. There are meters that read electromagnetic fields and meters that can be lit up with electrical surges. Others that can produce words much like the peeps created be the toy chick.

Over the years, ghost hunting has become quite popular. TV shows and ghost hunting societies have been cropping up around the globe. I personally was involved in ghost hunting many many years ago. It was quite boring most of the time. There were very few places we went that we ever caught anything of interest. But when we did find something, it was fascinating.

My favorite story was when we investigated the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence, Kansas. The hotel is worth a visit even if you think ghost hunting is all hokum and nonsense. The hotel is a great historical site and the town is lovely. We stayed in the room with the corner stone in the bedroom. It was reported to be the most haunted.

The people at the hotel were very kind and gave us lots of information about the hotel after we did our initial investigation. We didn't want to taint our findings with too much knowledge of previously reported events. We had a lot of fun doing our investigation.

A few weird things happened that night. One thing that really started to irritate me was the elevator door. It was an old, very small elevator. I don't like elevators of any kind but old, small ones are definitely my least favorite. Every single time my friend and I rode the elevator, the doors closed on me. I tried going in first, going in last, going in before the doors finished opening, counting to five then going in. It did not matter what I did, they always shut on me. After the fifth time, I started taking the stairs.

There were other interesting things that happened that I just might use for a paranormal book one day. I think that would be a lot of fun to write. Do you like ghost stories? Have you ever gone ghost hunting or had your own encounter with something unexplained? I would love to hear from you!

Take care and happy hunting!

Dianne

Energy in the human body

https://youtu.be/wSUFXAbj9Gw

P.S.

The 25th happens to be Shaggy's 5th birthday. Being the crazy dog mom that I am, I got chicken livers to make him a special liver and oatmeal "cake". I have done this twice a year since we adopted him, once on his birthday and once on his "gotcha day" in February. There will be pictures in the Friday blog.

D

Monday Movie Madness: You Know My Name

Hello Posse!

I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was fantastic! I levelled up another year in life (and up several in Fortnite) on Saturday and my better half, P.R., made my day amazing. You know it's going to be a good day when you get woken up with a chocolate cake!

Things are finally starting to quiet down for me a bit family-wise, but gearing up again for me work-wise. I have a few videos I need to make for promotions, I'm writing part five in the Into the West Saga Serial and I want to have a cover reveal soon. If you follow my social media, you know that someone important will die in part five. I am going to do my best to keep it a secret until the book is out. Everyone if free to make their guesses, but I will not confirm anything.

I haven't done a contest in a while, mostly because I do not want to go to the post office to mail the prize. It is always so crowded and I am high risk health-wise. I'm going to do some investigating to see if there is a reasonably priced delivery service that will pick up at my home. If I can sort that out, we may have to do a contest here soon. Join my mailing list at the bottom of this webpage for updates!

Now, it's movie time!

Today's flick is another made for TV movie staring the quintessential modern day cowboy, Sam Elliott. You Know My Name aired in 1999 on Turner Network Television (TNT). The movie was directed by John Kent and co-starred Arliss Howard, R. Lee Ermey, James Gammon, Carolyn McCormick, and James Parks.

This movie is based on the actual life story of Bill Tilghman (Elliott), legendary lawman and gunslinger who once partnered with Wyatt Earp. Tilghman was well-known for his skill with a gun as well as for his reputation as a virtuous and honest man. Now retired, Tilghman moves his wife and two sons to Chandler, Oklahoma where he refocuses his career from law enforcement to movie making.

Tilghman was not happy with the direction he had seen westerns going. He felt audiences were wanting westerns that romanticized the Wild West and the outlaws had become glamorized in the media of the time. Tilghman turned his focus to producing and directing a film that would more accurately depict the history he had seen firsthand, the 1915 Western, The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma in 1924 was a hotbed of corruption and lawlessness. It was the height of prohibition and even men who were in the local law enforcement were part of the criminal syndicates running the town. Wiley Lynn (Howard) was a federal agent who was known for being violent and unpredictable. He used his badge to hide behind and as a way remove any criminal competition.

Eventually, the good townsfolk cannot stand to live under such tyranny any more and turn to Tilghman for help. It is an uphill battle with some of the locals, but Tilghman's wit and charm help him win over the townsfolk. They come together to turn Cromwell back into the quite town they all wanted. This change was not well received by Lynn and he focuses his displeasure on Tilghman. The final confrontation will decide the town's ultimate fate.

Today's movie snack recipe comes from the good people at The Oklahoman. They posted and article in 2019, ,,Made in Oklahoma Offers Recipes for Snacks, Finger Foods (Honey Glazed Sweet and Salty Snack Mix. This tasty treat sounds good enough to snack on any time, movie or not.

So get your snacks people! It's time to settle in for another great movie!

Enjoy,

Stephen
Full Movie on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/xwaxf0Lp16EClip from Tilghman's movie, Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws (1915)https://youtu.be/EPQEZ34PWbY

Friday Funnies: Getting Older!

Hello Posse!

Since I will be "leveling up" in age tomorrow, I thought now would be the perfect time to share some laughs about getting older. Though if you really want to find something entertaining, you should check out my Into the West Saga Serial book collection. I am writing part 5 now.

In fact, since I need to get back to writing, let's get right to the jokes!

Enjoy!

Stephen You know you are getting older when . . .

- you wake up looking like your driver's license picture.

- your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your hose and discover you aren't wearing any.

- you hear snap, crackle, pop and you're not eating cereal.

- getting "lucky" means you remember where you parked your car.

- you stay home but your back still goes out.

- your idea of a great night out is sitting on the patio.

- it takes more than one try to get up from the couch.

- happy hour is a nap.

- you're on vacation and your stamina runs out before your money does.

- all you want for your birthday is to not be told how old you really are.

- your idea of weight lifting is pushing yourself up from a chair.

- it takes longer to recover than it did to get tired.

- most of the names in your contacts list start with Dr.

- the employees at the pharmacy know your name.

- you look for your glasses for an hour and they were on your head all along.

- you finally get your head in a good place and your body starts falling apart.

- you wonder how you are over the hill when you don't remember ever being on top.

Q: When is an old person's bedtime?

A: Three hours after they falls asleep on the couch.

Q: How many old people does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but it might take all day.

Q: What's the biggest gripe of old people?
A: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Q: What do old people call a long lunch?
A: Normal.

Q: What do old people considered formal attire?
A: Tied shoes.

Q: Why do old people count pennies?
A: They are the only ones who have the time to do it.

Q: What is the common term for an old person who enjoys working and refuses to retire?
A: NUTS! (also interchangeable with Indie Author)

Q: Why don't old people mind being called "Seniors"?
A: The name comes with a 10% discount.

Q: Why are old people so slow to clean out their basement, attic, or garage?
A: Because they know as soon as they do, their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Q: What's the biggest advantage of going back to college when you are an old person?
A: If you skip classes, no one calls your mom.

Check out "Getting Old" jokes (

While you are at it, don't forget to check out ShepsPlace.org (

#dogs #birthday #writer #writingcommunity #blog #blogging #blogger

Wednesday Whatever: Birthday Cake

Hello Posse!

This weekend is my birthday and the one thing I asked my husband for this year was for him to make me a birthday cake. While Pedro is a fantastic cook and has made several varieties of bread and even some fresh pasta, he has never baked a cake before.

Just to make sure he would not have any mishaps on my birthday, he made a practice cake last week so he could practice the best practices for cake baking. I can honestly say, he did fantastic and the cake turned out to be the best chocolate cake I have ever had in my life. I am not even exaggerating a tiny bit on that!

I have been making cakes since I was in first grade. The year before that, I was not thrilled with the cake we had for my birthday. So, the next year I went to the school library and asked if there were any cookbook for kids my age that had a cake recipe in it. The librarian found a Betty Crocker Cookbook for Kids for me that had a simple cake recipe in it. From that year on, I made my own birthday cake until I was well into my 20s. I have even been hired by others to make a cake for them from time to time; I also made our wedding cakes. I just love making cakes!

I often try to come up with non-traditional cakes to make for Pedro on his birthday. It all started about a month after we met in 2013. We met in January and his birthday is in February. I asked him what his favorite cake was and he said it was a cake his German grandmother used to make for him when he was a kid. It took a while but tracked down a recipe for it and surprised him with it on his birthday.

You can see the photo of the cake I made him above. That is a traditional German chocolate sponge cake with dark cherries and cherry liquor. My whipped topping didn't hold up too well but it tasted fantastic. If you'd like to try it for yourself, I found this recipe from Natasha's Kitchen, Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.” I'm still convinced this cake is why my husband asked me to marry him.

Cakes can be simple or elaborate but as long as they are well done they can be a great centerpiece to any celebration. If you have a celebration coming up or just feel like making a fantastic chocolate cake, try Two Peas & Their Pod's Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake (

Don't forget, If you would like to help out an old dog (not me!), to help me celebrate my birthday, I am asking people to consider donating to Shep's Place, a senior dog sanctuary. They take in senior dogs who have been abandoned in the Kansas City area at the end of their lives, just when they need their people the most. They try to re-home dogs when possible, but if not, they make sure the dogs have a home at the sanctuary where they are loved and cared for until the end of their days. I really can't think of a better cause to support for my birthday. Go to ShepsPlace.org and check them out. Thanks!

Have a great Wednesday!

Dianne

Some of Pedro's birthday cakes I've made for him over the years.

Chilean Thousand Layer Cake First Star Wars cake Yoda cake

(^ click here for recipe)

#birthday #cake #birthdaycake #writer #blog #blogger #Wednesdaymood #writingcommunity

Monday Movie Madness: Wild Wild West

Hello Posse,

I hope you are all doing well. I have spent the last two weeks riding a roller coster of stress but with the help of a great spouse, yoga, and some breathing exercises with meditation, I have gotten some of my stress under control.

In keeping with my desire to lower stress, things are going to be brief and simple this week (after this blog, I had a lot to say about this movie). My birthday is coming up next weekend and, I will be honest, I feel like being lazy and indulging myself this week.

If you care to support me for my birthday I have a few thoughts about that. It would be wonderful if everyone who reads this blog leaves a review for one of my books somewhere, Amazon, Goodreads, my Facebook page, or send me it to me in a message so I can add it to the testimonials page in my next book. If you haven't read one of my books yet, why not check out the eBook version of part one of my saga, Into the West: The Orphan Train. It is only 99 cents on Amazon. It has won two awards and is in the running for a third this year. If you are feeling really charitable, I am collecting donations for Shep's Place, A Senior Dog Sanctuary (. This sanctuary tries to find new homes to care for these senior dogs for their end of life but if they cannot place them, they make sure the dogs are all loved and cared for in their final days. If that isn't a great cause, I don't know what is.

Now, on to the movie! I have to admit, today's movie is not one I am a fan of, Wild Wild West. While I loved the TV show, the movie tried to go a bit too far into the "comic" side of the concept and unfortunately for everyone involved, it missed the mark. The script was said to be "loosely" adapted from 1960s TV series, The Wild Wild West. It might have been a bit better if they had tightened that up a bit.

Wild Wild West was released in 1999 and was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black). The script was written by S. S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman and was based on a story by Jim and John Thomas. The movie features A-list stars Will Smith and Kevin Kline and features a supporting cast of amazing actors as well: Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, Ted Levine and M. Emmet Walsh. Wild Wild West had entertainment veteran Elmer Bernstein creating the film's score and Industrial Light & Magic creating the visual effects. You would think with everything it had going for it, this should have been a box office smash, but it just didn't quite make it.

The movie was released by Warner Bros. in the summer or 1999. It had a production budget of $170 million and was the most expensive film ever made at that point, adjusting for inflation. Unfortunately for everyone involved, it only grossed $113.8 million in the U.S. and $108.3 million overseas. While it did finally earn a profit with the worldwide distribution, it was still considered a financial disappointment. Rotten Tomatoes had this to say about the movie, "bizarre misfire in which greater care was lavished upon the special effects than on the script".

The film did get a few award nominations, unfortunately, it was from the Razzies. It was nominated in eight categories and won in five of them including Worst Original Song ( Wild Wild West by Will Smith) and Worst Picture.

Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering, why on earth I would waste time on writing a blog about a movie I think is bad. This one is easy, I think it is important to watch a bad movie once in a while. It makes you notice the nuances of the art of film making. You can develop a greater appreciation of the work and artistry that goes into film making by experiencing a wide variety of work.

It's like developing a palette for wine tasting. You have to taste many varieties to really start to become aware of the different notes in the wine. I think that goes for books, movies, food, music and so much more. Also, I know just because I do not like something does not mean many of you will not have a different view of the work and might actually like this film. So I think it is fair to share a wide variety of work. Besides, sometimes watching a bad movie can just be fun. I still love watching movies like Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Toxic Avenger.

The Wild Wild West follows two U.S. Secret Service agents (Smith, Kline) charged with protecting the president, Ulysses S. Grant (also Kline) and the country. I'm not going to go in depth explaining the plot because it is a bit convoluted. I think the best thing is just to post the trailer and let you see for yourself. I also added in a clip from what I consider to be one of the worst scenes from the movie, so you can see for yourself what I was talking about how they went just a little too far and missed the mark on the comedy.

Trailer:https://youtu.be/It89i3W-v4s
One of the Worst Scenes:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3AZFuaJVQToday's Movie Snack Recipe:

Today's movie snack recipe is a two-fer. The first recipe is from an Indian food site, Times Food, the Wild Wild West Burger (Wild Wild West I know many people, like myself, were just expecting a movie version of the old TV show and what we got was nothing close to it. Just like with this burger recipe.

Reading the name and seeing the photo, you might think it is your normal beef patty hamburger but when you read the ingredients . . . surprise, lamb and chicken! By the way, if you are like me and are wondering what the heck chicken ham (one of the ingredients) is, you can check it out here (

The second recipe is from the Drink Kings. I think the best way to watch this movie might just be with a good stiff drink. Why not try the Wild Wild West Cocktail (

So, now it is time to grab your snacks, a good stiff drink, and settle in for . . . well . . . another movie.

Enjoy!

Stephen

#movie #MondayMood #writer #blog #recipes #cooking

Friday Funnies: Teachers!

Hello Posse!

With school getting back in session in many places, I thought now would be a good time for some jokes for teachers! Lord knows with all the stress of this coming year they will need a good laugh or two or two thousand! Whether you are teaching in person, online or both, I think you will like these classroom friendly jokes.

So, without all the usual dilly-dallying . . . here are the jokes.

Enjoy!

Stephen

Student: Is it okay to use a double negative?

Teacher: They are a big NO-NO.

Teacher: “Johnny, can you name two pronouns?”
Student: “Who, me?”

Teacher: What’s the difference between a cat and a comma?
Student: One has claws at the end of its paws. The other is a pause at the end of a clause.

Teacher: There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator.

Unfortunately, only a fraction of you will remember this.

Q: Why are teenagers always in groups of three?

A: Because they can’t even.

Q: What kind of snake is 3.14159 meters long?

A: A pi-thon.

A photon walks into a hotel and the bellman asks if he needs any help with his luggage.

The photon responds: “No thanks, I’m traveling light.”

I heard a rumor that Oxygen and Magnesium were dating.

I was like “OMg”

Q: Why are there barcodes on all the ships in Sweden?

A: So they can Scan-di-navy-in.

I always wondered what pencil Shakespeare wrote with?
Was it 2B or not 2B?

Q: Who’s the King of every classroom?

A: The ruler.

I’m close friends with 25 letters of the alphabet … I don’t know Y.

Last but not least . . .

Last night my classroom was broken into and all of the dictionaries were stolen.

I’m at a loss for words.

For all my teacher friends dealing with online learning, this great video will really hit home. Be sure to subscribe to Bored Teachers on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/udxrYbjOr10

#teachers #teaching #onlinelearning #blog #author #writers #writingcommunity #read #lol #humor #comedy #jokes #smile

Whatever Wednesday: National Teddy Bear Day!

Hello Posse!

I am going to be writing the next three blogs (today's, Friday's and next Monday's) because I am dealing with a lot of stress and depending on how things turn out later today, I may be extremely distracted and I do not want to forget about doing them. A family member is going in for major surgery today and I am not able to go back to the US to be there with them. So I get to just sit here on the other side of the planet and wait for news. It is really stressing me out.

So, to distract myself I will be doing a lot of writing today, but please bear with me (pun intended today) if there are a lot of typos (more than my usual that is) in these next few blogs. I will try to catch them but, well, you know me pretty well by now, there will be some.

Today, is National Teddy Bear Day. Teddy Bears can be so important in a child's life. They give comfort when you cannot not find that in the people in your life, they keep away monsters, they keep your secrets, and they are always there for you when you need them. The love of a Teddy bear can even cause conflict in a family if the same bear is passed from child to child, like it was in my family, or it can be a life long treasure for a child.

No matter the situation, Teddy Bears are a definite part of American culture and deserve to be recognized as the wonderful things they are. If you still have your Teddy Bear we would love to see you share a photo or two.

The bear my sister and I shared as kids, still

being held hostage in her house in Florida.

(Just kidding about the hostage part)

The bear I bought after my sister took the bear above for her own daughter. My bear holds some of the love notes I have gotten from my husband over the years.

The bear my niece Ashley had made for me when I got engaged to my husband who I had nicknamed, Iron Man.

We cannot forget probably the most well-known and loved bear of them all, Winnie the Pooh. He has always been the source of great entertainment for all ages. Don't forget, if you are looking for more wholesome entertainment like Winnie the Pooh, check out all of the Into the West Saga Serial books and share this blog with your friends so they can join in the fun too.

Enjoy this clip and the rest of your National Teddy Bear Day.

Diannehttps://youtu.be/-SwWL5xCzhM

#WinniethePooh #NationalTeddyBearDay #writers #writer #books #blog #bloggers