Sharon Wray's Blog, page 55

February 24, 2022

Prep & Plan: Week Eighteen

A few weeks ago we discussed building a Home Emergency Binder where we keep copies of our most important documents. And we also talked about keeping the originals in a small getaway safe. So in today’s Prep & Plan post, I want to discuss taking a Home Inventory which we’ll add to that safe.

gold and white beaded necklace on white ceramic plate

First, I want to do a quick recap: All of the documents in the Home Emergency Binder should be copies. This binder is one of the things you’ll grab if you have to evacuate. But another thing you’ll grab, hopefully, is a small fireproof/waterproof safe. You can find these anywhere including Walmart, Lowe’s, and Amazon and they’re not too expensive. The purpose of this small safe is to store your original documents that you need to protect from the environment (fire, smoke, water, etc.)

So what do you keep in this safe? Any original documents that are important to your life including but not limited to:

Vehicle titles/loan documents

Property titles/Mortgage documents

Birth, death, adoption, divorce, and marriage certificates

Wills, Powers of Attorney, Medical directives

Passports, Naturalization documents, social security cards

You may want to gather the documents together so you know how big of a safe you need. But I suggest you buy the smallest safe you need (papers don’t take up a lot of space) because you’re going to carry it with you in case of an emergency. This is something you’ll grab in case of a house fire, an emergency evacuation, a flood, etc. Even the smallest safes tend to be heavy so make sure you can carry it. Ask yourself this question: if you had to walk out of your neighborhood to a shelter, could you carry it a few miles? I know I’ve already written a post about this, and that it sounds crazy, but we’re preparing for the worst so if the worst happens we won’t panic or need to worry about how to rebuild our lives.

Next up is doing a Home Inventory. If you have a lot of valuables that you itemize for an insurance rider, you’ve already done this work. But if not, it’s something that many insurance companies recommend anyway. Basically, you walk around your house and take photos of anything you have that is valuable or could be sold for some money on the secondary market (like eBay or FB Marketplace). This includes all jewelry, silver, china, electronics, valuable books… anything you feel is of value.

Now, if you have all of these itemized for an insurance rider, this work is done. But not everything has to be itemized to be covered by homeowners insurance. So even if you have an itemized list, check the house to see if there’s anything else you need to inventory. The purpose of this is that if you lose everything (due to war, natural disaster, etc), these photos will be proof of what you’ve owned and lost.

Once you have your photos, print them out (I can hear the screaming now! lol). But print them out and then write on the back of the photo the date the photo was taken and any other information you may need like the date you acquired the item or more details about the item like “Wedgwood china pattern Flying Cloud, 12 piece place setting”.

Record any serial numbers and check and see if any warranties are still valid. If so, add the warranty information to you Home Emergency Binder. Also, if you have any receipts or any purchase contacts for these items, store them in an envelope to add to the safe. And don’t forget to check your attics, basement, or any offsite storage facilities.

The more details you have about an item or a group of items, the easier it will be for an insurance company to make good on the loss. Even if you don’t have insurance, sometimes the federal government will pay you for losses due to a natural disaster. But you need proof and documentation of what you lost.

Once you have all of your photos, and have added notes to the printed photos, store them in your safe. See? Even if it takes some time, it’s easy. And I promise, if something terrible happens you’ll be so happy you did the work ahead of time. And don’t forget to check in next week when we begin to discuss… Spring Cleaning. I seriously can’t wait!

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Published on February 24, 2022 03:30

February 23, 2022

Julian of Norwich: A Visionary for Our Time

An edited repost from the archives.

“Alle shalle be wele, alle shalle be wele, and alle maner of thynge shalle be wele.”

To remind the world how much He loves His children, God gave these words of hope to the Christian mystic Julian of Norwich (ca. 1343-1416) during a series of ecstatic visions. A contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, Julian of Norwich wrote about these visions in a timeless and passionate way. The result, A Revelation of Divine Love, became the first book written by a woman in the English language. Ever.

Julian of Norwich, Norwich Cathedral. Photo courtesy of Rocketjohn and Wiki Commons.

Although Hildegard of Bingen, a nun and mystic visionary in Germany, published her visions ca. 1148, she’d written in Latin while Julian wrote in Middle English with an East Anglian Dialect. This departure from Latin, a language known only to nobles and members of the church, meant Julian’s work could be understood by the peasants. Not only did she write in the common language, she wrote about God with an optimism and hope unheard of during the Middle Ages. Unheard of during a time or war, poverty, hunger, and plague. Since illiteracy reigned, her works were read aloud and passed verbally, her message of love sought by peasants and nobles alike.

It’s not just her role as first female author of an English language book that makes her one of the most important writers of the Middle Ages. Julian of Norwich is important because she was an unlettered woman (meaning she knew no Latin or French) who penned two books in the midst of the violence and darkness of the Middle Ages. So important, in fact, that her book A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Divine Love is still being studied today, over eight hundred years after she wrote it. But the most important–and unusual–thing about Julian is that she was an Anchoress.

Derived from ancient Greek, the word anachoreo means “to withdraw from the world”. During the 12th and 13th centuries, an anchoress was a woman who chose to enclose herself in a small cell known as an anchorhold attached to a church to focus on prayer and to lead an ascetic life. In extreme circumstances, a bishop walled up the anchoress and attached a seal to the outside. With a hagioscope (a small shuttered window) looking into the church, a second opening with which to receive food and other necessities, and a third iron-gated window facing outside, the anchoress held within could hear mass, receive communion, and as she grew in wisdom born of solitude and prayer, listen to the cares and concerns of the townspeople she served.

Although an anchoress was hidden away from the world, people came to her, standing outside her iron-gated window, and offered her gifts of food and other necessities. In return, she offered prayers and spiritual comfort. This may sound extreme, even by the monastic traditions of the Middle Ages, but as I read Julian’s history I realized these women lived in a time of the black plague and peasant revolts. If, as laywomen, they had enough money to build their own anchorhold, or if a nun had been called to this ascetic life, they considered themselves lucky. All of their bodily concerns were taken care of and they could leave their violent, disease-ridden world behind.

Whether Julian of Norwich was a nun or a laywoman is still being debated. But what is known is that in her early thirties (before she entered the anchorhold) she became desperately ill and fell into a febrile coma. During her time in this state, Julian experienced powerful visions, what she called “showings”, of Jesus Christ during his Crucifixion. She woke up a changed woman and began to transcribe her visions. This book, A Revelation of Divine Love, is considered the first ever written in English (Middle English, to be precise) by a woman. Decades later, after many years of contemplation and reflection as an anchoress, she wrote about her experiences again in her second book A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman.

Although little is known about Julian, she is mentioned in another famous work by another first woman author, Margery Kempe. Margery, a renowned laywoman visionary, wrote the first female-penned autobiography in English in 1438. (Margery’s book is considered the best representation of what life was like for middle class women during the Middle Ages). Margery offers external evidence and a vivid depiction of Julian’s life in an anchorhold. And from the theology they discussed regarding God’s love affair with the world, consistent with Julian’s writings, it’s clear Julian mentored Margery in her own writing/visionary journey.

But what I find so fascinating about Julian is how important her message is to all of us today, in the middle of a pandemic with war drums beating overseas. While her message is a Christian one, it’s not only meant for those who follow a Christian faith. Her message that “all will be well and all manner of things will be well” is for all people, regardless of their spiritual practices. Because if you truly believe that “all will be well and all manner of things will be well”, your heart will be at peace. And if your heart is at peace, you’re in a better position to help others around you who are in need.

During my research, I found two wonderful sources which not only went into great depth about Julian’s life during the Middle Ages, but gave two distinct translations of her work. I’ve put the links below in case you’d like to read more about this amazing woman.

“The Writings of Julian of Norwich: A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love“ edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins, Pennsylvania State University, 2006.

“The Complete Julian of Norwich“ by Father John-Julian, OJN. Paraclete Press, Brewster, MA, 2009.

Note: I am not an Amazon affiliate and make no money from click throughs to the site. The links are for informational purposes only.

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Published on February 23, 2022 03:30

February 22, 2022

Sarah Munro’s Vitamin C Juice

Although there were no smoothie machines in Colonial America, people back then still understood the power and importance of Vitamin C. Diseases like scurvy and influenza were a huge problem, so making sure people had enough Vitamin C, especially those who lived in northern climates was a big deal.

We're now in the middle of winter and it's time for a kick of Vitamin C. This juice recipe is the perfect answer to the winter sniffles and blahs. It's like liquid sunshine!

Sarah Munro, my heroine with a PhD in 17th and 18th century history who stars in One Dark Wish, book 2 in the Deadly Force Series, has collected a bunch of recipes that people used to eke out as much Vitamin C as they could from local sources. And making juices was one of the easiest way to process, store, and consume Vitamin C. Especially since they didn’t have refrigeration.

Now that we’re deep into winter, and we all need a Vitamin C kick, this juice is the perfect answer. While this recipe calls for a juicer, I have made it in a sturdy blender. But I will strain the blended juice on my own, just to get rid of some of the pithy remains. I take this as a preventative, at the first sign of a cold, and as well as when I’m sick. Although it’s great any time of year you can get fresh citrus fruit.

Sarah Munro’s Vitamin C Juice@media all and (min-width: 768px){#kt-layout-id_cabb30-2a > .kt-row-column-wrap > .inner-column-1{flex:0 1 65%;-webkit-flex:0 1 65%;}#kt-layout-id_cabb30-2a > .kt-row-column-wrap > .inner-column-2{flex:0 1 35%;-webkit-flex:0 1 35%;}}#kt-layout-id_cabb30-2a{margin-bottom:32px;}#kt-layout-id_cabb30-2a > .kt-row-column-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;}.kt-row-layout-inner > .kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column_a91dff-4d > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px;padding-left:30px;padding-right:30px;border-color:var(--global-palette7, #EDF2F7);border-top-width:2px;border-right-width:2px;border-bottom-width:2px;border-left-width:2px;}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-row-layout-inner > .kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column_a91dff-4d > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px;padding-left:30px;padding-right:30px;}}Ingredients4 seedless oranges, rind removed1 lemon, rind removed2″ piece of ginger, peeled1″ knob of turmeric5 large carrots, washed & peeled1 large apple, peeled, cored & quartered.kt-row-layout-inner > .kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column_fcb50b-01 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-image:url('https://sharonwray.com/wp-content/upl... center;background-attachment:scroll;background-repeat:no-repeat;}#kt-layout-id_fbb445-78{margin-bottom:32px;}#kt-layout-id_fbb445-78 > .kt-row-column-wrap{padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:30px;padding-left:30px;padding-right:30px;}.kt-svg-icons_7320ea-8d .kt-svg-item-0:hover .kt-svg-icon {color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0)!important;}#kt-adv-heading_8a0930-fc, #kt-adv-heading_8a0930-fc .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_8a0930-fc[data-kb-block="kb-adv-heading_8a0930-fc"], .kadence-advanced-heading-wrapper .kt-adv-heading_8a0930-fc[data-kb-block="kb-adv-heading_8a0930-fc"]{text-align:left;font-size:35px;margin-top:0px;}Directions:#kt-adv-heading_0fb786-fb, #kt-adv-heading_0fb786-fb .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_0fb786-fb[data-kb-block="kb-adv-heading_0fb786-fb"], .kadence-advanced-heading-wrapper .kt-adv-heading_0fb786-fb[data-kb-block="kb-adv-heading_0fb786-fb"]{text-align:left;}

Place all ingredients in a large juicer. When the juice is made, stir well and pour over ice. Makes 2 glasses.

If you use a blender, blend all the ingredients and then strain the juice over a large bowl or measuring cup. When you’ve strained out all the juice, stir it well and pour over ice. Makes 2 glasses.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ABOUT WILD PLANTS, FORAGING , AND MAKING HERBAL REMEDIES:

I am not a medical professional and nothing written on this blog is medical advice. None of my statements have been evaluated by the FDA (I am legally required to give you this disclaimer).

It is important to do your due diligence before foraging, harvesting, and/or consuming any type of medicinal plant.

If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about any potential drug interactions.If you are allergic to anything, make sure whatever you are foraging is not in the same family. Example: While dandelions are typically considered safe, those who are allergic to ragweed, latex, daisies, or any other plants in the same or similar families, may not be able to consume dandelion.

Always research potential side effects, dosage recommendations, and how to properly prepare and consume each medicinal plant.

Always make sure you are foraging what you believe to be. Fully prepare and study the anatomy before harvesting wild plants.

Always make sure your kitchen/work area is clean and that all materials are sterilized.

Do not forage plants from areas that have been sprayed within the past 2 years at the very least.

I am not legally or morally responsible for the health of any of my readers. Please do your own research!

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Published on February 22, 2022 03:30

February 21, 2022

Cupid: Greek Warrior & Victorian Child

It has always struck me as odd that in the modern world, Cupid is depicted as a winged, mischievous child. Sometimes he’s even wearing a diaper. It’s odd because, up until the Victorian Age, everyone knew Cupid as a total heartthrob. Cupid first appeared on the scene in 700 BC, where he was known to the Greeks as the god Eros (a Greek word meaning desire). As the son of the goddess Aphrodite (the goddess of love), Eros was given the power to play with the hearts of both mortals and gods. He caused mayhem everywhere he went, and the other gods complained that he had more power than should be allowed.

Cupid wasn't always the fat cherub with tiny wings that we know today. Once upon a time he was a warrior god with the power to grant love however, and to whomever, he wanted.

What was this power that Eros, later known to the Romans as Cupid, had? Eros had the power to make people fall in and out of love. A power he used depending on his mood and whims. Needless to say, we can all imagine the chaos and heartbreak he caused. Not only did he have the maturity of an eighteen-old man (impetuous and fearless with little concern for consequences), he had the body of a fully-grown male in his prime. The statuary of Ancient Greece and Rome, depicts Eros with the body of a warrior and with masculine wings. By masculine wings, I mean that his wings were enormous and heavy, almost like bronze shields. There was nothing soft or feminine or childlike about this ancient god. He was a virile, masculine young man (usually depicted as naked) with the power to grant you true love or to make your life a living hell.

In 440 BC, the playwright Sophocles described Eros in a choral ode to Antigone. This description, transcribed below, reveals a more narcissistic profile (almost creepy) of Eros.

Eros invincible in battle,

Eros who falls upon men’s property,

you who spend the night upon the soft cheeks of a girl,

and travel over the sea and through the huts of dwellers in the wild!

None among the immortals can escape, you, nor any among mortal men,

and he who has you is mad.

People even believed that if you displeased Eros, he would make you fall in love with the wrong person. A tragic situation that mere mortals were helpless to prevent. So how did we get from this impetuous, powerful, warrior god to the cherubs who dance on our Valentines? Some of whom wear diapers?

As the Roman Empire rose and began to fall, and they changed Eros’ name to Cupid, people began to infantilize him in order to strip him of his powers which many felt were derived from his virility and physical prowess. Whereas the Greek Eros was not controlled by his mother Aphrodite, in the Roman pantheon he was controlled by his mother Venus (also the goddess of love). In these later Roman stories, Cupid could only do as his mother bade him. Centuries later, during the Renaissance, famous painters like Caravaggio portrayed Cupid as a cherub in his work. While he was still nude, his wings were much smaller, as was his bow and arrow. He was no longer the threatening man, but a small child who bounced around making people happy by making sure they found their true loves and were loaded down with chocolate.

In the 17th Century, a devotion to St. Valentine–and to Valentine’s Day–spread across Europe. By the beginning of the 19th Century, the holiday was firmly entrenched and stationers began making stationary and post cards for people to give each other. Many of these cards had images of a mischievous cherub with a small bow and arrow, inspired the great Renaissance painters.

In the 1850s, when the U.S. Postal Service was almost privatized, Congress lowered the cost of stamps. Suddenly, sending and receiving mail was something everyone could do, and greeting card manufacturers jumped in with cards for all seasons, including Valentine’s Day. As companies, like Hallmark (founded in 1910), increased their greeting card production, most of the Valentine images were of cherubs surrounded by flowers and hearts. And the image of Cupid is the same today.

While in the ancient world, the image of Cupid was potentially dangerous, today he’s mischievous and light-hearted. Today his purpose is to spread love and joy and to bring people together who may not know they’re right for each other. And to deliver chocolate. Because above all, this holiday–and entire month–now is really all about chocolate.

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Published on February 21, 2022 04:48

February 18, 2022

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Lemon Bars

This week we’re still celebrating Allison Pinckney’s Bridal shower. (Allison is the heroine of In Search of Truth, book 3 in the Deadly Force series). Last week while the women were discussing the pros and cons of honeymoons, the men arrived hoping to snag some of the food.

Allison Pinckney ~ “Now that the men have arrived at my bridal shower in Maddie’s garden, the atmosphere has shifted from an intimate all-girls party to a fun and louder co-ed event. Which, honestly, is fine by me. I am ready to stop worrying about things like lingerie and invitations and wedding dates and move on to doing something fun.

With myself included, there are now 8 women (Juliet, Sarah, Emilie, Samantha, Maddie, Vivienne, and Charlotte) and 6 men (Zack, Rafe, Pete, Nate, Cain and Detective Garza) at the party. Maddie’s almost-8-year old daughter Susan and my dog Nicholas Trott are also roaming around, bouncing between the party outside (which I’m sure she’s finding very boring) and helping the caterer inside.

After everyone has been served a round of drinks, and the conversation has turned to who’s seen the newest superhero movie, Zack takes my hand and drags me away, deeper into the garden. Once we’re alone, Zack kisses me. Even thought it’s been a few days since we’ve since each other, it feels like forever.

Finally, we separate and find a bench to settle on. “So,” Zack gives me another kiss on the cheek, “What did I miss?”

“A lingerie party, Truth or Dare croquet, and a debate over the value of honeymoons. All of it orchestrated by your godmother Vivienne. So, of course, things got… intense.” Vivienne was known for instigating intense, emotional encounters.

He winks at me. “Can I see the lingerie?”

“Not until the honeymoon.” I squeeze his hands, still surprised to find his fingers so much warmer than mine. “But there’s something else. Vivienne wants us to set a wedding date.”

He stands to pace in front of me. I know how he feels. If he had his way, we would’ve been married weeks ago. Or even years ago. “What did you tell her?”

“That we’d talk about it.” The problem was, we’ve been talking about it a lot since he proposed. “Zack, with this mess with Remiel Marigny and your men still a problem, don’t you think we should wait?”

“No.” He stops pacing to pull me up and into his arms again. “I know things are scary and intense, but we can’t put our lives on hold because more bad things could happen.”

I rest my head against his chest and draw in his masculine scent. While my first marriage ended in tragedy, I had to trust that marrying Zack wouldn’t put him in more danger. Except I still had nightmares about everything that happened in In Search of Truth. “I want to set a date, but I’m scared.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He kisses my head. “All I can do is promise to protect you with my life.”

“There you two are.” Vivienne appears from behind a row of red rose bushes. “I just thought you should know that Susan brought out the Lemon Bars. It’s a bit early,” Vivienne shrugs elegantly, “but Susan insisted.”

Zack smiles, probably because Lemon Bars were Zack’s favorite dessert. “Then we mustn’t keep the almost-eight-year old girl waiting.”

shallow focus photography of person hugging a person in white dress

A few minutes later, we are seated with all of our friends, eating the most delicious Lemon Bars I’ve ever had. Suddenly, Pete says, “Let’s play charades.”

Even though everyone says no, Vivienne says yes. So a few moments later, Pete is acting out something so ridiculous that we are all laughing.

Suddenly, Susan yells out, “Monkey riding on a pig’s back!”

Pete stops his antics and claps. “Yes! Susan’s turn.”

“Wait,” Zack says. “I don’t believe that’s a real thing.”

“It is, Mr. Tremaine,” Susan says. “It’s a video on the internet.”

Zack frowns and I pull out my phone. It takes a few minutes and I have to admit that I am surprised to find the video. I didn’t think it was real either. Except it is. After I pass around my phone, we all laugh so hard we start crying.

We play charades for another thirty minutes until Vivienne claps her hands. Once we are all quiet, she says, “Since I’m sure the men are hungry, dinner will be served inside in a few minutes.”

“What are we having, Miss Vivienne?” Susan asks.

Vivienne brushes Susan’s brown hair away from her face. “Chicken Taco Soup.” She glances at Zack and smiles. “Yes, your recipe. And I’ve had the caterer bring in a selection of craft beers.”

All of the men stand, talking at once, and it is obvious from their smiles and backslaps that they are ready to eat.

I stay behind and let everyone move inside. I need a few minutes alone to clear my head. It has been an amazing day with my new friends, and I don’t want it to end. But I am also overwhelmed with their intentions and good wishes. I’m still not used to all of this attention and don’t quite know how to handle it.

As I make my way inside, Susan meets me at the garden door. “Hurry, Miss Allison. The soup is almost gone!”

“I’m coming.” I take her hand and we go inside. I quickly appreciate the air conditioning and the smells that permeate the house. If the caterer’s version of Zack’s homemade soup is anything close to his, it’s going to be amazing. “Susan, I have a question to ask you.”

She glances up at me and I notice she has ring of chocolate around her mouth. “Yes, Miss Allison?”

“Would you be my flower girl?”

She throws her arms around my hips and says, “Yes! I would love to be a flower girl!”

I hug her tightly and then take her hand. As we head into the dining room, I realize I’m ready to meet my friends and my fiancé. And just maybe, after tonight, I’ll be ready to set a wedding date.

Sharon Wray

Yields 36 Lemon Bars

The Hungry {Romance Writer: Lemon Bars

This recipe originally came from a Bon Appetite magazine over twenty years ago. I make every year around Mother's Day and have made some adaptations along the way. This recipe uses fresh lemon juice but I've also used bottled juice and it tastes almost as good. These bars can be made a few days ahead and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

30 minPrep Time

45 minCook Time

1 hr, 15 Total Time

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Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour2 sticks (1 cup) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut2 cups sugar4 large eggs1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice1 teaspoon baking powderextra Confectioner's sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 13"x9"x2" pan.Combine 2 cups flour, butter, 1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar, and coconut in food processor fit with a metal blade. Process until moist clumps form. Press into bottom of pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 20 minutes.Meanwhile, whisk together 2 cups sugar, eggs, lemon juice, baking powder and remaining 1/4 cup flour in a large bowl until well blended.When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately pour lemon/egg mixture over crust and bake until topping is set and light brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.Cut into squares, dust with extra Confectioner's sugar, and serve. Nutrition Calories 5104 cal Fat 229 g Carbs 746 g Protein 43 g Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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Published on February 18, 2022 03:30

February 17, 2022

Prep & Plan: Week Seventeen

A few weeks ago we discussed building a Family Emergency Binder. This was a collection of all the documents you would need to rebuild your life in case of an emergency. And we stored it in a binder so, in case you had to run out of the house with no notice, you could grab the binder as you leave.

So today I want to talk about another important aspect of emergency planning. Today’s post is about building a Family Emergency Communications Plan. This is a family meeting where you all work together to build a plan so that, regardless of the emergency, you can communicate with each other if you’re not together when disaster strikes. Part of this plan is to discuss an alternate meeting place if you can’t make it home.

If your neighborhood is burning down, or under police lockdown because of a fugitive hunt (that happened to us two years ago), where will you all meet? A friend’s house? The library? A local coffee shop? It’s important to figure this out now, instead of later when cell communication might be iffy.

I know this is a distressing topic. But it’s an important topic to discuss now in a Family Emergency Communications Plan meeting, before an emergency, especially if you and your family are normally separated during the day. Luckily, a lot of this information is well laid out on the Ready.gov site, especially their tab titled Make A Plan. But since government sites can be glitchy, I will lay out the most important details in this post.

Here is a list of the basics to be discussed during your Family’s Emergency Communications Plan meeting:

Figure out how each family member will receive information/alerts/phone calls from home and from local authorities. If the family members all have cell phones, that will help. But if you have younger children, talk to them about what to do. If the chances are good that they will be in school or daycare, or with a sports team/after school activity/religious group, talk to the schools and groups and find out what their emergency procedures are and make sure the children know. Will you meet the little ones at school? Have them go home with a neighbor? Can they go to shelter and you find them there? Ask the schools/after school activity centers about their emergency protocol so you can work that into your plan.

Think about your pets. If none of you are home, and an emergency strikes and it will take hours to arrive home, what will happen to your pets? Can a neighbor check in? Do you have a dog sitter you can call? There may be no good answer to this, but knowing there is no answer is just as important. Now you know you need to figure this out before an emergency strikes.

If you are all separated when an emergency hits, and can’t go home, where will you meet? Set up a meeting place that everyone can get to, even if they have to walk.

Now that you know how you’ll receive information, decide which alerts you want to receive. Every jurisdiction has their own way of communicating, and here’s a good resource list to help you get started. There are all kinds of alerts to receive: weather/storm alerts, university alerts (for college-aged kids), local news & law enforcement alerts, national alerts, nearby airport alerts, alerts from nearby military posts/bases/forts, etc. You don’t need all of them, but discussing which alerts each family member should receive is an important part of your family emergency meeting.

Now that you know how you’re going to communicate, and where you’re getting your information from, it’s time to talk about your emergency shelter plan. Talk about, and plan for, how to shelter in place. Then discuss the options of evacuating–where you’d go, how to get there, and what to bring with you besides your Family Emergency Binder. This discussion may take time as you all work through the pros and cons of staying and leaving and what each type of emergency would require. (we discussed the types of emergencies you’re most likely to deal with in Prep & Plan: Week 1.) Later in this series, we’ll talk in more detail about how to plan to shelter in place and how to prepare to evacuate.

If you are going to evacuate, work out your evacuation vehicle, your evacuation route, and your relocation site. Make sure you have paper maps of the routes you are considering in case the internet/cell/satellite service goes out. You don’t want to get lost in the woods. Also, you may want to keep an extra red can of gas in the shed just in case you didn’t make it to the gas station before the emergency hit.

Read reviews for emergency radios and choose one to purchase. If you can’t buy it now, at least you’ll know the price so you can save up for it. But you may need one if the emergency takes out the internet/cell/satellite services. Make sure is has a flashlight and can charge your cell phones. This is similar to the one I have. (I am not an Amazon affiliate so I don’t make any money off of click throughs. This is just to show you what’s available.)

Build a Bug Our Bag, aka BOB. In a few weeks I will have a few posts devoted to this topic, but here is a FEMA list to help you get started. The basic idea is that you always have a bag (one per person/pet in the household) ready to take with you, along with your Family Emergency Binder, if you have to leave quickly. A lot goes into building these bags, and this meeting isn’t meant to discuss what’s in the bag. (that’s another meeting!). But just be aware that if you think you will ever have to evacuate, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by having BOBs for every family member/pet ready.

If you work away from home, and for some reason you can’t drive home or use public transportation, how will you get home? Can you walk? If so, do you have walking shoes in your car or at work? Do you have a backpack to carry your belongings while you walk? Do you have the right kind of outerwear? Ask yourself, if you had to walk all the way home, how you would walk and what would you need to do it successfully regardless of the weather/season.

If you have any medications you or family members need, how are you going to manage that? Do you have enough meds in the house in case you have to shelter in place and can’t leave for weeks? Do the meds need to be refrigerated? If so, can you travel with them? Or how will you keep them cold if you lose power? These are big questions so make sure you think of ALL your medical needs. Now is the time. Because in an emergency, it will be too late.

Consider all disabilities your family members/friends may have. If you have to walk out of a situation, or walk home from work/school, will everyone be able to do that? If you care for people with mobility issues, your only choice may be to shelter in place (unless, of course, you’re forced to leave). While this is a difficult topic, it’s better to discuss all of your options now. There won’t be time to think clearly in an emergency.

A few last questions to consider: Are there any language issues? Will someone in your family/group need a translator? Are there any dietary needs? Do you have any pregnant women or babies or very small children to take care of? Are there any religious/cultural concerns? Will you also be responsible for your elderly neighbor or close friends?A few final notes:

I know all of this planning can be overwhelming and even scary. And, to be honest, it’s a huge amount of work. In fact, this entire series comes with a lot of homework. But please don’t let that put you off. Yes, there’s a lot to think about and to do but try to imagine yourself at the other end. If everything in your world falls apart, would you rather be prepared to save your family and be prepped to rebuild your life? Or would you rather be stuck in a FEMA camp, waiting for the Red Cross to help you? It’s a stark question, I know. But we all think that bad things will never happen to us, until they do, and then we’re stuck.

One of the other, most important reasons to do this work, is for others. If you are prepared with a long-term food supply, you won’t need to run to Costco when the next pandemic hits. Your family will be safe at home and that means there will be more necessary items available for others to purchase. If you end up on a closed highway in the middle of a snow storm, but have enough food, water, and blankets, you may be able to help out the family with young children who are stuck in the car next to you. Because if you’re prepared, you’re in a better position to help others. And that’s what a prepared and prepped mindset is all about.

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Published on February 17, 2022 03:30

February 16, 2022

2022 Mid-Winter Middle Grade & Young Adult Book List

It’s freezing and still snowing and still dark by six p.m., so it must be time for the 2022 Mid-Winter Middle Grade & Young Adult book list! As I’ve mentioned before, this is NOT a best-seller or new release list. This is an ongoing, cumulative list of books the kids in my reading army have read and is updated twice a year.

All of us have searched for new-to-us authors and have read books outside our comfort zones. With so many books being published–both traditionally and independently–it’s hard to keep up. So I want to thank my preteen & teen readers for their help and suggestions, as well as my blog readers who’ve made this list such a popular download. This current list is now over 60 pages long. You are all so awesome!

Thank you to Amazon for embed links and blurbs.*

This bi-annual compilation offers a good cross-section of genres for teens and tweens. A lot of new YA Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, and Paranormal books were recently released. We’ve also added a lot of new Middle Grade Relationship and Action/Adventure books. There are books on the list for all readers to get them through the winter!

Below are a few highlights in no particular order. For the entire printable list, click here: 2022 Mid-Winter MG/YA Book List.

Young Adult Fiction

Jenny didn’t get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.

With Jaewoo an ocean away, there’s no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she’s just been accepted to? Jaewoo.

Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn’t just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.

When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh.

For the past five years, Bitterblue has reigned as Queen of Monsea, heroically rebuilding her nation after her father’s horrific rule. After learning about the land of Torla in the east, she sends envoys to the closest nation there: Winterkeep—a place where telepathic foxes bond with humans, and people fly across the sky in wondrous airships. But when the envoys never return, having drowned under suspicious circumstances, Bitterblue sets off for Winterkeep herself, along with her spy Hava and her trusted colleague Giddon. On the way, tragedy strikes again—a tragedy with devastating political and personal ramifications.

Meanwhile, in Winterkeep, Lovisa Cavenda waits and watches, a fire inside her that is always hungry. The teenage daughter of two powerful politicians, she is the key to unlocking everything—but only if she’s willing to transcend the person she’s been all her life.

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance.

They memorialize Cassie by secretly painting murals of her around town, a message to the world that Cassie won’t be forgotten. But Beck and Vivian are keeping secrets, like the third passenger riding in Beck’s VW bus with them—Cassie’s ghost.

When their murals catch the attention of a podcaster covering Cassie’s case, they become the catalyst for a debate that Bell Firearms can no longer ignore. With law enforcement closing in on them, Beck and Vivian hurry to give Cassie the closure she needs—by delivering justice to those responsible for her death.

Iris Hollow and her two older sisters are unquestionably strange. Ever since they disappeared on a suburban street in Scotland as children only to return a month a later with no memory of what happened to them, odd, eerie occurrences seem to follow in their wake. And they’re changing. First, their dark hair turned white. Then, their blue eyes slowly turned black. They have insatiable appetites yet never gain weight. People find them disturbingly intoxicating, unbearably beautiful, and inexplicably dangerous.

But now, ten years later, seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow is doing all she can to fit in and graduate high school on time–something her two famously glamourous globe-trotting older sisters, Grey and Vivi, never managed to do. But when Grey goes missing without a trace, leaving behind bizarre clues as to what might have happened, Iris and Vivi are left to trace her last few days. They aren’t the only ones looking for her though. As they brush against the supernatural they realize that the story they’ve been told about their past is unraveling and the world that returned them seemingly unharmed ten years ago, might just be calling them home.

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood.

Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.

Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?

Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

The last thing Jacob Portman saw before the world went dark was a terrible, familiar face.
            Suddenly, he and Noor are back in the place where everything began—his grandfather’s house. Jacob doesn’t know how they escaped from V’s loop to find themselves in Florida. But he does know one thing for certain: Caul has returned.
            After a narrow getaway from a blood- thirsty hollow, Jacob and Noor reunite with Miss Peregrine and the peculiar children in Devil’s Acre. The Acre is being plagued by desolations—weather fronts of ash and blood and bone—a terrible portent of Caul’s amassing army.
            Risen from the Library of Souls and more powerful than ever, Caul and his apocalyptic agenda seem unstoppable. Only one hope remains—deliver Noor to the meeting place of the seven prophesied ones. If they can decipher its secret location.

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.

As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.

Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?

Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.

In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.

Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after?

Brock Parker is the new bad boy at school; he deals drugs to the high school clientele for his parents, who work for a Mexican drug lord. Though Brock and Kendra come from two different worlds, sparks fly when they meet at the homecoming dance—their attraction is magnetic. When they start a game of 21 Questions one night, they begin to learn more about each other—and, surprisingly, about themselves too. But some questions aren’t answered with the whole truth; after all, Brock can’t tell Kendra what his parents do for a living.

As Kendra and Brock experience all of life’s most exciting firsts, they prove that even when life throws you the perfect storm, you can make it through and come out stronger than before. 21 Questions is a coming-of-age journey packed with passion and heartbreak, risk and romance.

Middle Grade Books

Clem can make anybody, even his grumpy older sisters, smile with his jokes. But when his family receives news that his father has died in the infamous Port Chicago disaster, everything begins to fall apart. Clem’s mother is forced to work long, tough hours as a maid for a wealthy white family. Soon Clem can barely recognize his home–and himself. Can he live up to his father’s legacy?

In her award-winning trilogy, Lesa Cline-Ransome masterfully recreates mid-twentieth century America through the eyes of three boys: Langston, Lymon, and, now, Clem. Exploring the impact of the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow laws, and much more, Lesa’s work manages at once to be both an intimate portrait of each boy and his family as well as a landscape of American history.

Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. No note, no sign, nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother—how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea?

Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city—without Ez, without a real plan—chasing someone who might not even want to be found.

As things unravel at home for Ezra, Bea will confront secrets about their past that will forever change the way they think about their family. Together and apart, broken by abuse but connected by love, this brother and sister must learn to trust themselves before they can find a way back to each other.

Alex Manalo and his dad have just moved back to Sacramento to help out with their extended family’s struggling Filipino market. While Alex likes helping in the store, his true passion is making slime! He comes up with his own recipes and plays with ingredients, colors, and different bumpy or sparkly bits, which make his slime truly special. A new friend encourages Alex to sell his creations at school, which leads to a sell-off battle with a girl who previously had a slime-opoly. Winner gets bragging rights and the right to be the only slime game in town.

But Alex’s dad thinks Alex should be focused more on “traditional” boy pastimes and less on slime. As the new soccer coach, Dad gets Alex to join the team. Even though he hates sports, Alex gives in.

Alex is battling on multiple fronts–with his new friends at school, and with his dad at home. It will be a sticky race to the finish to see who oozes out on top.

Becket Branch has one birthday wish—a dog! Dogs are outgoing and friendly, and they live life loud, just like Becket. Becket’s twin, Nicholas, wants a pet more like him—a peaceful, quiet indoor cat. When their parents take them to the shelter to choose a dog and a cat, it should be Becket’s biggest BEAUTIFUL ALERT ever. But Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super-shy scaredy-pooch. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s kitty, Given, loves being the center of attention and greeting visitors to Blackberry Farm.

Can Becket and Nicholas learn how to love Dibs and Given as they are—even if they aren’t exactly the pets the twins dreamed of?

With black-and-white drawings throughout by award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham (Real Friends), this second volume of the Blackberry Farm series offers a gentle message about embracing new friends who may not match preconceived expectations.

After her brother’s death from a congenital heart defect, twelve-year-old Lucy is not prepared to be the new kid at school—especially in a grade full of survivors of a shooting that happened four years ago. Without the shared past that both unites and divides her classmates, Lucy feels isolated and unable to share her family’s own loss, which is profoundly different from the trauma of her peers.

Lucy clings to her love of math, which provides the absolute answers she craves. But through budding friendships and an after-school mime class, Lucy discovers that while grief can take many shapes and sadness may feel infinite, love is just as powerful.

Eleven-year-old Danny’s life is turned upside down when his Chinese grandmother comes to live with his family in England. Things get worse when Danny finds out he’ll have to share his room with her, and she took the top bunk! At first, Danny is frustrated that he can’t communicate with her because she doesn’t speak English—and because he’s on the verge of failing math and Nai Nai was actually a math champion back in the day. It just feels like he and his grandmother have nothing in common. His parents insist that Danny help out, so when he’s left to look after Nai Nai, he leaves her at the bingo hall for the day to get her off his back. But he soon discovers that not everyone there is as welcoming as he expected . . . Through the universal languages of math and art, Danny realizes he has more in common with his Nai Nai than he first thought. Filled with heart and humor, Danny Chung Sums It Up shows that traversing two cultures is possible and worth the effort, even if it’s not always easy.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Millie McGonigle lives in sunny California, where her days are filled with beach and surf. It should be perfect–but times are tough. Hitler is attacking Europe and it looks like the United States may be going to war. Food is rationed and money is tight. And Millie’s sickly little sister gets all the attention and couldn’t be more of a pain if she tried. It’s all Millie can do to stay calm and feel in control.

Still–there’s sand beneath her feet. A new neighbor from the city, who has a lot to teach Millie. And surfer boy Rocky to admire–even if she doesn’t have the guts to talk to him.

It’s a time of sunshine, siblings, and stress. Will Millie be able to find her way in her family, and keep her balance as the the world around her loses its own?

It’s been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, have seen each other. Once inseparable, they now lead very different lives.

Pax and his mate, Bristle, have welcomed a litter of kits they must protect in a dangerous world. Meanwhile Peter—newly orphaned after the war, racked with guilt and loneliness—leaves his adopted home with Vola to join the Water Warriors, a group of people determined to heal the land from the scars of the war.

When one of Pax’s kits falls desperately ill, he turns to the one human he knows he can trust. And no matter how hard Peter tries to harden his broken heart, love keeps finding a way in. Now both boy and fox find themselves on journeys toward home, healing—and each other, once again.

Disclaimer: Some of these books are (or once were) controversial. Some older YAs have closed-door or open-door adult situations, and others (YA & MG) deal with harsh issues such as suicide, bullying, war, poverty, and loss of a parent. As a librarian, reader’s advisor, and mother, I’ve learned that tweens and teens tend to read within their comfort zone, both emotionally and reading-level wise. All of these books offer a chance for parents and kids to discuss which topics are appropriate now and which books are best left for another time. But I hope you all find books that will give your family new adventures and imaginary friends.

See you in July for the 2022 Mid-Summer Young Adult and Middle Grade Book List!

*The books listed in this blog post are in no particular order.

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Published on February 16, 2022 03:30

February 15, 2022

Shakespeare’s Winter Tea Blend

Did you know that Shakespeare had his own tea blend? The recipe appears in Act 4 of “The Winter’s Tale” and includes a combination of lavender, mint, savory, and marjoram. It’s a lovely tea that is perfect on a cold winter day after shoveling, sledding, or just a long walk in the cold air. Many of these dried flowers and leaves are available online (Amazon, natural food stores, etc) as well as in many local health food stores.

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Mix all of the dried leaves and flowers in a large bowl. With your hands, crumble the flowers and leaves until they are all about the same size. Use 1 teaspoon of combined tea leaves per cup. If using a pot, add one teaspoon of tea blend per person plus add one for the pot.

Pour boiling water over the tea and let steep for 3 minutes. Strain and pour into a mug or pull out the tea ball. If you like a sweeter tea, add some honey. A slice of fresh lemon adds a punch of Vitamin C as well.

Store the leftover tea blend in an airtight container. It will last for six months.