Joan Reeves's Blog

January 2024 Giveaway Winner Chosen

I'm happy to announce that the January Rafflecopter Giveaway had more than 350 entries.

Unfortunately, after the verification process was completed, about a third of them were found to be ineligible because the task required had not been completed.

Yes, someone does verify each entry.

Although it's easy to verify whether an entry was completed according to the requirement, it is time consuming especially when ther report has to be double-checked for accuracy.

WINNER CONTACTED

I've emailed the winner ...

Monday Magic - Online-Convert

Today I offer another free online app to help you convert video files.

Online-Convert has a basic free tier for those who have an occasional video they need to convert to other formats, like a cell phone video to an MP4.

However, when you're on the website and you click Basic (free), it automatically opens with the requirement to set up an account.

This is NOT necessary according to their usage terms. Setting up an account is only needed if you plan to get a pro plan ($6.42/month) or any other paid...

Review, The Hill

 An inspirational, underdog movie about baseball? Sign me up for that viewing because it ticks all the boxes. If it does for you too, then watch The Hill, starring Dennis Quaid, Colin Ford, and Joelle Carter.

Now streaming on Netflix but available to be rented on other streaming services, this American biographical sports drama is about baseball player Rickey Hill.

You may have never heard of Rickey Hill, an athlete who seemed to have an innate love of baseball as well as the ability to hit the ba...

Saturday Share - Cooking Conversion Chart - Liquid Spoon Measure to Milliliters

Last week I gave a Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversion Chart for cooking because like most Americans, I don't think in metric.

Today I'm giving a Cooking Conversion Chart for Liquid Spoon Measure to Milliliters.

Sure, there's a math formula you can use, but looking at a covnersion chart is much easier and takes less time.

Feel free to copy and paste the chart that follows so you can print it out and put it with your cookbooks which is what I did.

Converting Liquid Spoon Measure to Milliliters

1/4 teaspo...

Time Rolls On

Image by  Bronisław Dróżka ,  Pixabay Last night when I was talking to my brother Vernon, we were discussing the anomaly we know as Time.
By that I mean how some things that happened years ago are so fresh in the mind that it's as if they happened yesterday.
Here's an example that may be relevant to many of you if you have kids. No matter how old your kids are, I bet it seems as if it were only yesterday when they were born.
Where did all that time go?
Then there are times when you think about something...

Review: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart on HBO Max

Now streaming on MAXOne rainy afternoon this week, I had the pleasure of watching the documentary about the Brothers Gibb: Barry, Maurice, Robin, and even Andy.

First, a confession. I LOVED The Bee Gees from the first moment I heard their first song on the radio in the U. S.

Not to take anything away from the Beatles who came before them, but The Bee Gees soulful music did it for me. Their early recordings had that kind of R&B feel with great music, tight harmonies, and lyrics that were poetic, so...

Writers and Imposter Syndrome

Image "Mistakes..." by John Hain from  Pixabay Many authors have a problem with Imposter Syndrome, that gnawing, persistent inability to believe your success is deserved.

This condition isn't limited to newly-minted authors. Many longtime authors can have that awful feeling that makes you anxious all the time and scared that you'll be revealed as a fraud.

What a terrible way to live your life. This seems to be a side effect of feeling you have to be perfect, write the perfect book, live in a perfect...

12 Book and Reading Facts You May Not Know

Latin for "Seize the book."Since today is cold and rainy, i.e., a perfect reading day, here are 12 Book and Reading Facts for your entertainment.

I often post interesting trivia about the world of books—writing them,  reading them, and publishing them—on social media. Maybe you've seen my Facebook Fan Page or my Instagram account.

I've been a reader since before I entered elementary school so reading was my earliest passion.

For many years, I've collected interesting tidbits about books, authors, a...

Monday Magic: Desygner, Graphic Design Website

The Desygner website says this: "Go from blank page to finished graphic in seconds. It's here. It's easy. It's free, forever!"

Yes, this awesome website is another that will help you be a rock star as an amateur in graphic design.
It's free for a 1-person use. If you want more of the amazing features offered to subscribers, or there are more people on your team, the Pro plan is a modest $60/year.
For a business with up to 100 employees, you're looking at $12.50/month annualized. You can use Desygne...

Need a Hug? It's National Hugging Day

It's true, today really is set aside as National Hugging Day.

You may hear this referred to simply as Hug Day. It's an annual event dedicated to hugging that's celebrated on January 21.

Hug Day was created in 1986 by Kevin Zaborney, described as a Creative Social Entrepreneur.

The day is observed in the U. S., Canada, Brazil, and many other countries. 

History of Hugging

Of course, no one knows when hugging was invented. It's been a part of human behavior for thousands of years. 

In 2007, archeologist...