Arlene Miller's Blog, page 4

Be Mine

Image by Peggychoucair from Pixabay

If you are reading this on the day after Valentine’s Day, you might be able to get some inexpensive chocolate. Just a suggestion!

Did you know….

Your heart beats about 100,000 times per day.

Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent for the telephone on Valentine’s Day in 1876.

A glass of champagne contains 84 calories.

States with the most chocolate production are Pennsylvania (Hershey) and California (Ghirardelli).

It takes 400 chocolate beans to make a pound of chocolate.

Each box of Sweethearts contains 36 candies.

250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day each year.

Valentine, Texas, has a population of 108.

It was a Medieval belief that the mating season for birds begins on February 14.

The melting point of chocolate is 86-90 degrees.

Women have a faster heartbeat than men.

June is National Candy Month.

Red roses sell best on Valentine’s Day, followed by pink and then white (odd because yellow roses symbolize love, don’t they?)

Galentine’s Day is February 13.

The least desired Valentine’s Day gift is a teddy bear.

Theobromine is the ingredient  in cocoa that makes chocolate toxic to dogs.

The first commercial Valentine’s Day cards were printed in the mid 1800s.

The M’s in M&M’s stand for Mars and Murrie.

Germany consumes the most candy per capita.

Hershey hugs are Kisses that are covered in white chocolate.

66 of Elvis’s songs have the word love in the title.

 

 

American vs British Grammar

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

When we think of Britishisms, we usually think about that silent u they put in words like favour and the s they use instead of z in words like appetiser.

Another difference we see is that the British put their periods outside the quotation marks, whereas Americans  put the period (and comma) inside the quotations.

And of course, they use different words for the same noun: flat instead of apartment, jumper instead of sweater, boot instead of trunk (of car), crisps instead of chips, postbox instead of mailbox, football instead of soccer, biscuit instead of cookie, and many more. 

However, there are many grammatical differences between American and British English as well.

Have and take: The British say, “I am going to have a bath,” and the Americans say, “I am going to take a bath.”

Do substituting for a verb: “Are you coming with us?” “I might do.”

Use of needn’t: Americans usually do not use needn’t. We use don’t need: “You needn’t bother.”  “You don’t need to bother.”

Use of shall: Americans tend to use will, and we have a specific use for shall. The British use shall more frequently. 

At versus in/on: Americans generally say on the weekend, but the British say at the weekend. 

Past tense: The British use more past tense constructions ending in t: dreamt instead of dreamed, learnt instead of learned, etc.

And there are more. One curious one is something a friend told me he has repeatedly heard British people do, which to us is an incorrect use of the reflective pronouns (the pronouns that end in -self). He repeatedly heard a flight attendant ask, “Can I get something for yourself?” instead of just saying for you as we would.

This last one I am going to talk about (because there are more if you want to look them up) is one where I use the British way, and I always taught it the British way because I believe it is the correct way. Most Americans do it the American way, which I always thought was incorrect, although generally no one really notices: With collective nouns, the British use a singular verb if the noun is thought to represent the group as a whole, and a plural verb if we are talking about the individuals in the group. For example,

The band is having a picnic on Saturday after the concert. (Band is thought of as a group together.)The band are tuning their instruments. (Band refers here to the individuals.)

Americans tend to always use a singular verb. I just figure using the singular when you should use the plural is wrong. 

 

 

 

 

 

Word Trivia and More

Last week I wrote about how I was going to blog about the history of bookstores, but I had lost my notes and had probably thrown them away because I could picture the piece of paper they were written on. Well, I don’t know what I was picturing because I found them….on the Notes app on my phone. I assume those are what I was looking for….but they really were not detailed enough to write a post anyway, so I will write a short bit at the end of this post. A friend sent me these “facts” about English and other things. I have written about word trivia in previous posts and spoke about it in some of my talks. Sometimes, a couple of these tidbits will turn out not to be true. So believe at your own risk… Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand. And lollipop  is the longest word typed with your right hand.No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. Poets and songwriters probably know this. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog uses every letter of the alphabet.The words racecar, kayak  and level are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes)There are only four words in the English language that end in dous: 

tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: abstemious and facetious.

Typewriter is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
 
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time:  1/100th of a second.
 
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
 
A snail can sleep for three years.

Almonds are a member of the peach family.
 
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
 
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history to not  have a full moon.
 
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
 
If the population of China walked past you, eight abreast, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
 
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
 
Peanuts  are one of the ingredients of dynamite!
 
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

The average person’s left hand does 56 percent of the typing. 

The cruise liner, QE 2 moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men. 

All the ants in Africa weigh more than ALL the Elephants!!

 

Some trivia about bookstores:

Ben Franklin owned the first bookstore in the United States, which was combined with his printing press.

I was surprised to hear that some of the first bookstores were very large book departments in major department stores like Neiman Marcus. They did very well, but eventually disappeare

New York and other large cities had book stalls out on the street lined up, some run by people who loved books and others run by drug addicts and the homeless.

Eventually, independent bookstores came into being, some specializing. There were black bookstores, Nazi bookstores, and white supremacist bookstore

Then the big box stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders came along. And then came Amazon and blew everything else away! Borders is gone, but Barnes and Noble remains.

And there are still some independents flourishing. I lived near two small chain independents when I lived in northern California. One, Copperfields, was where I launched all my grammar books. They were absolutely wonderful to me and other indie authors. They are still around as is Book Passage, which has two or three stores and is a little more snobbish. But then I have never tried to get my books in there since my first book was brand new. It is a wonderful store that also has a YouTube channel where you can see and hear some authors. I saw many wonderful authors (including Jimmy Carter) at those two indie bookstores. 

PLEASE EXCUSE THE FORMAT AND FONT QUIRKS IN THIS POST! THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO CUT AND PASTE!

Books, Books, Wonderful Books!

Image by Kidaha from Pixabay

I will never understand people who don’t read books. I mean, what do they do? (Oh, socialize….) 

Speaking of books, I was planning to write this post about the history of bookstores because I recently read a good book on the subject. I remember writing down all my notes on a piece of paper. When it came time to write the post, where was the paper? I looked everywhere, and I think it must have landed in the trash.

So instead of that post,  here is the substitute post:  The books that I ended 2024 with and began 2025 with.

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell –  I read The Tipping P0int years ago as well as other Gladwell books, and I liked them all. For some reason, I couldn’t get through this one. Actually, I didn’t get very far. He started by talking about the world’s most famous bank robbers, and that is as far as I got. It may have gotten more interesting when he talked about a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world or explored two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis. Give it a try if you like Gladwell and his discussions of social epidemics.

Here One Moment by Lianne Moriarty is her latest novel – I think I have read all her novels, and except for one or two, loved them. I really liked this one and gave it four stars. It is about a woman on a flight who starts telling all the passengers at what age they will die and the cause.  You can probably imagine what happens next.

Who Could Ever Love You by Mary Trump – This is a family memoir, and if you like what Mary Trump has to say (as I do), you will like this book. Four stars.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren – A romance about a couple who fakes a relationship to gain a family inheritance. It is actually more interesting and involved than that. I liked it and gve it four stars.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson – This is the first in a mystery series. A high school girl is murdered and it is assumed her boyfriend did it. One of the boyfriend’s female friends thinks there is more to this murder and goes about solving it herself.  I gave it four stars.

The Year of What If by Phaedra Patrick – Another romance about a women who starts a dating service founded on logic. She then is told by a psychic that the man she herself met, and is planning to marry, through this logical service isn’t “the one” for her. She then goes to Europe and looks up all her exes from a summer abroad to see if one of them might be “the one.” Three stars. It’s okay.

What Does It Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella – This one sure took me by surprise! Sophie Kinsella writes humorous romances about shopping….this one was fiction, but completely autobiographical about an author who faces a devastating diagnosis. It is the story of Kinsella herself and is a beautiful story. It is also very short so you can read it in a sitting. Highly recommended. Five stars. 

I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNichol – A 46-year old never-married woman has just spent month upon month in her New York apartment during the beginning of the Covid crisis. She longs for touch, so she goes to Paris where she has some friends. She goes on a dating app to find sex and enjoyment, nothing serious. And she succeeds. A good read. Four stars.

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss – If you love bookstores, this is the book for you. It starts with Ben Franklin and his bookstore/printing press. It goes on to talk about bookstores in major department stores before they disappeared. Outdoor bookstores, Nazi bookstores, black bookstores, chain bookstores, indie bookstores, all kinds of bookstores. Four stars.

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz – This is a great book that I thought was fiction at first because I didn’t know who the author was and that she was an actress who starred in One Tree Hill. What started out as a Bible study group slowly morphed into a cult, so she was living a double life — cult member and actress. She finally did escape from the cult. Highly recommended. Five stars.

James by Percival Everett – Well, I guess you have to read this one, since it is the book of the year, getting rave reviews from everywhere. I have read Percival Everett before, and I discovered it wasn’t exactly my kind of book. I believe that was the book where he had three versions with three endings, and it was just random which ending you got. This one is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (which I have never read, if you can believe that) from the slave’s viewpoint. I nearly quit near the beginning. It still isn’t my kind of book but I have to admit it is pretty interesting in parts. I would recommend it, since everyone else seems to like it. I am about 90 percent done, so I guess I will finish it. And give it four or five stars. It certainly is a well-written book. 

By the way, the title of this post (Books, Books, Wonderful Books) is from a play I starred in, in fourth grade. I played Betty, a girl who loved books, and the line was said by the bookworm.

Good Morning! What’s Next?

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Maybe everyone has a morning routine. I know I do. Maybe not everyone does. Maybe I do because

I am a Virgo and everything has to be in a list and belong to a routine. I am older and set in my ways — and have a lot of freedom in my schedule.I have lived alone, or primarily alone, for 20 years or so.

If you tell me yours, I will tell you mine. In fact, even if you don’t tell me yours, I am going to tell you mine. It varies very little from day to day.

I usually set the alarm for 6:30. I don’t usually need to get up this early, but I am a person who loves consistency. Oh, here is something else about me. I am very attuned to the time and the clock. For example, if I have an appointment at 10:30 in the morning, I will count back to see what time I have to do each thing. For example: appointment at 10:30, need to leave the house at 9:45. So I need to get into the shower by 9 the latest. So I need to be at the computer by 8 to do what I  “need” to do there. That means I need to get the coffee/bedroom routine done by 8. 

So, sometimes I do hit Snooze and don’t get up until nearly 7. Don’t laugh at how regimented I am!! I turn on the bedroom light. I weigh myself. Then I proceed to the kitchen and start up the Keurig. I pull up all the shades and turn the computer on in the office. I take the one vitamin supplement I take in the morning and change the dog’s water. The coffee is now ready, so I dress it up and take it back to bed with me, Oh, and I usually take the dog out back before I settle down in bed with the coffee.

Coffee in hand, sitting in bed, I first check Facebook briefly. Then I check my email, mostly to delete 90 percent of it! I should unsubscribe and occasionally I do, but it is just so much easier to swipe and delete the emails.  Then I see if anything is new on my YouTube subscriptions. I follow Meidas Touch for the political, and then a bunch of manifesting coaches. 

Next comes my favorite part of this whole routine: The New York Times word games to which I subscribe. In this order (of course, they must be in order!!!) I do Wordle, Connections, Letter Boxed, The Mini crossword puzzle, and Strands. I share Wordle and Connections with my Facebook friends.

Sometimes I will listen to a You Tube video, nothing too long at this point. Otherwise, now I read for however long I have before I get up, which is 8:45 at the latest. 

I get up and feed the dog. Then I am ready to settle in my office for a while and “work.”

I check my books sales on the major two sites I sell on.I check my credit card  and bank balances to make sure everything looks right. I find some word or tip of the day I can post on social media. I post on Bluesky and look at the timeline to see what I can repost or steal for my other social media sites. I search for grammar and coffee mugs.I go to LinkedIn and post my tip, and I repost interesting things — and maybe steal some for my remaining two social media sites.Next is Spoutible, mainly political, but I post my tip again and whatever I have found on the other sites that is relevant — and I also repost items of interest.Finally is Facebook. I reply, I repost, I post whatever fun things I have found. Then I post my tip and my mug of the day from a list I have gathered. I then go to my Facebook Business  Page and post the tip and whatever else is relevant. Next, I go to my website’s email, where there usually isn’t too much. That is where blog post comments are.  I always reply.Finally, I go to my regular email accounts, of which I have two, and see what is going on. Occasionally, I go through them and delete what I can, what has already happened. etc.DONE

When I moved to Florida, of course someone taught me to play Mah Jongg. I played several times with a group of women, but I was always a substitute and never did it regularly. I have been asked a few times, but I really don’t want to spend four hours playing once a week. So, I play online with my free allotted four games a day while I eat breakfast at my computer. And thus ends my morning computer ritual. I do get derailed every so often when I have an early engagement of some kind. I am not opposed to changing things up a little or speeding them up!

The next step in my day is generally showering and getting dressed. From then on, who knows? Errands, lunch date, appointments???? Usually Starbucks is somehow involved. 

And yeah, I kind of have an evening ritual as well!

Comments????????????

 

How to Review Another Author’s Work

Image by GraphicMama-team from PixabayA GUEST POST BY JAGS ARTHURSON

Jags Arthurson is the pen name of a Brighton, UK writer. Jags has been a research chemist and company director.  He has lived and worked in over 40 countries. His novel, the crime thriller Pagan Justice, is available on Amazon with all proceeds going to charity.

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From time to time, especially if you are in a writers’ group, you may be asked to review another’s work in progress.  There are three main reasons to do this.

To help improve their workTo help you improve your own workSolidarity with fellow writers

You may be tempted to refuse because, for instance, “This is not my genre.  I write gung ho action adventures and she writes sickly chick lit.”  Or “I’m just a newbie writer.  I’m not qualified to comment on anybody else’s work.”

I would urge you to reconsider.  You never know what you might learn.  You might pick up tips on how to give your own action hero more emotional depth or improve a sex scene.  The “chick lit” author, repulsed by the violence in the thriller, may still learn how better to describe physical interactions or add some realism to the heroine’s near-death car crash.

Another reason for refusing may be time pressure.  “I am too busy with my own writing.”  True.  We all are.  But it is nice to get useful feedback on our work.  Isn’t it only fair to reciprocate?  And a well-structured review can save you hours of rewriting time … more than returning your own time investment.

So what does a good review look like?

A Good Review Should:Encourage progress. Writing can be a lonely job, and a writer rarely knows if their work is any good.  It is easy, especially for a new writer, to become discouraged and give up.  The reviewer’s comments should always bear this in mind and should be made as positive as possible.  The review should not be just about finding faults; good work should be praised.  All reviews MUST be constructive (see below).Spot typos, etc. but … Typos are the “low hanging fruit” for any reviewer, and remember that this may be an early draft.  There is little point in identifying all the spelling and punctuation errors if the whole work is going to be rewritten anyway.  It can be useful if you notice a writer repeats a mistake over and over (there instead of their) as that is something unlikely to be corrected in a rewrite.  Anyway, a half decent editor will pick up the typos in a final draft.Concentrate on the “basics.” There are a number of key elements to good writing (see below)  without which it doesn’t matter how good the English, the spelling, or the sentence structure is; if these are not right, then the story will not be read.Be a learning process. Sometimes when we review our own work, something may just feel wrong with it, but it is easy to ignore it on the grounds that “I’m just being fussy.”  However, as a reviewer, you are morally bound to dig deeper and, once the fault is identified, you may even recognise the same failing in your own work and thus improve it in the future.Rules of Constructive Reviews

Faults.  It is fine to find (genuine) fault in another’s writer’s work, but what is NOT all right is to stop there.  There are more steps to complete:

State the fault.Say why it is a fault.Possibly suggest or give examples of how the fault may be rectified.

Example: The author wrote

Mike was angry at Mary.

Fault: This is telling (show, don’t tell).Why: Telling does not engage the reader, whereas showing (emotion) does.Suggestion: What does Mike feel/do?  Mike leapt to his feet and thrust a finger at her …

Obviously, an experienced writer will be familiar with much of this so, for instance, a simple “sdt” (show don’t tell) will often be sufficient in many places.

Destructive criticism.  It is NEVER acceptable to make comments such as, “This is rubbish,” even if you then explain why.  You can say something like “I, personally, hated this character,” because if you do it’s a reasonable assumption you will not be alone.  You must then say why you hated them … with helpful suggestions that may attract a few more readers to the final version.

What to Review

If somebody gives you, say, a 160,000-word novel to review, you are entitled to refuse if it is too much for you to handle.  But remember, in the near future, you may want them to review your 190,000 word novel!

You must agree with the writer how much you are prepared to do. Five thousand words is a reasonable minimum to get a good feel of for the work, allowing you to understand story and character arcs.

If the 5,000 words are not from the beginning (and you are not familiar with what went before), the author should also provide a context synopsis, describing the characters, the environment (era, location, etc.), and the story so far.

The author may ask specific questions about some aspect of the work (Does it work?  Is it credible?  How could I …?)  This does not restrict you to just those topics, but you should at least cover them.

The Basics:

Good writing follows a number of guidelines (not rules).

Story arc. Does the story move along realistically?  Does it have a “proper” structure?HookFirst 5%. Introduce characters, motives, needs, wants5-25%. Set up the “adventure”25%. 1st major turning point: “accepts the challenge”50%. 2nd major turning point: “starts the fight back”75%. 3rd major turning point: “beginning of the end”75-95%. FinaleLast 5%. Denouement: continuing life of main characters.Place and time. Is this clear?  Even if it’s not relevant, readers like to know.Personal descriptions. Relevant details must be revealed as early as possible.  Readers become upset if the six foot, blue-eyed blond character they imagined in chapter one is shattered by turning out to be five feet tall and bald in chapter seven (unless there is a good plot reason for the deception).Point of view. Very important.  The narrator must be consistent.  Any head-hopping, etc?  Ensure, e.g., narrator is not revealing things they can’t know, etc.Character arc. Do the characters evolve and learn?  Are they obviously “better” (or worse) at the end of the tale?  Do they always act within character?Are they interesting?  (Grit, Wit, and “It”)  If not, what are they lacking?Check for silly mistakes (character killed in chapter 3 appears in chapter 9; consistency of names, places, descriptions, spellings, etc.)  Common mistakes include, for instance, smoking three cigarettes during a conversation that lasts a page.Personal expertise. If, for instance, you have technical knowledge applicable to the story, correct inaccuracies (calling New York’s airport JFK in a novel set in 1960).Writing style. Watch out for the old traps: telling instead of showing, hanging modifiers, unclear descriptions, jargon unlikely to be familiar to readers, etc.Dialogue. Is it realistic?  Is it always clear who is speaking?  Correct use of speech tags and avoidance of editorialising speech tags (“he exclaimed emotionally”)?Timings and sequence. Are sequences correct?  Unless there is a reason for it, e.g. flashbacks, etc., everything should happen in order, even down to micro-detail: He read the document which he had previously taken from the desk should be He picked up the document and read it.Lack of conflict makes a boring story.  Every chapter, paragraph, and almost every line should have conflict.InternalPerson vs personPerson vs environment (regime, company, etc.)

Any author will tell you how lonely the job can be, and just the fact that a fellow writer has been prepared to pick up and put some effort into our “baby” can be a tremendous psychological boost.  Try it.  You never know; you might like it.

 

A Little Help with Adjectives

Image by Greg Waskovich from Pixabay

There are not too many issues with adjectives, but here are just a couple to chew on:

Commas between adjectives — or not?

Sometimes you have two (or more) adjectives in front of a noun. Sometimes they both describe the noun. Sometimes the first adjective describes the second adjective. 

It was a cold, snowy night.It was a bright blue dress.

In the first example above, both adjectives describe night. And, as you see, there is a comma between the two adjectives. In the second example, bright describes the other adjective, blue.

However, there is not always a comma between  two adjectives that describe the same noun:

Old plaid shirtBig black cat

How do you know if you should put a comma between two adjectives that describe the same noun? Try putting an and between the adjectives. If it makes sense with the and, you need a comma. Otherwise, there is no comma.

cold and snowy night makes sense: cold, snowy nightold and plaid shirt doesn’t really sound right: old plaid shirtbig and black cat doesn’t really sound right: big black cat.

But when the first adjective describes the second adjective — and not the noun — there is never a comma:

bright orange sunset red-and-white striped dress

Comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives are either adjectives or adverbs. For adjectives we use the -er ending when comparing two things: bigger bicycle. We use -est when comparing three or more things: biggest bicycle in the store. Some adjectives, however, don’t have those -er and -est forms, for example, fun. There is no funner and funnest, although people say those words all the time! For words without -er and -est forms, we use more for comparative and most for superlative: more fun and most fun. 

If we are going in the other direction, we use less for comparative and least for superlative: less fun, the least fun of all/ less pretty, the least pretty of all.

Here are the rules: If an adjective has the -er and -est forms, use them. Do not use more and most: prettier (yes), more pretty (no)

Do not use both the -er and more, or the -est and most: more nicer, most nicest (NO)

How do you know if a word has -er and -est forms. Well,  you just do. And if you don’t, check with a dictionary. 

 

New Year, New You!

Image by TyliJura from Pixabay

New year! New me! New you! Right? 

We are going to join the gym. Or if we already are members, we are actually going to go to the gym. We are going to walk more, drink more water, sleep more, eat less fat, fewer carbs, less sugar and salt. We are going to meditate, watch less television, scroll through our phones less. 

Whom are we kidding?

Here is the situation for 2025 New Years Resolutions, according to Statista:

21 % of us resolve to spend less money.

19% of us are going to eat healthier.

17% of us are going to exercise more.

14% of us are going to spend more time with family and friends.

9% of us resolve to quit smoking.

9% of us are going to cut down on living expenses. 

43% of us are not doing any of it.

Here are some other popular resolutions through the years: 

Get organized. Learn a new skill. Live life to the fullest. Travel more. Read more. 

I looked up suggestions for fun and funny resolutions. I stopped at the first one because I loved it so much:

Order every drink on the Starbucks menu. I might try that one.

How about resolutions for book lovers?

Never be without a book to read. Return library books on time. Join a book club. Read outdoors. Learn your librarians’ names. Finish books you start unless you don’t like them. Explore more genres.  Read the book before you see the movie.Have your next book ready to read. Always.Declutter your bookshelves. Write to authors you like. Save favorite passages and quotes in a Reading Journal.Patronize your local bookstores. Keep a record of all books you finish. Give more books as gifts. Visit all the libraries in your county or library system.Don’t look ahead or read the last  page before you get there.Read with others. Have a reading party. Read aloud with others, or to others.

And resolutions for coffee lovers… 

Try a new roast.Start a coffee club.Drink as much water as you do coffee, so you don’t become dehydrated. Make your coffee at home. Drink it straight – no cream or sugar or syrups. Stop using disposable cups.

No, we didn’t forget you tea lovers:

Invest in a proper tea set.Add new teas to your repertoire.Patronize a tearoom.Try new teatime recipes – sandwiches, sweets, etc. – and see what pairs well.Create a tea escape in your house – or outside.

Did you know that  people who make New Year’s resolutions tend to be less happy than those who don’t? I guess that makes sense since most resolutions concern improving ourselves. Those who are less happy with their current lives are more likely to feel there is room for improvement.

So what is the success rate? Well, 75% of resolutions make it through the first week, 71% make it through two weeks, 64% make it past a month, and 46% make it through six months. Not too bad.

Here are some tips on how to make your resolutions more successful: (These ideas generally make anything you plan to do more successful.)

Be specific: Instead of saying “get in shape, ” say “exercise three times a week.”Write the resolutions down.Make a timetable. Establish small goals along the way. Don’t give up. If you eat the whole chocolate cake, don’t give up. Just don’t figure you might as well eat one every day now! (I tend to think like that.)Get support from friends and family —  or whomever you trust has your best interest in mind.

Whether or not you have any New Years Resolutions for the coming year….

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2025 

 

Last Minute Gift Suggestion: BOOKS!

The Best of The Grammar Diva

The holidays are upon us, and once again you are stumped. What do you get someone who apparently has everything? Or at least has the money to buy everything? What do you buy someone you don’t know so well? Books, that’s what! Why? Here are some great reasons:

Books are easy to get. You can get them in a store or online and you can have them delivered anywhere. You can even mail them book rate and save some money.Books are easy to wrap! No weird shapes! That helps people who wrap the way I do! They also fit nicely in gift bags.Books come in a huge variety of prices from the very inexpensive on up.You can buy books for any age recipient, from an infant to a senior — and you can generally tell, or find out, the ages the book was intended for.You can buy books for any gender of recipient.Everyone is interested in something, and there is always a book for that “something.” If you don’t know what that something is, there are always bestsellers that interest almost everyone.Books keep on giving. If you like a book, you can then share it with someone else, who can then share it with someone else. Then, you can donate it.Books are entertaining. Books can take you into a new world — if even for just a little while.Books are very portable. Especially ebooks. They travel well and fill time well.Books are educational!

Shameless Promotion Section: Let’s focus on #10 for a minute. I’ll  bet you can think of someone — a student, a teacher, a recent graduate, a job seeker, a professional, someone for whom English is a second language, someone who writes frequently for their job, someone interested in words and language — who might really appreciate a grammar book. Not a thick, boring tome that reminds you of English class decades ago. . . . but a small, easy-to-read, light-hearted book that concentrates only on the mistakes that most people make when writing and speaking. Could someone you know (or maybe even you) use a book like that? And grammar books fit our other 9 reasons:

(1) Yes, they are easy to get. Amazon has them, as well as all other online book retailers (and this website). (2) Nice rectangles, they will be easy to wrap and inexpensive to send. (3) None cost more than $25 (4) They are intended for anyone from about 10 to 110, (5) Any gender! (6) Everyone needs good grammar, and (7) shares a great grammar book or donates it to a lucky school! (8) They are as entertaining as a grammar book can be, while still giving you good information. (9) They are easy to carry, either in paperback or on your favorite reader. (10) And of course, they’re educational!

 

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