Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 107

National Sister Day

I have been deeply blessed with one sister by birth, many sisters through the sisterhood of the ZTA sorority, and countless more through friendship. A sister sees the best and worst in us and loves us anyway. A sister is there for us when we need them… and even when we don’t know that we need them.

My grandmother often called me Phyllis, which was the name of Mom’s younger sister. I took it as a compliment. My sister, Deborah, taught me so much. We shared amazingly wonderful times… playing games, pillow fighting, listening to music, swimming, skiing, skating, weeding gardens, and enjoying countless adventures through the years… even though she and I seemed to have little in common. The photo is from 1954 at Mom’s vanity, which later became the site of many fun hours playing “dress up.” To this day I call Deborah an angel living on this earth. She is a kind, gentle, healing soul. We all could use a little more “Deborah” in our hearts.

Thank you to Deborah and all the other wonderful women who are or have been like sisters to me. You have my love and respect on National Sister Day and always.

National Root Beer Float Day

Dad loved root beer floats…. A&W or made at home. Scoop that rich, creamy vanilla ice cream into a tall glass. Pour in the bubbly root beer. Insert straw. Go crazy with happy flavors and fizziness!

A favorite memory of making root beer hails from my childhood. Dad’s Mom made her own root beer in a variety of bottles, all carefully corked and resting on her side porch… until that day when the corks started popping out of the bottles. And I mean they all popped… with root beer spraying wildly all over the porch, side of the house, and ceiling. Ooooh! Picture the sticky mess! Ah, these are the prices we pay sometimes when home brewing!

But. Silly stories aside… I must share another twist on the classic root beer float. Talk about Super Simple!!!

Root Beer Float Pie

Strawberries, seedless mandarin orange sections, peach slices, or chocolate shavings or chips also make yummy garnishing options. Also, the root beer extract is not essential, but it adds a nice intensity to the flavor. And if you like to make fresh whipped cream, rather than using Cool Whip, by all means… THAT is the very best, in fact.

3/4 c cold root beer (diet or high test)

2 tsp root beer extract

½ c milk (regular, 2%, or skim)

1 (1-oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix (sugar free is AOK)

1 (8-oz) Cool Whip, thawed (1/2 c set aside in refrigerator for garnish)

1 (9”) graham cracker crust

8 maraschino cherries, garnish

In large bowl, combine root beer, extract, milk, & pudding mix, whisking very well. Use a rubber spatula to then fold in half the Cool Whip. Spread evenly in crust. Spread remaining Cool Whip on top of pie and freeze overnight. Use the reserved ½ c of Cool Whip to place 8 dollops around edges of pie, one on each of what will be 8 slices. Top each with a cherry and serve cold.

Equality

“There can be no doubt that our Nation has had a long and unfortunate history of sex discrimination.  Traditionally, such discrimination was rationalized by an attitude of “romantic paternalism” which, in practical effect, put women, not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”

— William J. Brennan (1906-1997)

US Supreme Court Justice 1956-1990; justice in NJ Supreme Court from 1952-56

Daily Choices

 

It’s been said many times in many ways. Our true character is reflected in our integrity.

 

 

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”

— C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963)

British writer

“A little integrity is better than any career.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1892)

American essayist, philosopher & abolitionist; aka The Sage of Concord

 

“Character is what you are in the dark.” 

— Dwight L. Moody (1837 – 1899)

American evangelist & publisher

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

— John Wooden (1910 – 2010)

American basketball coach & player

(Photo by Trimisu)

Nice View

Nic“Begin challenging your own assumptions.  Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.”

— Alan Alda (1936 – )

American actor

“Destiny of Determination” Now on PreSale

I deeply appreciate all the inquiries regarding the release of Book 2 in my historical fiction Destiny Trilogy. Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family is set for release on my Dad’s birthday… November 2… in both paperback and eBook formats, with the audiobook to follow. Yes, it is written! Books 1 and 2 tell the true story of the Armenian side of my family, my Mom’s side. (The Destiny Trilogy will conclude next year.)

I invite anyone who wishes to read the book to please send me your email address via personal message. I will then keep you posted on its release. If you would like to review the book, please let me know which format you prefer… pdf, mobi, or epub… and I will forward one to you now via email. Once the book is officially released, I will provide you with potential links for posting your comments. Honest reviews are vital to book positioning online, but, most importantly, they help me to write better books!

While having read Book 1 Destiny of Dreams… Time Is Dear provides a powerfully haunting foundation, it is not essential. That said, the digital format of Book 1 is marked down from $5.99 to just $2.99 on Amazon to make starting there Super Simple, if you so wish! PLEASE note that Destiny of Dreams… Time Is Dear carries a warning for violent content. While there is nothing gory, nor gratuitous, it is most assuredly adult material.

Book 2… Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family is also available with a Pre-Sale discounted price of $3.99 for everyone placing an order for the digital version prior to the November 2nd release.

Catch the Wind!

“To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841 – 1935)

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1902 – 1931

(Photo by Renan Brun)

Politics

Those of you who know me best, also know that I am far from being a fan of politics. Now and then, however, a few sage tidbits pique my interest. For example, as you likely know, Barbara Bush and Abigail Adams have the distinction of being the only two women to be married to a U.S. President and be the mother of another U.S. President. Barbara Bush was married to George H.W. Bush, the 41st U.S. President, and was the mother of George W. Bush, the 43rd U.S. President. Anyone who met Barbara Bush loved her and her ability to relate to anyone with the utmost honesty and wit. I was blessed to meet and interview her several times, including when she gave the commencement address at Wellesley College in Massachusetts on June 1, 1990. Always a powerful advocate for children and families, she offered up plenty of sage words for the graduates, including this tidbit.

“You must read to your children, and you must hug your children, and you must love your children. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your home.”

— Barbara Bush (1925 – 2018)

Abigail Adams, now referred to as the 2nd First Lady of the United States, although that title had not yet been established during her tenure, was also the mother of John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States. Further, she was not only the wife of John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States… She also served as his closest advisor. Even prior to the American Revolution she was utterly unimpressed with political “talk,” as indicated in the following quote from a letter she wrote to John Adams in 1774.

“We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.”

— Abigail Adams (1744 – 1818)

Paperback Book Day

I didn’t set out to be any sort of paperback writer, but some things simply happen! #22 is set for release on November 2nd. What!!??! (Yup… Book 2 in the historical fiction Destiny trilogy continues telling my family’s Armenian story. Following “Destiny of Dreams: Time Is Dear,” this one is entitled “Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family.”)

But writing books started with a funny, family-friendly book that was not meant to be a book at all. I started writing letters from Miles, our Newfie, to Ron’s youngest daughter while she was away at school. Then it occurred to me that all his silly stories and adventures were like little chapters. “Dog Days in the Life of the Miles-Mannered Man” soon followed. It is a collection of tall tales, wagging tails, and tantalizing treats, all penned by Miles himself, of course. (I merely held the pen for him.) Oh, and Miles insists his book is non-fiction… because he swears every word is true. (Hmmmm….)

Naturally, Bandit then wrote his own riotous romp with “A Dangerous Book for Dogs: Train Your Human.” I particularly liked writing a few non-fiction, life lessons books. This group started with “The Bimbo Has Brains… and Other Freaky Facts,” which was followed by “The Bimbo Has MORE Brains… Surviving Political Correctness. Then came one of my most popular works… “Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best.”  And I followed that with “Good Living Skills: Lessons Learned from my Mother.” I also ripped “Healthy Thinking Habits: Seven Attitude Skills Simplified” from a compilation to which I had contributed along with Deepak Chopra and several other authors. There were a few others, including a book of my poems (& other ramblings) and a couple of real estate guides.

I guess that when folks ask which genre I write my books, I should simply answer, “Yes.” LOL. Of course, I have muddied the genre waters plenty by adding 9 cookbooks to my paperback list.

My first cookbook series launched as I compiled old family recipe cards. The 3-book series “Fifty Years of Fabulous Family Favorites” was born. This was quickly followed by several more:

“Champagne: Facts, Fizz, Food, and Fun”

“Cranberry Cooking”

“Dockside Dining: Round One”

“Dockside Dining: A Second Helping”

“Dockside Dining: Back for Thirds”

Then came my first larger format and full-color paperback cookbook:

“Lobacious Lobster: Decadently Super Simple Recipes”

Yes, food fans… several more are in the works! But so far, though I publish in paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats, these are my contributions to Paperback Book Day. HUGE thanks to all of you who have read any of my titles… and even reviewed!!! You add light and sparkle to my life!

Let Freedom Ring

 

“It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you.” 

Richard “Dick” Cheney (1941 – )

46th Vice President of the United States