A Joseph Store - ever heard of it?
Ever heard of a Joseph store? If you’re familiar with the Old Testament you might now be able to make a guess. I’ve included the idea in my work-in-progress. Here’s the excerpt explaining it:
“A Joseph Store works on the basis of every time you go food shopping, you put one item away for a rainy day, and only when you have enough for a week stashed away are you allowed to use up the oldest items. You go on replacing them –”
“Ad infinitum,” interrupted Liberty, catching on to what she declared was a brilliant idea. And then, if you get low on money, you’ve got some reserves – it’s like money in the bank. Was Joseph someone in your family?”
“It refers to Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son. You know, the one who was given a coat of many colours and was sold by his brothers into slavery. He stored up food before a famine. It’s in the Old Testament.”
“Ah,” said Liberty, none the wiser.
When I wrote these words, there was no war, no inflation crisis and no food shortages. Now it seems worth letting them be seen even before I publish.
Do any readers have other tips to help us get through difficult times? Please share them in the comments section.
Authors: Is there an idea contained in one of your books which might be helpful for someone? Please comment and mention the name of your book (no links please).
Readers: From 3rd May for 7 days, Hide in Time is 0.99 (US & UK) or FREE on Kindle Unlimited
And here’s a review from Goodreads member, Kevin Marsh:
What a beautifully written book. I instantly fell in love with the characters and cared about what happened to them. I loved the history, the little gems of information which sent me off to research further and the concept of the story. I found it believable even though it’s a work of imagination and fiction. Hide in Time is a must read for all those looking for a well written book in which to lose oneself. Highly recommended.
You might like to grab a copy now because my soon-to-be-published book is also a Time Travel Romance and it starts in that same little office in Middleston where Hide in Time begins. As to where it ends up – things don’t go as planned.
“A Joseph Store works on the basis of every time you go food shopping, you put one item away for a rainy day, and only when you have enough for a week stashed away are you allowed to use up the oldest items. You go on replacing them –”
“Ad infinitum,” interrupted Liberty, catching on to what she declared was a brilliant idea. And then, if you get low on money, you’ve got some reserves – it’s like money in the bank. Was Joseph someone in your family?”
“It refers to Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son. You know, the one who was given a coat of many colours and was sold by his brothers into slavery. He stored up food before a famine. It’s in the Old Testament.”
“Ah,” said Liberty, none the wiser.
When I wrote these words, there was no war, no inflation crisis and no food shortages. Now it seems worth letting them be seen even before I publish.
Do any readers have other tips to help us get through difficult times? Please share them in the comments section.
Authors: Is there an idea contained in one of your books which might be helpful for someone? Please comment and mention the name of your book (no links please).
Readers: From 3rd May for 7 days, Hide in Time is 0.99 (US & UK) or FREE on Kindle Unlimited
And here’s a review from Goodreads member, Kevin Marsh:
What a beautifully written book. I instantly fell in love with the characters and cared about what happened to them. I loved the history, the little gems of information which sent me off to research further and the concept of the story. I found it believable even though it’s a work of imagination and fiction. Hide in Time is a must read for all those looking for a well written book in which to lose oneself. Highly recommended.
You might like to grab a copy now because my soon-to-be-published book is also a Time Travel Romance and it starts in that same little office in Middleston where Hide in Time begins. As to where it ends up – things don’t go as planned.
date
newest »
newest »
If you have just read Walker's poem, you can probably see why I thought it was the right time to give it more air.
Thanks, Anna. I’ll check it(your book) out.
Thank you so much, Robert; I hope you enjoy it.
With regard to ideas like the 'Joseph Store' I thought I'd mention this:A British politician recommended those in need buy supermarket 'own brand' goods as they are usually cheaper. He has been ridiculed for saying this. (I doubt the big food companies were pleased!)
Do you think he was right to point out one way of saving money, or should he keep his mouth shut?
I think he was right to make the suggestion. Many store brands are made by the brand name companies. Many of those that are not are still high quality. Even if a can of soup is a little thinner, it can still be nutritious. When one gets into produce, a red potato is a red potato. Yellow onions are yellow onions. Even if I can afford brand name products, sometimes it is prudent to buy more economically.
Thanks, Walker. Yes, I think we should all be grateful for every bit of wisdom flung out and rejecting because of who said something is like shooting ourselves in the foot.The longer we live, the more life lessons we've had the chance to absorb.
Anna wrote: "Thanks, Walker. Yes, I think we should all be grateful for every bit of wisdom flung out and rejecting because of who said something is like shooting ourselves in the foot.The longer we live, the..."
It is always good to learn from our mistakes, but it is better to learn from others' mistakes. Likewise, it is always good to be open to learning from the wisdom of others.
The first statement above is the premise of Solomon's Ecclesiastics and the latter the book of Proverbs.
You made me laugh - yes it's definitely better to learn from others' mistakes.Proverbs is a great book and every time I dip into it, I wish I'd read it all when I was 17.
Lessons Not Learned
The sordid, dismal past cries out
To ears both far and near,
Its warnings like a trumpet blast
For all who dare to hear.
The dismal dawns the despots dyed
In hues of black and red;
Our faces turn away and shun
The pictures that we dread.
The bellowed laughs and horrid shrieks
That mingled there as one,
Our minds dare not reflect to think
Of deeds that once were done.
The artist’s touch with branding iron
Showed skills that now are lost,
And mental pictures we contrive
Distort as they are glossed.
They must have thought it quite an art
To stretch one on the rack,
Inflict the limits nigh to death,
And then to bring them back.
The sordid, evil minds devised
Diverse and cruel ways
To torture those who’d dare dissent
And bring to close their days.
We think the ages dark and drear
Are distant ghosts, at best,
For surely we are civilized
And ages dark now rest.
We turn our heads and look away,
As apathy doth reign,
For we can surely shield our minds
To block out scenes of pain.
Just what excuses can we make
For closing off our minds
To dismal deeds that now are done,
To victims of all kinds?
A billion people aren’t enslaved
Just past the rising sun.
“My people love me,” comes the cry,
“Oppression there is none!”
The things we brush aside and think
We surely can ignore
Are things we do not recognize
As long, repeated lore.
Oppression? There is none to see,
For we can turn our backs
And entertain ourselves to fill
The voids we think life lacks.
Injustice lives and breathes today,
Abuses still abound;
The sordid, dismal past cries out,
But shall we hear the sound?
“How dare you now disturb my peace
With thoughts that are depressed?
I close my eyes and ears today
To those who are oppressed!”
“It cannot happen here,” you say,
But waiting in the wings,
Oppression lurks and seeks the chance
To test its viper’s stings.
“What I can’t see does not exist,
So now I close my eyes
And dream of what I won’t defend
Until at last it dies.”
Walker 5
17 May 2011
(Started 01 Apr 11 (first two stanzas), completed 17 May 11)