Now is the Time We All Need A Great Leader~

Please read this excellent and needed post from Cindy Knoke at https://cindyknoke.com.

Cindy Knoke

We need words and acts of wisdom, ethics and compassion, from our leaders now more than ever. Since this is utterly lacking, take heart from the words of a truly gifted leader that could never be more relevant than today.

Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968) addresses the March On Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, where he gave his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

“Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963

“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

“I Have a Dream”, Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963

My heart breaks for George Floyd, his family, and our country. Are we not better people than this?

There are no cheers…

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The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell

Here is a wonderful post from the talented blogger and cook, Vanessa at
https://foodinbooks.com!

Food In Books

I found The Fifth Gospel to be quite a great read, fast-paced and adventurous, but with a fascinating historical and Biblical premise as the storyline. It’s simple – a Greek Catholic priest living in The Vatican must defend his brother, also a Greek Catholic priest but one attached to the Pope’s staff, who is accused of murder. The victim? An artist who recreated the Shroud of Turin for a Papal art show and made a discovery that could possibly turn the Catholic Church upside down.

It’s very well written, heavy on Church history (which I like) and yet has a human side in the main character of Father Alex Andreou, whose desperate efforts to prove his brother innocent are matched only by his dedication to the Greek Catholic church, raising his son Peter, and hoping his estranged wife Mona will return to them both. She does, mysteriously one evening, and…

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Hidden Treasures of the Lehigh Valley, PA: Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse

This post is the beginning of a new series in which I will speak of wonderful places in the area of the world called the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. For those of you who are not familiar with this locale, it is in eastern, PA and encompasses three larger cities, Bethlehem, Allentown, and Easton, along with many other smaller communities. About 725,000 or so people inhabit this part of the world.

The first offering in this series is Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse in Northampton, PA, a small town of around 10,000 people in the Northwest corner of the valley.

I love coffee;  I drink it from morning to evening, and I never teach or write without a cup of coffee from which I can drink.  I also love coffee houses, and the Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse in Northampton is not only the finest in the Lehigh Valley, and there are many, but I would argue it is among the very best anywhere!  This establishment offers the best coffee I have had, which the owners roast themselves! And the aroma when they do is extraordinary.  Additionally, the owners also offer excellent baked goods as well.

Unfortunately, the coffeehouse has  been limited to takeout service because of the pandemic, but when it is open, and I am hoping that will be in the not too distant future, the atmosphere is like a little piece of SoHo or Greenwich Village in this tiny corner of the Lehigh Valley, PA. Artwork from local students adorns the walls, books and musical instruments help create the atmosphere, and the owners are gracious and welcoming!

Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse now offers not only take out for the local community but also orders that can be sent around the country.  I encourage all of you, if you love coffee, to order from them. You will not be disappointed.

They can be found here Taylor Roasted Coffeehouse.

If you order, please include this code: CFRENCH5, and you will receive 5% off your order! Part of each sale goes to help support this blog.

Suggest A Book, Part 2!

It is that time again, for another book suggestion. I want to make this a weekly or bi-weekly event.

Today I will recommend one of my favorite books–The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This wonderful novel is a combination of a book about books, Gothic, mystery, war, and a marvelous love story! If you love books, you should read this one soon!

 

Importance of Wearing A Mask

(Candid By Liz)

Unfortunately, President Trump and elements of the far right have politicized the wearing of masks as somehow violating a person’s individual rights. This is a level of insanity. Do people complain that their rights are being violated if the law compels them to wear shoes in order to enter a food store? Did Americans, as a people, not follow the restrictions imposed upon them in World War II?  Do we, as a society, accept and embrace that children should travel in safety car seats? Do we, as a nation, understand the importance of laws and the controls imposed on people by those legal requirements? These are only a few examples of rules that are instituted for the safety of individuals and society. We, as a people, must recognize that individual rights are important, but just as important is societal responsibility.

The wearing of masks is not only to protect the person with the mask but also others around that person.  Wearing of masks can help protect the people you love, your friends, your family, and others you do not know.

The wearing of masks in this medical pandemic is not only being responsible, but it is also being patriotic. Remember, that we are all in this time and circumstance together.

Stay safe and healthy!

Please Honor Memorial Day

(https://pixabay.com)

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend, but I also hope you remember why this holiday exists.  The word “holiday” comes from “holy day,” and the remembrance of this day and its purpose should be sacred. It was originally known as Decoration Day after the end of the Civil War, and it was designated Memorial Day in the 20th Century.

This day is intended to honor, give thanks, and remember those who have sacrificed their lives for The United States of America.  Please honor the fallen and the wounded on this day.  I realize the day was meant originally for the dead, but I extend my wishes and  thanks to the wounded also. Regardless of political beliefs or stands on a war, these are the men and women who fought to keep us safe, and they deserve our remembrance.

They deserve our thanks and our honor.

Please keep in mind that this day is not merely the beginning of the summer season, nor is it intended to be the time of a special sale. This should be a sacred and somber time. There will be plenty of opportunity for shopping and vacationing afterwards. Please remember those who sacrificed.

(https://pixabay.com)

Sulphur Crests!

Here are more beautiful photos from Cindy Knoke!

Cindy Knoke

with sulphur tails,

feast on pine tree cones,

by bush lagoons,

in large flocks.

Scribbly Gum Trees,

are resting places,

for noisy cockatoos!

Cheers to you from Australia’s gorgeous & vocal, sulphur crested cockatoos~

Note: Scribbly Gum are a type of NSW eucalyptus tree that have distinctive scribbles on their bark left by larval scribbly gum moths.

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Suggest A Book To Read! (Part 1)

(Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com)

One of the parts of life that I miss intensely during the lockdowns due to the pandemic is the ability to browse in bookstores. Books are a main part of my life; I read constantly, teach English Literature courses at college, and I write novels. One of my great pleasures in life is spending times exploring books in a store. Where I live, the Lehigh Valley, PA, is blessed with having more bookstores than many other areas,  but like most businesses, they are not open for in-person browsing.

So, let us help the readers out there. Let us suggest one book for others to consider reading.

I will continue this book suggestion as a weekly series, and that is the reason for only one recommendation per post.

Here is my suggestion:

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin. I consider this book to be one of the very best novels ever written.  This magnificent novel requires a commitment of time and thinking as you read it.

“Exceptional . . . a mammoth, elegaic, moving exegesis on love, beauty,  the meaning of life, and the meaninglessness of war . . . a compelling vision of humanity . . . ” (From the inside cover quotation from the Washington Post Book World.)

I consider this novel to stand with Cervantes’ Don Quixote as one of the essential books to read in a person’s life.

Reading and Writing Quotations

https://en.wikipedia.org

“Read a lot. Reading really helps. Read anything you can get your hands on.”                                    J. K. Rowling

 

“I always advise children who ask me for tips on being a writer to read as much as they possibly can. Jane Austen gave a young friend the same advice, so I’m in good company there.”                                         J. K. Rowling

 

https://en.wikipedia.org

“Believe in yourself. Keep writing.”  Neil Gaiman

“Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you’ve never been. Once you’ve visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different.”                                              Neil Gaiman

 

https://en.wikipedia.org

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”            Ray Bradbury

“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

                                                                  Ray Bradbury

May Self-Promotion Party!

(Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com)

Hello to all the writers out there and reading this blog!

It is time for a shameless self-promotion party, so please do not be shy about your work.

Let the world know about your book(s)!

Tell us about your book, and leave an image and a link if you can.

In order for as many people to see your work as possible, please Tweet and reblog this post!

Please remember to be proud of your work!

Here is my self-promotion: my latest book can help writers who have issues with finishing first drafts of their books. If that is you, I offer direct, practical advice on how to Get The Draft Done! by Charles F. French.