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When you were a kid, didn’t it seem like it took forever for holiday festivities to start?
Now as a grownup, the season comes charging in, don’t you think? I'm getting ready for it! Read on for Thanksgiving traditions new and old, plus a 30-second holiday video from 'Lil Cat and an EZ-PZ pumpkin dessert you and the kids can whip up. 
Here in central North Carolina, I'm watching trees flaunt autumn tints and madly searching for turkey day recipes I cannot find since we moved.
(Yes, I still have the old traditional faves on 3x5 cards from those days before internet and online recipe searches. -:D.) Even though I come from a long line of great cooks, I’m baking challenged. Never contribute homemade desserts to our turkey day feast BUT … this year I discovered a recipe from Publix that even I cannot mess up! It ticked all my boxes....yummy, easy and quick to assemble. To die for, especially with a dollop of ice cream -:D.  Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pudding Cake
I call it a Good and Gooey Pumpkin Dump Cake. All you have to do is throw ingredients into a slow cooker and forget about them until aromas fill the kitchen and beckon every sweet tooth in a 10 mile radius <wink>.
Best, with help chopping nuts (or not if someone is allergic) and measuring, this delicious autumn treat is fun to make with your kids. You can find the recipe HERE. Hey, please let me know how it turns out if you try it?
While I plug in the slow cooker and start a batch of gooey pumpkin cake to share virtually with you, my ‘Lil Cat avatar has a seasonal message for ya that's from the bottom of both our hearts.
Whoa, if you live near Kinston, NC, we can greet each other in person, thanks to the Neuse Library and an Icelandic tradition called Jolabokaflod, or the Christmas Book Flood, when books are given as presents during holidays.
btw....Please be sure to watch for my next blog that's posting after Thanksgiving. I have some golden news I’m beyond excited to tell you!
And as Lil Cat says ... Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate and a sweet November's end to all! Thanks for letting us into your home at this busy time of year -:D. 
YOUR TURN If you observe Thanksgiving, what's the one thing you gotta have/do to make it the best day ever? What favorite foods do you crave at this time of year? Please share your thoughts in the comment section. 
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Sharing a very personal blog today .... Dad's 2002 letter written to his then 7-yo grand daughter about the meaning of Veterans Day (that I cannot today still read without goosebumps and sniff-sniffs). His post script demonstrates why his was called The Greatest Generation.
 Sailor Michael, circa 1944
P.S.
"After being discharged from the Service in l945, I married a girl (USO Queen), whom I met in the service in Seattle, Washington. I continued my Education, obtaining a B. S. & M.A. in Education, and becoming a science teacher in the Middle Schools in Norwalk, Ct., for 31 years. I am now approaching 78 years of age, and enjoying my family - 4 children, their spouses, and 8 wonderful grandchildren. Every day is exciting!"
Thanks to all who served.
Hugely grateful!
YOUR TURN
What special memories do you have of Veterans Day? How do you mark this occasion? Please share in the comment section. 
November marks the one-year anniversary of the roller coaster I call rightsizing: spouse JM and I left our beloved home of two decades to build a cozy craftsman cottage. Other than divorce, downsizing and death, rightsizing has been the most chaotic event in my life.
Still, I remind myself daily how blessed we’ve been to undertake this change. With apologies to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, read on to learn how I survived and hope to thrive during this time of upheaval. 
Basic Needs, Security starting points
There's nothing like the excitement of having your life turned upside down ... not! Those two weeks of closing on two homes and living in a hotel in the interim were a blur. I’d wake at night, not knowing where I was. I gained new understanding for people who don’t have a permanent roof over their head, and every night for them is another stab of uncertainty.
TBH, I get squirrelly when there's extended periods of chaos like this in my physical space. Once we moved into the cottage, I attacked the unpacking, de-cluttering and recycling of a gazillion moving boxes. (It didn’t help that I was fighting an allergic reaction to a wasp sting. Prednisone dispensed to manage localized swelling had me madly organizing our new kitchen until 3 a.m.)
Cat in the hat with moving boxes
I looked to little things, like locating our winter clothes and discovering cherished pieces from Mama made the move intact, to lift my spirits and fight that feeling of being overwhelmed.
I’m big on feathering the nest, too. My surroundings are my security blanket and creative outlet, so I beavered away to make our cottage feel like a home. Furniture happily placed. Curtains I sewed for the former homestead draped perfectly on new windows. Pretties from the old garden nestled about, waiting for their new beds and soil amendments in spring. 
A promised first dinner with BFF neighbors
Best, four months and two evil hurricanes later, the new space was finally where I hoped it would be. Then I kept my promise of christening its first "company" meal with our BFF former next-door neighbors and their daughters. We watched those two sweet girls grow from infants to amazing teens and were over the moon the family wanted to share this milestone with us. Hey, you’re virtually invited to check the new digs, too, in a 60-second Before and After video from my You-Tube channel below.
Social Needs and Self-Esteem
slowly getting there In addition to months of hard labor with boxing, unpacking and organizing, I was unprepared for the emotional upheaval and feelings of loss from exiting a dear community where I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. I tossed countless nights in the wee hours, second-guessing our decision to leave. It helped to replay a lightbulb moment from a change leadership workshop I took back in my days in the private sector. I remember having 5 minutes to find a partner and complete three rounds of guessing something the other changed in each round. Ah-Haaaaaaa!!!!!!! Nearly everyone, including moi, REMOVED items ... eyeglasses, notebooks, pencils, etc. Nobody ADDED anything to demonstrate change. Gobsmacked! The key to staying on top of transition was to stop thinking of change as a subtraction or loss. Instead, get down and boogie with change as an addition or enhancement to new situations. Think of change as gain!
I focus on viewing our transition as a huge, lovely win. Less on feeling sad by the loss of what we had before.
I miss the old ‘hood and cherished friends there, so I seek out new neighbors. And oh, those marvelous miles of wooded walking trails! I find different trails for morning walks that keep me sane and where I burn up audio books as I move along. I ramp up Body Flow workouts at the gym to 6 days a week to exorcise rightsizing demons. Being more active with volunteering and community service helps tons, too. 
Autumn sky reflects along new walking trail
Self-Actualization (be all you can be) The most precious piece still eludes me: I haven't gotten back to writing and publishing. I stopped altogether during the move and recently started with blogging and social medial in moderation. But I never want to return to 10-hour days/7-days-a-week craziness of crafting blogs, newsletters, marketing strategies, book reviews, Pinterest/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram posts, plus cranking out my WIP. Yikes! That was the road to burnout! However, I don’t have a current work in progress. My kid lit writing is majorly stuck. Zip. Zero. Goose Egg. Sigh. After ending the Sweet T Series because of the expense to publish its color illustrations, I haven’t figured out which genre or content to tackle in its place. In fact, my brain shuts down whenever it wanders to the topic. I hope as life settles and the holidays pass, my brain will kick in, and I’ll be back at it by the first of the year. In the meantime, I try not to fret and give myself permission to be on this transition roller coaster a bit longer. Your company on my writing road helps tons, too -:D. Cross your fingers for me?
Your Turn
How do you manage change? What strategies helped you master transitions? Please share in the comment section.
Thanks a ton for stopping by. Like what you see?
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I know about hurricanes from growing up along coastal Connecticut and existing 10 days without electricity or running water after Fran hit North Carolina in 1996. But Florence scared me.
I stressed when early reports predicted a direct hit to my central North Carolina community. When Flo's track shifted away at the last minute, I rested easier until forecasters warned even a slight turn would put us in danger again ... a dance with uncertainty that put everyone on edge. The storm is gone now. We are okay, but people living along the coast and inland rivers face months of rebuilding. Here’s my Florence pictorial journal. 
MONDAY- 4 days before Flo
Spouse JM and I keep a weather emergency kit, but dire warnings of a category 4 storm striking our home near Raleigh, NC, have us scrambling to assemble 3 days of water and non-perishable foods for each of us. I worry about being without power, especially in late-summer’s 90F/33C temps.
Images left/right: NOAA, WRAL Weather
No lines yet at the station when I top off the tank, but people already fill containers for generators and buy extra propane tanks for back-up power. 
Stocking up on petrol, propane
Abandoning my preferred reading mode of audio and e-books, I swing by the library for good ole print tales to help me escape during potential evenings lit by lanterns. 
Cat's reading stash, trusty red weather radio, lanterns
TUESDAY - 3 days before Flo Officials predict catastrophic flooding in our area. Local TV and radio stations blast what-to-do-before-disaster-strikes segments that have everyone’s attention. Water, bread, and beer fly off grocery shelves. Hah ... Just try to find a generator! 
Out of bottled water at Harris Teeter
Mandatory evacuations begin for coastal towns and even along nearby flood-prone creeks. Our community's Facebook group kicks in. Neighbors asking questions. Others giving advice and reassurance to storm newbies. JM and I have been through storms but have no idea how our new home will stand up to bad weather. More worries. WEDNESDAY - 2 days before Flo Good news for us: Florence turns south overnight, sparing us from a direct strike. Still with five days of rain and 40 mph winds, JM and I pack the garage and screen porch with lawn furniture and my garden treasures. Don't want these items becoming lethal projectiles during the storm. 
Garden treasures stored on screen porch
THURSDAY - 1 day before Flo Sunny skies and summertime temps make warnings feel like fake news. Government officials persist, telling residents in evacuation areas they must leave NOW or they will be on their own if they stay. Schools in eastern and coastal NC close. Businesses let out early. JM and I make one last trip to the grocery store for prepared salads and then to Subway .... our stash of no-cook dinners to toss in a cooler should we lose power (Yep, can't cook on an electric stove. Sigh.) By evening, clouds move in. Winds pick up. We will not see the sun for the next six days. We pray those creaks and crashes we hear outside during the tempest are not falling trees or flying roof tiles. 
Flo descends Friday morning over Cat's back yard
FRIDAY - 14 September 2018: Flo, Day 1
Temporary bedroom away from potential falling trees
Yippy!!!!!!!!!! At 2p.m., lights blink back on. And the internet is back! Cannot believe our good fortune. Like winning the lottery! We hope power stays but still prepare for the worst. We let friends and family know we're okay. 
Restored internet keeps us in touch with family, friends
SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Flo, Days 2 & 3 Florence is S*L*O*W in moving across our state and stays with us for five days. I hear one meteorologist say the storm travels at 2 mph, which is slower than most people walk. JM and I hunker down and exist on TV news running non-stop with tales of devastation. Dams break. Roads wash away. Shelters thrum with evacuees, who have no idea when they might go home or IF they have a home to go to. There's kindness and bravery, too. We watch the Cajun Navy and others perform swift water rescues as inland rivers crest up to 30 feet above flood stage. Monday - Flo, Day 4 As Florence dials down, I brave a walk around the 'hood. Bah! Wind flips turns my umbrella inside out before I can shut the door. Determined, I tighten my slicker, avoiding towering pines that bow too close to the ground with each gust for my comfort. Other than fallen limbs and rain-soaked leaves clinging everywhere, the 'hood looks ok. Our big spillway at the end of my street, normally a clay-shrouded pit that captures water run off, is holding as it should. Whew! We dodged the bullet.
Photo right during Flo: Glenn G
Tuesday - Flo, Day 5
Sun!
Finally peeks out. Schools reopen. Lives reset to normal. And like Itsy Bitsy spider... we start to dry up all the rain.
Looking Back - Flo by the Numbers*
Looking Back - Flo by the Heart Driving on I-40 two weeks after the storm, I get goosebumps passing parades of line and bucket trucks from Ohio, Oklahoma, and Indiana returning home after traveling to restore power lines. 
Crews from the midwest return home after restoring power
I'm beyond grateful for these and other first responders who helped clean up, staff shelters, hand out food, rescue stranded motorists, and more. So many doing kind work in times of great need.
Photos: Thanks to Jean Ann A.
I feel blessed to have dodged this Frankenstorm. But I feel guilty, too, knowing it caused catastrophic damage elsewhere to thousands. My hardship, 6 hours without power and minor inconveniences, is nothing in comparison. I feel compelled to help, donating to our church disaster service agency and assembling storm relief kits. Want to help, too? Please consider contributing to rebuilding efforts through your favorite organization or a reputable relief service listed here by our charity navigator.org. (There's also a new link to help with the Indonesian disaster) Thanks!
Your Turn
If you were in Florence's crosshairs, my best and blessings to you! How are you faring? What kind of evil weather event have you experienced? I am a wreck in storms! What coping strategies do you use to keep grounded, calm? Please share in the comments section. 
* By the Numbers figures from The Raleigh News and Observer, 30 September 2018: "Florence brought relentless rain, epic flooding and an uncertain future to NC."
Photos by Cat Michaels except where noted
Two weeks after rightsizing into our cozy craftsman cottage, I gave up hope of finding space for seldom used dinnerware and goblets. I turned for help to Replacements, Ltd., the world’s largest supplier of vintage and current dinnerware, crystal, silver, and collectibles, with its 12-million-piece inventory from 425,000 patterns.
Join me at Replacements' ginormous 500,000-square-foot headquarters in Greensboro, NC. (Oh, and bring Fido. Replacements is pet-friendly, too. Not as much fun for young children, though.) 
Photo: Jasmin Schreiber/Unsplash
FIRST CONTACT Replacements, Ltd., serves 8 million customers in 171 countries and territories. Attracting ordinary folk like me selling a few unused treasures, it's also a magnet for Hollywood producers buying authentic items for film shoots or customers searching for lost pieces of china remembered at Grandma’s Sunday suppers. I felt the company would offer a fair price for my beloved pieces to ease the pain of parting with them. The quest started with a sellers’ inquiry form completed on Replacements' website (which gets 2-million visitors monthly) and photos of my stash. I knew the names of most of my patterns, and Replacement’s Free Pattern Identification Service named the ones I didn’t by scouring its database and matching its inventory to my photos. (btw...you can use the free pattern ID service even if you aren't selling to Replacements. It's awesome!) Within 24 hours, I received an offer to purchase that included a range of prices contingent on inspecting each piece’s condition. While the company runs a worldwide mail order business, spouse JM and I opted for an in-person appointment, driving an hour from our new home to Replacement’s operations near Greensboro, NC. And that’s where the fun began. CHECK IN  Warehouse interior
The firm’s sprawling complex, the size of eight football fields, perches at the end of a winding country road off I-40.
Gently carrying our boxes of treasures, we checked in at the sellers’ entrance. It sits at one end of a space so cavernous that Rand Mc Nally once picked Replacements as one of its top 25 free attractions in the US (free tours still offered every hour).
Inspection can take up to an hour as experts scrutinize every miliimeter of potential merchandise to reject or write offers to purchase. We were invited to pass time in the waiting area, complete with comfy seating, snack bar, and free Wi-Fi. Instead. we opted to follow the long corridor through the warehouse to the 12,000-square-foot showroom and museum.
WAREHOUSE
It's hard to prepare for seeing rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves jammed with beauties and running tall along both sides of the immense warehouse!
We gawked, walked, and waved to some of the retailer’s 500 employees in the large center work area, who were cleaning and restoring items mailed in by customers. The warehouse corridor funneled into another long hallway ringed by scores of glass display cabinets .... a preview of what was ahead in the showroom.
Looking for dinnerware?
Check out a great wall of china containing only 500 of the most popular patterns from Replacement’s 280,000 discontinued and active china patterns created by over 5,000 manufacturers. It's a walk down memory lane as you spot pieces used at family dinners in years gone by.
How about silver patterns?
Ooooo and ahhhh over more display cabinets filled with just 150 of Replacements' most popular silver patterns out of the 56,000 discontinued and active patterns it carries from 3,000 manufacturers.
Crystal suit your fancy?
I see you squinting to locate family stemware in the top 150 crystal patterns stocked from 75,000 discontinued and active patterns from more than 1,000 manufacturers!
SHOW TIME!
Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be more,
the hallway spills into the 12,000-square-foot showroom.
Rooms of display cases
filled with collectibles like the ones you and your Aunt Tilly adore .. 
Cat in collectibles gallery
Tables filled with Active pieces selling at discounted prices you may not be able to resist ... 
Funky, fun pices for every occasion... 
Every possible color…. 
Every imaginable shape … 
And more! 
MUSEUM
The show-stopping museum
stretching along one end of the retail space housed spectacular collections of…
antique dinnerware
and old-timey retail essentials.
FINISH LINE
A text arrived to signal inspection was complete. The only way to escape buying any showroom beauties was to hustle back to the sellers' entrance to learn the results. There, the inspector accepted nearly all my pieces except for one wine glass that had a teeny chip (Mercy, our eagle-eyed inspector was good. I never noticed that crack until she pointed it out!) and a lonely saucer, whose cup I forgot to pack and left at home. My bad! 
Cat's stash - off to a new home
I accepted the purchase offer, and Replacements cut a check on the spot. With a final look at my pretties, I left smiling with money in my pocket and visions of new owners making their happy memories with my treasures.
Your Turn
How would you ease the pain of parting with sentimental items? Might you use a service like Replacements? Post online? What treasures would you absolutely want to virtual purchase from your trip to Replacements? Please share in the comment section...love to hear your thoughts! And thanks for joining me on another North Carolina virtual excursion. Disclosure: I am not in any way associated with Replacements, Ltd. My opinions are my own, and I received no compensation for writing this blog. Sources:
by Cat Michaels except where noted 
Maybe it’s the serenity of our mountains. The beauty of our coast. Or the vibrant flatlands in between. I don’t know which, but my home state has a deep history of authors (many of them Tar Heels, too) writing tales set in North Carolina (NC). One of the most well-known, Thomas Wolfe’s 1929 classic, Look Homeward, Angel, is drawn from childhood at his family's Asheville boarding house.
To celebrate National Book Lover's Day on August 9, I sussed out 12 NC-based stories that I finished or have on my TBR queue. It was hard to skinny down to a dozen, so you’ll find an eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction for adults, plus a few bonus kid lit tales. Read on to find awesome books that will have you humming along with Sweet Baby James and going to Carolina in your mind -:D. 
general fiction
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1. Stephanie Powell Watts:
No One is Coming to Save Us Named a best book of 2017 by The Washington Post, Jay Gatsby is transported to a contemporary North Carolina town ground down by factory closings. WOW! And Watta recasts the Great Gatsby classic with a black family at its center. On my to-read list. |
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2. Margaret Maron:
Deborah Knott Series These gentle mysteries featuring a bootlegger’s-daughter-turned-judge are set in the fictional version of the county that’s south of mine. Love when Maron references real places I know, such as Wake Tech and Belk department store. Plus, you'll learn a bit about NC's moonshining heritage from back in the day. |
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3. Nicholas Sparks:
Nights in Rodanthe She: flees to the serenity of the remote village of Rodanthe on NC’s Outer Banks after a bad divorce. He: sells his medical practice and also retreats there to re-examine his life. And you know they’re destined to meet! A storm approaches one fateful weekend, setting the stage for life-changing events that ripple long after the tempest passes. Yummy film version with Diane Lane and Richard Gere. Hey, if you visit Rodanthe, you can see the house where the film was shot. |
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4. Jan Karon:
The Mitford Years Series These cozy slices of Mitford life are based on the quaint Blue Ridge Mountain village of Blowing Rock and follow the ups and downs of sexagenarian Episcopalian rector, Father Tim, and his flock. Their stone church is modeled after a stunning Blowing Rock edifice constructed from 1000s of small stones washed round and smooth by nearby mountain steams. Karon’s books bring a few tears, but they’re truly uplifting. Her Mitford also morphed into a Hallmark movie, but imho, the film didn’t live up to the books. |
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5. Ann B. Ross:
Miss Julia Weathers the Storm My sweet Mama Marg adored reading about Miss Julia, a feisty southern lady from another fictional mountain village. In this 19th novel of Ross’ feel-good series, Miss Julia and friends take a beach trip that’s interrupted by a hurricane, and trouble follows everyone home. As always, Miss Julia must rely on her quick wit and strong will to protect her friends and save the day. |
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6. Mary Kay Andrews:
The Weekenders Inspired hearing Mary Kay Andrews speak at Quail Ridge Books about writing The Weekenders staying on her fictional Belle Island, my friends and I brainstormed names for my beachy Turtle Team setting afterward on the ride home. Yep. That’s how I found on Gull Island. Andrew’s beach read immerses you on the Carolina coast as her protagonist investigates secrets of a summer that might change everything for her family who weekends on Belle Island. |
historical fiction
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7. Lee Smith:
On Agate Hill I loved Smith’s use of letters and diaries about Agate Hill plantation to see-saw between centuries that span Reconstruction years to 1927 and into the present. Both 19th- and 21st-ccentury female protagonists are spunky and determined as their stories unfurl to reveal authentic struggles of their era. Smith injects whip-smart humor, too. |
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8. Wiley Cash:
The Last Ballad Another on my to-read list: Set in the Appalachian foothills in 1929 and inspired by actual events, Ballad chronicles an ordinary woman’s struggle for dignity and her rights during a textile mill strike. In addition to the protagonist, Ella, “...the story is told from alternating perspectives, including that of a black train porter, a mill owner and a mill owner’s wife.... In the only contemporary and first-person passages, Ella’s now elderly daughter fills in her nephew, and the novel’s readers, on the tragic details of her mother’s life” [The New York Times]. |
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9. Jonathan Frazier:
Cold Mountain Frazier follows a wounded Civil War soldier making the long journey home from his Raleigh hospital bed, while his faraway love in the Blue Ridge Mountains fights for survival on her deceased father's farm. Did you catch the film with Jude Law and Nicole Kidman? Awesome! |
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10. Diane Chamberlain:
Necessary Lies So many levels of dark, twisty fate and injustice here had my heart lurching. Set against unimaginable truths in the segregated south of the 1960s, the author introduces a young girl working on a tobacco farm to support her family and “…an idealistic North Carolina social worker [who] defies her employers to save impoverished children from overzealous social engineering in Chamberlain's well-researched page-turner” [Kirkus Reviews]. |
non fiction
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11. Chef Vivian Howard:
Deep Run Roots Fans of PBS’s award-winning reality series, A Chef’s Life, and foodies, who flock to rural eastern North Carolina to savor regional fare at The Chef and the Farmer, are lining up for Vivian Howard’s beautifully photographed book. Part recipes and part stories from eastern NC, Howard “…Sandwiched amid the fine culinary writing many delicious recipes" [The Washington Post]. I’m not a cook, but I appreciate Howard’s humor in a recipe like Hoarded Corn that require an afternoon, trash bags, the biggest pot you have, and at least 200 ears of sweet corn to yield 20 quarts of corn kernels to have on hand for winter. |
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12. David Sedaris:
Me Talk Pretty One Day This two-part collection of essays by humorist David Sedaris first portrays a young Sedaris and his boyhood days in Raleigh before living in New York City. The second section, "Deux," tells of moving to Normandy and the author's outlandish efforts to live in France without speaking the French language. Sedaris’ narration of his audiobook is pure aural pleasure. |
bonus section: children's books
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Cat Michaels:
Sweet T and the Turtle Team Yep. Mine. The third book in my Sweet T Tales Series for early and reluctant readers is set on Gull Island, a joyful mishmash of my fave North Carolina beaches. Turtle Team spins a kid-sized yarn of friendship, acceptance and courage, with subtle messages about marine conservation. Over the moon it scored two awards in the 2018 Purple Dragonfly Award for children's books: first place for eBooks AND honorable mention for environmental print books. |
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Robert Beatty:
Serafina and the Black Cloak For older kids, this thriller about supernatural evil takes place in 1899 at Asheville’s historic Biltmore House. Beatty introduces the titular spunky heroine, Serafina, who secretly lives in the bowels of the estate with her father, where she specializes in catching rats roaming dark corridors at night. History mixes with mystery but definitely scary for sensitive readers …. especially the Man in the Black Cloak, who steals children away in the dead of night by catching them in his coat with “decaying, blood-dripping hands.” |
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Tony Earley:
Jim the Boy This gentle read for adults and spot-on coming of age tale for middle graders takes you on a sweet journey to a year in the life of 10-year old Jim Glass, who lives with his mother and three uncles in a rural mountain village. There is not one whit of dysfunction, scandal or evil doing, yet Earley’s powerful descriptions of everyday life and beautifully crafted characters will hold your attention on every page. |
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Rhonda Paglia:
Doonsey's Beach Adventure: the Great Rescue For youngest readers by a former kindergarten teacher, the author takes children to the shore to meet Doonsey, a talking crab, and his mysterious Beach Buddies. Inspired after exploring Kure Beach with her grandchildren, Paglia offers whimsy. learning and extension activities that will keep keep your young ones engaged. |
Your Turn
Any of my fave NC books strike your fancy? What favorite books, of any setting, would you share for National Book Lover’s Day? Please join the conversation in the comment section ...
AND
...find more book love and great bookish ideas for National Book Lover’s day from my writerly pals:
Kristen Lamb
4 Ways to Celebrate NBLD with your Kids
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Carmela Dutra
Fun New Ways to Celebrate NBLD
Thanks for your company on National Book Lover's Day and every day!
Any of my fave NC books strike your fancy? What favorite books, of any setting, would you share for National Book Lover’s Day? Please join the conversation in the comment section ...
AND
...find more book love and great bookish ideas for National Book Lover’s day from my writerly pals:
Kristen Lamb
4 Ways to Celebrate NBLD with your Kids
~~~~~~
Carmela Dutra
Fun New Ways to Celebrate NBLD
Thanks for your company on National Book Lover's Day and every day!
Power up your GPS. We’re off on a virtual family-friendly road trip across the U.S and Australia in the #Gr8Blogs Summer Road Trips 2018. My writerly pals and I are sharing insider touring tips for your summertime fun. I’m excited to show you around my home in central North Carolina,
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My once quiet corner has morphed into a bustling metro area after topping many “best” lists. Best place to live. Best area to retire. Be single. Start a business. Ride a bike. Etc.! With more than 2,156,253 people (and my Apex home town identified by Realtor.com as the fastest-growing town in America, with 307% growth in new construction!), something is always jumping.
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Photo: higgins-spoooner @unsplash.com
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Read on for my top five family-friendly stops AND find insider tips from me and my NC pals to have you living like a local.
Then discover more summer road trip fun from the US coast to coast and Australia as you join my #Gr8Blogs pals linked at the bottom of this page.
welcome to North carolina!
Picture a triangle stretching long on one side. Tip that length downward, plop it onto the center of a North Carolina map, and it points to my corner of the world.
This summer, JM and I moved to Apex, NC, a suburb of 51,000. We decided to RIGHTsize to first-floor living living there, moving just three miles down the road from our beloved home of 20 years in Cary and another great place to live.
Central North Carolina is defined by three unique cities nestled in the corner of that triangle you imagined. Each boasts a major university, which further defines who are (especially during fevered college basketball tournaments!): Raleigh and NC State University; Durham with Duke University; and the University of NC flagship’s campus at Chapel Hill.
This summer, JM and I moved to Apex, NC, a suburb of 51,000. We decided to RIGHTsize to first-floor living living there, moving just three miles down the road from our beloved home of 20 years in Cary and another great place to live.
Central North Carolina is defined by three unique cities nestled in the corner of that triangle you imagined. Each boasts a major university, which further defines who are (especially during fevered college basketball tournaments!): Raleigh and NC State University; Durham with Duke University; and the University of NC flagship’s campus at Chapel Hill.
Photo: qsl.net - Central North Carolina's RTP region
Now draw a big X in the middle of this trio to find the Research Triangle Park (we call it RTP). One of the largest high-tech corridors in the world, it covers 7,000 acres and employs more than 50,000 people in 260 companies focused on computers, artificial intelligence, biotech, pharmaceuticals, and a gazillion techy things I never knew existed. (In fact, RTP lured me to the Triangle decades ago from my Connecticut home, with dreams of landing a high-tech career -Score!)
Insider tip:
Don't be startled when strangers smile at you and passers-by toss a cheery, "Hey!" your way. We're friendly here -:D.
Insider tip:
Don't be startled when strangers smile at you and passers-by toss a cheery, "Hey!" your way. We're friendly here -:D.
YOUR TOP 5 ROAD TRIP STOPS
1. Get Outside, Y’all!
Blessed with four seasons, we spend tons of time outdoors. Bask in perfect autumns and springs. Embrace mild winters (Sure, there's snow, but it melts in a day or two,) In summer’s sizzling humidity, you should drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and take things slow. Hey, you can always head inside and crank up the AC.
Hit the Greenways (all over the Triangle)
Greenway Cat
Tie up your trainers.
Head for one of the 80 greenways (walking trails) linking neighborhood and parks in Cary alone.
Jog for miles,
or take short strolls.
Ride your bike.
Leash up Rover or....
pamper your pooch at one of our dog parks.
Head for one of the 80 greenways (walking trails) linking neighborhood and parks in Cary alone.
Jog for miles,
or take short strolls.
Ride your bike.
Leash up Rover or....
pamper your pooch at one of our dog parks.
Go Green at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve and Stevens Nature Center (Cary)
Woodland trails in this park’s 140 acres and 3,700 square foot nature center make you forget you’re in a metro area. North-facing bluffs produce a cooler microclimate, allowing tall mountainous evergreen Hemlocks to thrive in our hot summer flatlands. The park's environmental, nature, and children's programs will have you and the kids going green.
Bring bug spray for spring and summer walks across the marshland. Free park admission.
Woodland trails in this park’s 140 acres and 3,700 square foot nature center make you forget you’re in a metro area. North-facing bluffs produce a cooler microclimate, allowing tall mountainous evergreen Hemlocks to thrive in our hot summer flatlands. The park's environmental, nature, and children's programs will have you and the kids going green.
Bring bug spray for spring and summer walks across the marshland. Free park admission.
Ride a Train and Old-Timey Carousel at Pullen Park (Raleigh)
NC Pal Thu W. and her three kids adore historic Pullen Park. This 66-acre gem was the first public park in North Carolina, 5th oldest operating amusement park in the US, and 16th oldest in the world. Its grassy spaces, swings, picnic shelters, and rental pedal boats for the lake are devine. But the real draw is riding the park’s stunning old-timey carousel and kid train.
Insider Tip:
- Great kid zone in Waverly Place Park: Tucked behind the lower level of this shopping center, you can join the fun or watch from nearby benches. Waverly also offers places for good eats and cool drinks. Arrive on a Wednesday evening to catch Wind Down Wednesday, a free family-friendly outdoor concert series.
Photo:waverlycary.com_Waverly Park
2. Explore World-Class Gardens
White Garden Gazebo at the JCRA
As a southern gardener, I hope you'll wander our luscious landscapes.
Discover a 10-acre gem at the NC State University’s JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. As an arb volunteer, it's been a joy leading tours through the 18 display gardens and 6,000 unique plants collected from all over the world.
I also LOVE its adult workshops and children’s programs (nature, arts and crafts, interactive learning stations for school tours, junior chef cooking classes in a yurt, and more). If you're lucky, you'll spot a glowing bride and groom at an outdoor wedding ceremony in the White Garden gazebo.
The JCRA is open to the public and free, except for special events, and operates free Sunday afternoon tours.
Discover a 10-acre gem at the NC State University’s JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. As an arb volunteer, it's been a joy leading tours through the 18 display gardens and 6,000 unique plants collected from all over the world.
I also LOVE its adult workshops and children’s programs (nature, arts and crafts, interactive learning stations for school tours, junior chef cooking classes in a yurt, and more). If you're lucky, you'll spot a glowing bride and groom at an outdoor wedding ceremony in the White Garden gazebo.
The JCRA is open to the public and free, except for special events, and operates free Sunday afternoon tours.
Insider Tips:
- NC Pal Sam I. suggests the 19th-century kitchen garden behind Raleigh’s oldest home, the Mordecai House. Built in 1785, the garden is based on memoir and letters left by former occupant Ellen Mordecai. Some say ghosts haunt here at night, but I'm sure they're friendly southern spirits -:D.
- NC Pal Jane T. gives a shout out to Duke Gardens on the university’s campus in Durham. Small admission fee, but worth it to see its stunning display gardens.
- Plants Delight at Juniper Level Botanic Gardens operates as a garden catalogue company, specializing in exotic perennials that grow in our zone 7 climate. However, its amazing 28-acre display garden and 21,600 unique plants open to the public several times yearly.
3. Chill at an Outdoor Concert
We love summertime concerts, Headliners, like Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and the Pentatonix, perform at large venues like Raleigh's Walnut Creek and Red Hat Amphitheaters.
We love summertime concerts, Headliners, like Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and the Pentatonix, perform at large venues like Raleigh's Walnut Creek and Red Hat Amphitheaters.
|
North Carolina Symphony Summerfest at Booth Amphitheater (Cary)
Classical, jazz, or pop float your boat? NC Symphony's Summerfest, a 6-week concert series offers fantastic music, contests, instrument zoos, and more. Bring lawn chairs and goodies to picnic under the stars. Kids under 12 get free admission with lawn seating. |
Photo: Laura on Unsplash
|
Wide Open Blue Grass (Raleigh)
Visit during summer’s last hurrah in September for a Bluegrass street spectacular with foot-tapping tunes as more than 100 bands perform on 7 outdoor stages (all free!) and headliners, like Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, fill nearby Red Hat stadium. I love the informal jamming sessions that are everywhere. It's a good mix of local, national, and international talent, plus food trucks, musical instruments for sale, and all manner of NC-made wares. Hey, check out the dance tent to watch clogging performances. You can also join the square dancers and late-night open dancing.
Insider tip:
- Cary Town Band offers rousing-good free concerts for the whole family to have you marching and clapping along.
4. Yum Down Regional Treats
We have tons of restaurants serving food from around the world, but you gotta try southern eats.
We’re all about fried everything.
And ‘cue - barbeque that is.
Pork laced with vinegar in eastern NC
Whatever you decide,
be
sure
to try
iced tea.
Insider tip: Sound like a native!
Specify 'sweet' or 'unsweet' iced tea when ordering.
We’re all about fried everything.
And ‘cue - barbeque that is.
Pork laced with vinegar in eastern NC
Whatever you decide,
be
sure
to try
iced tea.
Insider tip: Sound like a native!
Specify 'sweet' or 'unsweet' iced tea when ordering.
Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen (Cary)
This farm-to-table restaurant rotates seasonal fare, like buttermilk-fried green tomatoes, pulled pork with voodoo sauce, and bacon-wrapped meatloaf with pig and whistle sauce. Its patio seating is yummy, too.
Salem Street Pub (SSP) (Apex)
A laid-back eatery in an 1800s brick building in downtown historic Apex, SSP offers good food and family fun. Grab the chalk provided at every table to write or draw on the blackboard-like tablecloth. I have not tried it, but Spouse JM gives thumbs up to My Wife Said It Would Never Sell, the house specialty featuring a beef burger topped with peanut butter, honey, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Somehow, it works! Grownups, try local brews on tap.
This farm-to-table restaurant rotates seasonal fare, like buttermilk-fried green tomatoes, pulled pork with voodoo sauce, and bacon-wrapped meatloaf with pig and whistle sauce. Its patio seating is yummy, too.
Salem Street Pub (SSP) (Apex)
A laid-back eatery in an 1800s brick building in downtown historic Apex, SSP offers good food and family fun. Grab the chalk provided at every table to write or draw on the blackboard-like tablecloth. I have not tried it, but Spouse JM gives thumbs up to My Wife Said It Would Never Sell, the house specialty featuring a beef burger topped with peanut butter, honey, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Somehow, it works! Grownups, try local brews on tap.
Insider tips:
- Road-side stands and farmer’s markets are everywhere, but the 75-acre indoor/outdoor State Farmers Market in Raleigh is easiest to find. Try free samples and talk directly with the people who grow your food. They’ll explain, in the most authentic southern accent you'll hear, the best way to fry okra or store fresh peaches. In addition to produce, vendors offer NC products like plants, honey, and sides of pork; crafters sell NC-made wares.
- Give our food trucks a try. NC Pal Donna B., originally from New Orleans, got me hooked on Mr. A's beignets.
5. Take in a Festival
Peak City Pig Fest (Apex)
Yippy! My new home mixes a traditional southern barbecue cook-off with free music and fun. (Locals know Apex got its name in the mid 1800s by being a water stop for the railroad and highest point, or apex, along a 30-mile stretch of the Chatham Railroad.)
Yippy! My new home mixes a traditional southern barbecue cook-off with free music and fun. (Locals know Apex got its name in the mid 1800s by being a water stop for the railroad and highest point, or apex, along a 30-mile stretch of the Chatham Railroad.)
Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival (Cary)
Full disclosure:
As a longtime Cary resident, Lazy Daze tops my list of summertime fun.
Full disclosure:
As a longtime Cary resident, Lazy Daze tops my list of summertime fun.
Catly festival goer
Nearly 330 artisans, 35 bands/entertainers spill over downtown sidewalks over this two-day festival, one of the largest juried events of its kind in the southeast US. I often snag garden art and one-of-a-kind jewelry here.
Dress for hot weather, wear comfy shoes, bring water and a big bag to carry one-of-a-kind crafted treasures you'll find. |
 Lazy Daze
I grab a free shuttle running every 20 minutes from nearby parking lots. It drops me off at the entrance and back to my car when afterward.
Check out Kids World, with games, storytelling, faceprinting, and crafts. Oh, find the Beer Garden for big peeps. |
Insider tip:
- NC Pal Benita B. takes in the NC Japan Festival with her daughter to experience Japanese culture, music, art, and dance.
your turn
I LOVE having you virtual visit North Carolina! What was your fave stop? What must-sees are in your corner of the world? Please share in the comment section.
Before you go, I’m blogging more about North Carolina over the next weeks. For National Book Lovers’ Day on 9 August, I’m featuring my pick of books for adults and kids that are set in North Carolina and written by NC authors. Y’all come back!
Don't go yet .....
There's more tons of fun ahead with the #Gr8blogs Summer Road Trips! Click over to your next destination and join my pals below. (And if you blog and want to hop with us, add a live hyperlink to your family-friendly road trip post in the comment section. My #Gr8blog pals and I will swing by and give you some blog love!)
Thanks a ton! Beyond grateful for your company.
Photos: by Cat Michaels unless credited
Before you go, I’m blogging more about North Carolina over the next weeks. For National Book Lovers’ Day on 9 August, I’m featuring my pick of books for adults and kids that are set in North Carolina and written by NC authors. Y’all come back!
Don't go yet .....
There's more tons of fun ahead with the #Gr8blogs Summer Road Trips! Click over to your next destination and join my pals below. (And if you blog and want to hop with us, add a live hyperlink to your family-friendly road trip post in the comment section. My #Gr8blog pals and I will swing by and give you some blog love!)
Thanks a ton! Beyond grateful for your company.
Photos: by Cat Michaels unless credited
Visit More #Gr8Blogs
Summer Road Trips
|
North America
Carmela Dutra - Take a tour of family-friendly places in California’s San Jose Bay Area. Julie Gorges - Julie shows you the best Southern California has to offer. K. Lamb - Buckle up as Kristen takes you through historical sites in California. |
Rebecca Lindsey - Check your tire pressure and take off on a virtual road trip through West Virginia . Rosie Russell - Dust off your maps as Rosie guides you through her home home town, Kansas City, Missouri Rhonda Paglia - Power up your GPS as Rhonda rocks you around Western Pennsylvania. |
Australia
Sandra Bennett - Transfer to a sea plane to find Sandra Down Under in Canberra. Hey, it's winter in Australia, so bring cold-weather clothes! |
I’m pleased to partner with BeachBoundBooks in coordinating a Book Blast for Lisa & Michael Cohn's newest children's book, Bash and Lucy: Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts. Their book speaks to me as a former special educator as the authors address challenges faced by kids for whom certain sights and sounds send them into sensory overload.
I've worked with many children and parents to address this unique style, so I'm over the moon to see more authors tackle the issue. tbh, I only had time to skim the book as I'm consumed with RIGHTsizing, but I loved my first glimpse. With its kid-friendly layout and font (no visual distractions here!) and bright pictures providing context clues for each chapter, it's perfect for beginning readers or reading aloud. Plus, Bash and Lucy offer tons of discussion possibilities about inclusion and bullying.
Please read on to:
The Book Blast runs May 21 - May 23, 2018.
Giveaway ends 4 June.
Happy tales and good luck!
I've worked with many children and parents to address this unique style, so I'm over the moon to see more authors tackle the issue. tbh, I only had time to skim the book as I'm consumed with RIGHTsizing, but I loved my first glimpse. With its kid-friendly layout and font (no visual distractions here!) and bright pictures providing context clues for each chapter, it's perfect for beginning readers or reading aloud. Plus, Bash and Lucy offer tons of discussion possibilities about inclusion and bullying.
Please read on to:
- Meet the authors, an award-winning mom/young son duo
- Watch a video interview with sensory sensitive kids
- Preview the Cohn's book
- Enter to win a $25 gift card/Pay Pal cash giveaway (details at the end)
The Book Blast runs May 21 - May 23, 2018.
Giveaway ends 4 June.
Happy tales and good luck!
About the Book
Title: Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts Authors: Lisa and Michael Cohn Genre: Children's Book Number of Pages: 86 Publisher: Canines and Kids Publishing Publication Date: May 15, 2018 Summary: Sensitive Bash gets grumpy and disruptive when his life is too bright, too loud, too smelly, or too busy. He counts on his dog, Lucy, to help keep him calm. But Paula, Bash's girl-power cousin, is causing all sorts of trouble. Paula says her soccer team has the right to take Lucy away from Bash because girls deserve the very best canine coaches. And superstar Lucy is the most successful coach around! How can Bash show he respects the girls' rights while keeping dear Lucy by his side? Award-winning mom-son authors Lisa and Michael Cohn have appeared on the Today Show, AM Northwest, and SiriusXM Radio, and in Disney's Babble, as well as other media.
About the Author
Award-winning mom-son authors Lisa and Michael Cohn have appeared on the Today Show, SiriusXM Radio, AM Northwest, and in Disney's Babble, the Oregonian, and other media outlets. They are founders of the Roving Reader Leaders. Michael and Lisa have "traveled" 540,000 miles and visited students in 15 countries around the world via Skype in the classroom to discuss their books.
Bash and Lucy Website | Roving Reader Leaders Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ Goodreads | Bash and Lucy YouTube | Roving Readers Leaders YouTube
Book Blast Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: June 4, 11:59 pm, 2018 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Lisa Cohn and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.
Thanks for stopping by. Like what you see?
Don’t miss a post!
Send this blog to your RSS feed or email.
Don’t miss a post!
Send this blog to your RSS feed or email.
Have you lost socks doing laundry and wondered where they went?
Author Michael Sullivan solves this mystery (Hint: time travel!) in his delightful picture book series, The SockKids. His books and merch also support the non-profit Friends of Kids with Cancer. Meet Michael and his gang of hose, PLUS enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or Pay Pal cash OR a pair of SockKids socks. Offer ends on 14 May, 2018. Good luck!
Author Michael Sullivan solves this mystery (Hint: time travel!) in his delightful picture book series, The SockKids. His books and merch also support the non-profit Friends of Kids with Cancer. Meet Michael and his gang of hose, PLUS enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or Pay Pal cash OR a pair of SockKids socks. Offer ends on 14 May, 2018. Good luck!
I’m pleased to partner with BeachBoundBooks in coordinating a Book Blast for Author Michael John Sullivan and the SockKids. The SockKids are partners with Friends of Kids With Cancer, a non-profit organization that helps kids be kids during their cancer treatments. We are honored to help out with YOUR help too. The blast will run from April 30 - May 14, 2018.
The SockKids focus on educating children and adults how bullying affects us all and what we can do about it.
Do you know where your socks go when they go missing in the washing machine? Well, the SockKids know! The SockKids are a mismatched family of socks that sometimes time travel through the spin cycle, teaching universal lessons of love and kindness, and focusing on creating a greater awareness of the many social issues that children are faced with today. The SockKids help to educate and encourage children from 2 to 92 to find solutions in helping to make this a better world.
In this story, Sudsy and Wooly discover their human is being bullied at school and team up against bullies with Ethan’s newest friend, Olivia. They discover bullying hurts everyone and staying silent is not an option.
More Inside! Children’s counselor and licensed therapist, Jamie Ross, gives adults and children guidelines on how to handle bullies.
Michael John Sullivan is the creator of the SockKids. Constantly searching for his socks, he wondered whether the missing foot comforters had found another pair of feet to warm. So he searched and searched, until he discovered these elusive socks likely time traveled. Before his interest in socks, Michael started writing his first novel while homeless, riding a NYC subway train at night. After being rescued off the train, he spent much of the past two decades helping raise two daughters while working at home in New York.
Michael eventually returned to his subway notes in 2007 and began writing Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness (Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books imprint). Library Journal named Necessary Heartbreakone of the year’s best in 2010. His second novel, Everybody’s Daughter (Fiction Studio Books, 2012) was named one of the best books of 2012 by TheExaminer.com. He completed the trilogy by having The Greatest Gift published by The Story Plant in 2015.
Michael has written articles about the plight of homelessness for CNN.com, The Washington Post.com, Beliefnet.com, the Huffington Post, and America Online’s Patch.com service. He is a former board member of the Long Island Coalition For the Homeless.
Shelley Larkin performs many tasks for the SockKids. She develops ideas, co-writes books, and is the marketing and promotions director. She has spent a lifetime of wondering where her missing socks go. The SockKids are grateful to finally solve this mystery for her.
She loves that children and their parents are drawn to the diversity of the SockKids family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences; treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course, beware of the spin cycle! In addition, she is dedicated to finding the right soap for Sudsy.
Shelley is also a passionate child advocate, working with a variety of cause-driven organizations such as Destination Imagination, Up & At It!, Child Abuse Prevention Council, 3 Strands, the International Bullying Prevention Center, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters Youth Organization. Shelley has developed a keen sense of awareness of what children experience today in dealing with such important issues including bullying and recognizes the importance of putting into place the type of value-added programs that will effectively strike a nerve in preventing our youth from losing their way to a safe and productive future.
In her spare time, she is an event planner and resides in California.
Susan Petrone lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, her daughter, and two silly dogs. When she isn’t writing SockKids stories, she writes novels and short stories (her work has been published in Glimmer Train, Featherproof Books, The Cleveland Review, Muse, Conclave, and Whiskey Island) writes about her beloved Cleveland Indians at ItsPronouncedLajaway.com for ESPN.com’s SweetSpot network. Her most recently, Throw Like A Woman, was published by The Story Plant in 2015.
Alexandra /SugarSnail dreamed of becoming an illustrator since childhood, even though she didn’t know the profession actually existed. She later graduated from college with an MFA in graphic design.
She never gave up on her dream, so she decided to do what she loved best – become a children’s illustrator. SugarSnail’s beautiful artwork can be seen in many children’s books.
To reach Alexandra Gold/SugarSnail, follow her on Facebook.
Giveaway ends: May 14, 11:59 pm, 2018
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Michael John Sullivan and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.
The Socks
The Socks are available for purchase at http://thesockkids.storenvy.com/.
Sale of the Socks will benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer.
About the Book
The SockKids – Solving The Mystery Of Your Missing Socks! Where do our missing socks go? Readers find out in our children’s series, The SOCKKIDS. We follow the Socker family through many adventures; from encountering the slobbery mouth of the family dog to meeting Santa as he comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve to helping a fireman save a baby to the most shy Socker going to the school dance for the first time. Thanks to the time-travel opportunities afforded by the spin cycle of the washer, they learn about some of the most important humans in the world. Children two and up and their parents will be drawn to the diversity of the family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences, treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course, beware of the spin cycle!
Where Do Our Missing Socks Go? We tell you! Readers find out in our children’s series -- The SOCKKIDS. We follow the Socker family through many adventures, from encountering the slobbery mouth of the family dog to meeting Santa as he comes down the chimney to helping a fireman save a baby to the most sky sock going to the school dance for the first time. Thanks to the time-travel opportunities afforded by the spin cycle of the washer, the Sockers learn about some of the most important humans in the world. Children two and up and their parents will be drawn to the journeys of the family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences, treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course beware of the spin cycle! In this book’s story, we read about Sudsy landing on the foot of inventor Ben Franklin. Sudsy, the bug-playing boy sock, discovers with Ben Franklin the wonders and dangers of electricity. The book includes safety rules and discussion questions put together by an experienced classroom teacher in helping parents and children respect the power of electricity.
Do you know where your socks go when they go missing in the washing machine? Well, the SockKids know! The SockKids are a mismatched family of socks that sometimes time travel through the spin cycle, teaching universal lessons of love and kindness, and focusing on creating a greater awareness of the many social issues that children are faced with today. The SockKids help to educate and encourage children from 2 to 92 to find solutions in helping to make this a better world.
In this story, Sudsy and Wooly discover their human is being bullied at school and team up against bullies with Ethan’s newest friend, Olivia. They discover bullying hurts everyone and staying silent is not an option.
More Inside! Children’s counselor and licensed therapist, Jamie Ross, gives adults and children guidelines on how to handle bullies.
Book available at http://thesockkids.storenvy.com
About the Author
Michael eventually returned to his subway notes in 2007 and began writing Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness (Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books imprint). Library Journal named Necessary Heartbreakone of the year’s best in 2010. His second novel, Everybody’s Daughter (Fiction Studio Books, 2012) was named one of the best books of 2012 by TheExaminer.com. He completed the trilogy by having The Greatest Gift published by The Story Plant in 2015.
Michael has written articles about the plight of homelessness for CNN.com, The Washington Post.com, Beliefnet.com, the Huffington Post, and America Online’s Patch.com service. He is a former board member of the Long Island Coalition For the Homeless.
About the Illustrators
She loves that children and their parents are drawn to the diversity of the SockKids family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences; treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course, beware of the spin cycle! In addition, she is dedicated to finding the right soap for Sudsy.
Shelley is also a passionate child advocate, working with a variety of cause-driven organizations such as Destination Imagination, Up & At It!, Child Abuse Prevention Council, 3 Strands, the International Bullying Prevention Center, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters Youth Organization. Shelley has developed a keen sense of awareness of what children experience today in dealing with such important issues including bullying and recognizes the importance of putting into place the type of value-added programs that will effectively strike a nerve in preventing our youth from losing their way to a safe and productive future.
In her spare time, she is an event planner and resides in California.
Alexandra /SugarSnail dreamed of becoming an illustrator since childhood, even though she didn’t know the profession actually existed. She later graduated from college with an MFA in graphic design.
She never gave up on her dream, so she decided to do what she loved best – become a children’s illustrator. SugarSnail’s beautiful artwork can be seen in many children’s books.
To reach Alexandra Gold/SugarSnail, follow her on Facebook.
Book Blast Giveaways
Prize: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card or $50 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice and a second winner will receive One pair of SockKids SocksGiveaway ends: May 14, 11:59 pm, 2018
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Michael John Sullivan and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.
Thanks for stopping by. Like what you see?
Don’t miss a post!
Send this blog to your RSS feed or email.
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Cannon atop Fort Macon still point protectively toward Bogue Sound. Grassy knolls covering this five-sided garrison stretch to tidal marshes, a strange mash-up of military and maritime. During the Civil War, Fort Macon guarded the Confederacy’s deep-water port access until Union troops pummeled its 4.5-feet thick walls 560 times in 1862 with new rifled cannon. After the war, the fort was occupied by the US Army and served as a military prison until 1877. Today, the site is the second most-visited state park in North Carolina.
I can understand why. From a lonely perch over tidal estuaries, dark corridors gouged from the earth connect 26 vaulted brick-and-stone rooms, encircling a huge central parade ground. This place oozes with history and tales to be discovered. Camera strapped to my neck, I set out to capture Fort Macon’s spirit (and spirits!) in a fanciful short-story that came to me one spring afternoon. Hope you enjoy my photo tale as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.
Winds rip off the Atlantic and scream across Bogue Banks.
Grains of sand attack my eyes like shards of glass,
destroying my peaceful beach stroll.
I escape by trekking inland over the dunes to the old fort.
Locals warned me not to go there, but I must find shelter.
Grains of sand attack my eyes like shards of glass,
destroying my peaceful beach stroll.
I escape by trekking inland over the dunes to the old fort.
Locals warned me not to go there, but I must find shelter.
Reaching the deserted stronghold, I hurry inside.
Despite sitting vacant for decades, it stands solid and imposing.
Despite sitting vacant for decades, it stands solid and imposing.
Descending through the old stone entry, it’s easy to imagine soldiers once garrisoned here. Were they fearful of battles to come? ...
Suffering under harsh sea winds? ...
Unrelenting heat? ...
Loneliness?
Suffering under harsh sea winds? ...
Unrelenting heat? ...
Loneliness?
Families and children also lived at the fort throughout its 100-year history.
And surely the good citizens from nearby Beaufort and Moorehead City
crossed the sound to visit or sell their wares.
And surely the good citizens from nearby Beaufort and Moorehead City
crossed the sound to visit or sell their wares.
A deafening Crack! slashes the quiet,
like a lightning strike coming too close on a summer evening.
I peer out a window to the ditch and moat.
That green lawn atop the fortress is bathed in brightest sunshine.
Not a storm cloud to be seen.
Bah! Must be wind knocking something that jangles my nerves.
Wait!
Here it comes again. And louder!
CRACK! CRACK!
like a lightning strike coming too close on a summer evening.
I peer out a window to the ditch and moat.
That green lawn atop the fortress is bathed in brightest sunshine.
Not a storm cloud to be seen.
Bah! Must be wind knocking something that jangles my nerves.
Wait!
Here it comes again. And louder!
CRACK! CRACK!
Curiosity overcomes my trepidations.
Scurrying outside to find the source of the noise,
I rub my eyes and stare.
Summer’s sun must be spinning my noggin because ...
--- Can it be!?! ---
... Union soldiers steadily advance
toward the entry gate I passed through seconds ago.
Scurrying outside to find the source of the noise,
I rub my eyes and stare.
Summer’s sun must be spinning my noggin because ...
--- Can it be!?! ---
... Union soldiers steadily advance
toward the entry gate I passed through seconds ago.
At the other end of the long field,
Confederate soldiers return fire.
Rifle blasts are daggers to my ears.
Smoke curling from muzzles presses against my face like a wet cloth.
I watch war’s true horror play out before me.
Soldiers on both sides fall mortally wounded.
This is not the stuff of video games or toy play figures.
Confederate soldiers return fire.
Rifle blasts are daggers to my ears.
Smoke curling from muzzles presses against my face like a wet cloth.
I watch war’s true horror play out before me.
Soldiers on both sides fall mortally wounded.
This is not the stuff of video games or toy play figures.
Get a grip, I steel myself.
This cannot be.
CanNOT be!
I blink again, and when I open my eyes…..
Nothing.
Soldiers disappear. Rifles gone.
Only silence and stretches of wind-whipped grass.
I laugh it off. Just shore breezes and sun playing tricks.
Time to head back to the beach and make my way home.
What's that?!?
The persistent beat of a drum wafts up from the corridors below.
Daaaaa dum-de-dum-dee-dum
An old-timey fife lightly pipes a wistful melody.
Tweee-deet Da-dee-tweee
I hear you warning me:
Noooooo, don't go!
Nothing good ever comes of investigating weird, inky places alone.
But the music is a siren's call,
luring me to twisty passageways once again.
This cannot be.
CanNOT be!
I blink again, and when I open my eyes…..
Nothing.
Soldiers disappear. Rifles gone.
Only silence and stretches of wind-whipped grass.
I laugh it off. Just shore breezes and sun playing tricks.
Time to head back to the beach and make my way home.
What's that?!?
The persistent beat of a drum wafts up from the corridors below.
Daaaaa dum-de-dum-dee-dum
An old-timey fife lightly pipes a wistful melody.
Tweee-deet Da-dee-tweee
I hear you warning me:
Noooooo, don't go!
Nothing good ever comes of investigating weird, inky places alone.
But the music is a siren's call,
luring me to twisty passageways once again.
When the concert ends, I can't help myself.
I applaud the performers.
They nod and beckon me
to join their eternal music series.
That’s it!
Last night’s feast of fried bay scallops and biscuits,
with a side or two of local brew,
obviously are taking a toll on my senses!
I sprint from the fort.
Stumble across the dunes, running hard and out of breath.
Collapse in the safety of the beach, where shore winds are strangely quiet.
Whew!
My imagination must be working overtime.
Nobody roams the old fort, I assure myself.
A whisper carries on a gentle breeze and tickles my ears ….
Are you SURE?
I applaud the performers.
They nod and beckon me
to join their eternal music series.
That’s it!
Last night’s feast of fried bay scallops and biscuits,
with a side or two of local brew,
obviously are taking a toll on my senses!
I sprint from the fort.
Stumble across the dunes, running hard and out of breath.
Collapse in the safety of the beach, where shore winds are strangely quiet.
Whew!
My imagination must be working overtime.
Nobody roams the old fort, I assure myself.
A whisper carries on a gentle breeze and tickles my ears ….
Are you SURE?
The End
Your Turn
What old or historic places have you visited? Could you imagine what is was like for the people who lived there? Please share your experience in the comments section.
What old or historic places have you visited? Could you imagine what is was like for the people who lived there? Please share your experience in the comments section.
Credits
Title Photo: Kevinbercaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Story and Photos: Cat Michaels
Grateful to my writerly/photographer pal, Auden Johnson, for showing me how photo tales can be creative and fun.
Thanks to Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach, NC, and local history re-enactors for my images and inspiration.
Learn more @ https://www.ncparks.gov/fort-macon-state-park
Title Photo: Kevinbercaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Story and Photos: Cat Michaels
Grateful to my writerly/photographer pal, Auden Johnson, for showing me how photo tales can be creative and fun.
Thanks to Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach, NC, and local history re-enactors for my images and inspiration.
Learn more @ https://www.ncparks.gov/fort-macon-state-park
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Cat Michaels
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