27 02, 2017

Mesothelioma Cancer – A personal tale

By judythemorgan|2017-02-13T18:26:40-06:00February 27th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

I first learned about mesothelioma cancer two years ago when Heather Von St. James, a mesothelioma cancer survivor, emailed with a request to share her story as a guest blogger.

If you aren’t familiar with mesothelioma cancer, it’s also known as asbestos cancer. Every year doctors diagnose an estimated 3,000 cases of mesothelioma in the United States because mesothelioma can take from 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure before symptoms appear.

That’s what happened to Virgil Anderson, my guest blogger for today. This is his mesothelioma story.

Virgil Anderson – A Personal Tale of Asbestos and Mesothelioma

You can find a lot of statistics and facts online about the dangers of asbestos and the poor outcomes of being diagnosed with mesothelioma. What I hope to offer is a more personal story that may serve as a warning to others.

Asbestos is not used as often as it once was, but it is still out there in older buildings, in cars, in industrial settings, and other locations. I only hope my story will help protect others from the same fate.

My story begins in my hometown of Williamson, West Virginia. I was born and raised in this small town and my prospects for college or a career were limited. I took the initiative and started working and earning as early as I could.

Starting in high school, I worked in demolition. I helped to tear down old buildings, sometimes with machinery and other times with my bare hands. I did this back-breaking work in a swirl of dust and debris.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that dust contained toxic asbestos fibers and without protection, I was inhaling them.

From demolition I moved on to more skilled and specialized work that was not nearly as physically demanding. I started working with cars. One of my early jobs was removing the hood liners from older cars.

Again, what I didn’t know was that these hood liners had asbestos in them to insulate against heat and protect against fire.

Later, I moved on to working as a mechanic, which included dismantling and replacing brakes and clutches, and you probably guessed it by now: these too contained asbestos.

As happens with many other people who work around asbestos without knowing of the risks, I received my diagnosis of mesothelioma many years later. This terrible type of cancer sits latent in the body, showing no signs and causing no symptoms for decades.

By the time, I knew something was wrong it was too late. I was diagnosed with advanced pleural mesothelioma.

I am over 50 years old and living with symptoms like shortness of breath, a terrible cough, and pain in my chest when I breathe. I can’t move much anymore and although I am not that old, I am severely limited in what I can do. Just getting out of bed is now difficult for me.

My treatment options are limited because of the advance stage of the disease. I am not a good candidate for surgery, but I have been able to receive chemotherapy. It helps, but it is not enough to cure me or to extend my life by much. I need help just doing normal, everyday activities, but I am still glad to be alive.

I am most glad to be alive so that I can share my story with others. If describing what I have been through helps just one person to be screened early for mesothelioma or take steps at work to be protected from asbestos, I feel that I have done some good.

As Virgil says, we share his story to encourage others to be tested and aware of the dangers of mesothelioma.

20 02, 2017

Three Presidential Love Story Quotes

By judythemorgan|2019-02-03T20:50:06-06:00February 20th, 2017|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

It’s President’s Day. I thought it might be fun to look at love stories/quotes of presidents. In my day, we had holidays for Lincoln’s birthday (February 12) and George Washington’s birthday (February 22) instead of the singular day to honor all presidents. For that reason, I begin with Lincoln and Washington.

Teddy Roosevelt’s story touched my romance writer’s heart so I had to share it too.

~~Abraham Lincoln to Mary Todd Lincoln

Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS an illustration done shortly after they moved into the White House.

Mary Todd, the daughter of a successful merchant and politician, attracted the attention of up-and-coming politician and lawyer Abraham Lincoln. Her family did not approve of the match, but Mary and Abraham shared a love of politics and literature and a deep love for each other. When Lincoln won his Congressional seat in 1846, Mary joined him in Washington. Something unheard of at the time.

“My wife was as handsome as when she was a girl,” Lincoln once told a reporter. “And I, poor nobody then, fell in love with her, and what is more, have never fallen out.”

~~George Washington and Martha Dandridge Custis Washington

The romance of George and Martha was hardly a wild passionate romance by today’s standards. By the time their engagement was determined, they liked each other a great deal. Eight months after their marriage, George Washington wrote to his agent in England.“I am now I beleive fixd at this Seat with an agreable Consort for Life and hope to find more happiness in retirement than I ever experienced amidst a wide and busthng World.”

Eighteenth century marriages were formed for ease of living. George and Martha chose wisely, perhaps more than they realized at the time. According to historians, they shared forty years together during which they grew to love each other with true devotion.

~~ Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Lee RooseveltAlice was Teddy Roosevelt’s first wife. He wrote of her: “Sweetest little wife, I think all the time of my little laughing, teazing beauty, and how pretty she is, and how she goes to sleep in my arms, and I could almost cry I love you so.”

Unfortunately, their love was short lived. On Valentine’s Day in 1884, Roosevelt suffered a double loss. His mother died of typhus and his beloved Alice in childbirth. His diary entry for the day is shown above. Later, he penned this private tribute for his sweetest little wife.

She was beautiful in face and form, and lovelier still in spirit; As a flower she grew, and as a fair young flower she died. Her life had been always in the sunshine; there had never come to her a single sorrow; and none ever knew her who did not love and revere her for the bright, sunny temper and her saintly unselfishness. Fair, pure, and joyous as a maiden; loving, tender, and happy. As a young wife; when she had just become a mother, when her life seemed to be just begun, and when the years seemed so bright before her—then, by a strange and terrible fate, death came to her. And when my heart’s dearest died, the light went from my life forever.

How does your love story compare to these presidential love story and quotes?

13 02, 2017

Tips for Collecting Valentines

By judythemorgan|2019-02-03T16:48:39-06:00February 13th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Vintage valentines can be very valuable, especially Victorian era pop-up honeycomb ones. Values vary and can range into the hundreds of dollars up to thousands. Check Kovels Valentine’s Day collectibles Pinterest board for examples and values.

I am a valentine card collector. If you think you might be interested in becoming a collector, here are some tips on how to start.

What should you look for?

Valentines that relate to the news of the day
Valentines signed by someone significant
Older homemade cards
Victorian three-dimensional valentines
Postcard valentines
Die-cut school-type valentines from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s
Mechanical valentines with moving parts from the 1950s

Hairstyles, clothes, cars, or trains pictured in older valentines will help date the card.

Where should you look?

Old scrapbooks
Keepsake boxes for letters are stored for sentimental reasons
Old heart shaped candy boxes
Flea markets or ephemera shows
House sales, garage/tag sales and thrift shops

Are contemporary valentines worth collecting?

The simply answer is yes if you look for certain characteristics according to Terry Kovel of Kovel’s Antiques, Inc.

Cards should reflect current news, pop culture, and/or historical events.
Cards depicting characters from Disney, children’s’ books, cartoons, movies, and television shows.
Be cautious about new technology cards. Those record-your-own-voice cards will stop talking as they age.

Learn more about valentine collecting from these sites: National Valentine Collectors Association or The Ephemera Society

Here are examples from my personal collection. I love displaying them each February.

6 02, 2017

Time to Share Some Valentine Love

By judythemorgan|2017-02-05T19:00:50-06:00February 6th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

I’m a romantic at heart and by profession. After all, I do write about romance. February is my favorite time of year.

Saint Valentine, for whom the day is named, was a real priest. He went to prison because he performed Christian marriages when the Roman Empire had outlawed the sacrament. While imprisoned, he cut hearts from parchment and gave them to the soldiers and persecuted Christians to “remind them of God’s love and to encourage them to remain faithful Christians.”

His deed began our custom of sharing cards and gifts of love on February 14.

Unlike Christmas where gifting can become expensive, sending a valentine card can a fun, simple, and inexpensive way to say I love you or I’m thinking about you. You can use your imagination to create cute, adorable, beautiful, special, romantic, charming, or even corny homemade cards.

As we approach this Valentine’s Day, let’s not forget the men and women who serve our country.

The web is loaded with Valentines for Vets classroom projects ideas. I’m not a teacher, but that won’t stop me from sending cards to our local veteran’s center.

Won’t you join me?

Valentines of all shapes, sizes, and colors are welcome. I find greeting-card size valentines are easiest to package and distribute.

Just keep these tips in mind as you create your cards:

Sign your valentine with your first name only. Do not include your last name, phone number, or address
Share a little about yourself. Students usually share their age, school, likes, etc.
Do not include candy or chocolate with the valentines
Avoid glitter or materials that might easily break off if you send a homemade card
Don’t date the card with the year
Most importantly, tell the vet why you appreciate them. Need ideas on what to say? Try this site.
If you send more than one valentine, don’t seal individual valentines envelopes. Instead, place unsealed cards in one larger sealed envelope to mail or deliver your valentines in.

You can go through national organization websites or simply your drop cards off at a local veteran’s facility. Click here to find a veterans’ center near you.

Let’s share valentine love with a veteran this year.

30 01, 2017

Procrastination Can Kill Writing Success

By judythemorgan|2017-01-26T16:11:04-06:00January 30th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Procrastination means putting off an essential task.

Admit it you procrastinate. All writers do.

Procrastination is a clever enemy often disguised as worthy endeavors such as a writer’s meeting, a writing conference, a computer game to “clear the head”, or a movie for “research.”

Social media, while a critical component for author promotion, can also be a major procrastination culprit. Who doesn’t find Twitter or Facebook or web surfing sucking precious time from writing?

Delaying issues for some writers can be more subtle. Things like spending time reading blogs or books about writing or tidying a work area before beginning. Well-intentioned things to do, however not very productive.

If your time revolves around thinking about writing or learning about writing without actually writing, face it, you’re procrastinating.

So how do we cure the culprit that steals our words from the page?

First, admit you’re procrastinating.

Next, try these five helpful hints to stop.

Divide your project into small chunks

Commit to working an hour on a project by breaking the task into doable pieces. For non-fiction books, this may be creating a chapter outline. For a novel, try breaking the story smaller segments like scenes or start with character development.

Schedule writing time

Too often writers put off writing until everything else is done. The dishes put in the dishwasher, the clothes folded, the dog walked, etc. You get the idea. There is no perfect time to write.

Schedule a one-hour block of time to sit down at your desk and write. Consider it an unbreakable appointment.

Set a timer

Once you have a designated writing time, set your phone timer, a kitchen timer, or an online timer like e.ggtimer.com for 15 – 30 minutes. Forget about whether what you produce is good or bad – keep writing.

Turn off your internal editor and self-critic

Simply write like nobody’s watching. After all, no one needs to see your writing until you’re ready.

Get a grip and just do it.

Put your butt in the chair and W-R-I-T-E whether you feel like it or not. No matter how much strategizing, planning, and hypothesizing you do if you don’t take action, nothing happens.

According to Wayne Dyer, “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”

Don’t let procrastination defeat you. Try these five tips and when you’ve put words on the page,

celebrate.

23 01, 2017

Are these five POGO traits sabotaging your writing?

By judythemorgan|2017-01-13T14:27:25-06:00January 23rd, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

A writing career has no policy and procedure manual, no checklist for success. Each day brings uncharted water.

The path to success can be an emotional roller coaster ride. Up one day. Downhill fast the next.

More than any other job, writers are in control of their destiny. At the same time, writers can be their own worst enemy. Unfamiliar with Pogo?

Pogo and his “swamp critter friends” are the anthropomorphic comic strip animals created by Walt Kelly in 1948. They philosophized and poked at social and political successes and follies in Kelly’s comic strip. Probably the most widely used Pogo quote is the one depicted in this poster from Earth Day in the 70s.

There are five traits, when exhibited, that can make a writer his own worst enemy. That’s why I dubbed them POGO traits.

Too much time and energy focused on mimicking the writing and style of other authors.

The world already has Janet Evanovich, J.K. Rowling, Steven King, and Nora Roberts. Their success is their success.

You can’t copy and get there! Stop wasting your time.

Preoccupation with following THE RULES.

Rules are very important. Absolutely.

Writing, on the other hand, is an art form that entails experimentation, innovation, and expansion. Once you have the basics down—things like POV, dialogue, setting, character, plot, theme, it’s time to trust your instincts and what works for your story.

Buying into every new way to write or plot that’s suggested

Workshops, classes, and webinars are terrific for improving craft skills. BUT writing experts don’t always know what’s right for your writing process. Once you find the process that works best for you and your lifestyle, stick with it.

An inability to take criticism or believing everything anyone says about your story

Either of these positions can be fatal. Admittedly, surviving a brutal criticism or review isn’t for the fainthearted. As a writer, you need elephant hide and keen discernment to see the opinions expressed for exactly what they’re worth.

It’s strong writers who survive…and often produce better stories from hard critiques or bad reviews.

Not writing

The procrastination parasite bites us all from time to time. Whether moved by the muse or not, a professional writer goes to the keyboard or grabs a pencil every day.

Promotion, social media, and marketing do cut into writing time. All of that is important for developing reader relationships. Balance is the key because gaining readership (aka success) ultimately comes from writing the next story.

Do you see POGO traits in yourself? I admit I’m guilty of too many, too often.

I become my own worst enemy. Do you?

16 01, 2017

Thoughts on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By judythemorgan|2017-01-16T16:52:35-06:00January 16th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

President Ronald Reagan signed legislation in 1983 designating today as a federal holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his accomplishments.

Dr. King’s nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement changed things for so many. He believed “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

Today offers an opportunity to reflect on the past, think about the present, plan for the future, and remember what is truly important.

We are all in the same boat now.

More recently, the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act passed to encourage Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service.

This quote sums up Dr. King’s attitude on service

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

As we reflect on Dr. King’s words, I encourage all of us to find a project that forwards King’s vision and participate. Let today be the start of a year in which we make a positive and peaceful impact in our community and the world.

Let’s make this boat we’re in a better place.

9 01, 2017

Legacy of Letter Writing

By judythemorgan|2017-01-08T20:25:39-06:00January 9th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

January 8 through 14 is letter-writing week. The intent of the week long observation is to have more people W-R-I-T-E a letter with a pen or pencil or any other writing instrument.

Handwritten letters offer such a legacy. It’s a shame we don’t value the skill and write more.

Texting and emailing have replace paper and pen as the preferred method of communicating. You can’t deny the convenience and accessibility, but an email or text doesn’t come close to evoking the emotional and visceral response of a lovingly crafted, handwritten letter.

Letters can tell such stories.

Recently, my husband spent days sorting through his family letters and other ephemera. From those old letters, he has been able to reconstruct his family history.

Some of the letters confirmed his memories. Some corrected his memories and others stirred new memories.

From all those letters between his parents , their friends, and his siblings and other documents, he has a timeline that future generations will be able to follow. Plus, they’ll have all the original letters to read.

Maybe you have family letters stashed away some place. Cherish them. Someday organize what you have.

I store family ephemera in vintage suitcases that in turn become side tables or coffee tables.

This year we received more holiday cards than ever before. Many of the cards had letters or handwritten notes. I’ve always been one of those who love to read about what our friends and family are doing. Receiving so many cards this year made my holiday all the merrier.

I’m hoping it’s a trend and others are coming to appreciate letter writing.

This week I encourage you to participate by writing a letter to a friend or family member. Or take the time to teach a child how to write simple thank you cards, letters, invitations, and post cards.

Receiving a handwritten note will put a smile on someone’s face. More importantly, you’ll leave a legacy.

2 01, 2017

Black-eyed peas and Lucky New Year’s Foods

By judythemorgan|2016-12-30T16:01:30-06:00January 2nd, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

If you’re born-and-raised in the U.S. south, you never skip eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.

It doesn’t matter whether the peas are fresh, frozen, or canned, you must have at least one pea if you want good luck in the coming New Year.

The tradition originated with Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s march from Atlanta to Savanah, Georgia, in the fall of 1864 during the War of Northern Aggression. (Okay, it’s called the Civil War. I’m using the term preferred by diehard southerners.)

Sherman’s soldiers stripped the Georgia countryside of crops, robbed food stores and killed or carried away livestock as they progressed toward the sea. The troops passed over the field peas, what we call black-eyed peas, thinking the legumes were for animal feed. The plantation owners with untouched fields of black-eyed peas felt lucky to have food for the winter.

There are other foods here in the U.S. and around the world considered “lucky” to eat on New Year’s Day.

Greens. Collards, kale, or chard because they’re green like money.

Grains and noodles. Grains (corn, rice, quinoa, barley) are symbols of long life and abundance.

Ring shaped cakes and pastries. The circular shape suggests coming full circle. In Denmark, you might be served a dramatically tall, ringed cake called Kransekage, a cone-shaped pastry constructed of ever smaller concentric circles.

Pork. Pigs are a worldwide symbol of prosperity and a lucky New Year’s food, especially in Germany. The symbolism dates back to old decks of playing cards, in which the ace was known as die Sau (a sow, or female pig). The expression Schwein haben became a synonym for being lucky.

Fruit. In Spain, Portugal and many Latin American countries, New Year’s revelers eat 12 grapes at midnight— one grape for each stroke of the clock. If one grape is sour, that month might not be so fortunate. Other lucky fruits include pomegranate and figs. Pomegranate seeds suggest prosperity and figs fertility.

If you didn’t try any lucky foods yesterday, you might consider eating a few today just in case. After all, you can’t have too much good luck.

26 12, 2016

Goodbye Christmas 2016 – 8 Tips for Packing Decorations Away

By judythemorgan|2016-12-23T08:28:36-06:00December 26th, 2016|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas. Are you removing the Christmas decorations today? Or, do you wait until Epiphany or Twelfth Night?

Either way, the tree must be unadorned. The things we carefully placed to put us in the holiday spirit must be stored until next year.

Exhaustion has swallowed the enthusiasm we experienced setting up and the task of taking down decorations can be depressing. Still, the job must be done and being systematic with undecorating can make the decorating task go faster next year.

Try these eight tips to ensure everything you take down this year is in good condition and ready to be displayed next year.

Start by deciding whether you’ll use the Swiss cheese method or devote an entire day to the task. Me, I prefer the Swiss cheese method. I gather things into one spot before I begin loading my plastic containers.

Dismantle holiday displays and pack them up according to specific areas of the home.

Store decorations in plastic containers marked with the location for the decorations.

Launder fabric items before you put away. Always make sure the items are completely dry before packing them up. Oversized zip-top bags or vacuum bags work perfectly for storage. Or place folded items in one plastic container.

Bows made from wire-edged ribbon should be gently loaded into plastic containers. Wads of tissue paper stuffed in the loops will help keep their shape while in storage. Even if they get a bit smashed, they can easily be refreshed for next year.

Wrap fragile ornaments in tissue paper or bubble wrap from holiday deliveries and gifts if you did not save the original packaging for storage. Plastic ornament boxes with dividers are a great investment. It makes undecorating the tree go quickly and delicate ornaments are well protected.

Light strings, either indoor or outdoor, should be wound and stored in individual zip-lock bags to prevent tangles.

Outdoor displays should be covered in large, heavy-duty contractor bags that can be used more than once.

Can you add any tips you have for undecorating? If so, share in the comments.