Authors Speak, The Things We’ll Never Have
Our libraries are an essential resource for our children, our communities, and our future. ~ Danielle Steel Authors Speak This Succeed and Soarย series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcomeย Hilary Hauck Hilary,ย what phrase inspires your writing and life? Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. โย Neil Gaiman,ย Coraline How have Gaiman’s words helped your writing, your life? Growing up I struggled tremendously with the feeling I was the only person who didnโt fit in. This sense of unworthiness was my dragon. I journeyed for many years before I believed in myself which is why my characters tend to be on a formidable path to beat their dragons. My dream would be to inspire readers to discover their own inner amazing, feel comfortable in their own skin, and totally rock this single chance we get at life. How these words inspiredย The Things We’ll Never Have The Things Weโll Never Haveย is the story of three women who have suffered the loss of a man they love. When their paths cross, they uncover a shocking truth that makes a mockery of how theyโve lived their lives for the person they lost, not for themselves. They must each face their inner dragons if theyโre to pursue the lives they truly want and deserve. Sample Text: โYet in my weariness, I settle for contemplating how odd it is that you don’t notice the world around you. The everyday, the sights we take for granted. We regret yesterday and how we did things, we worry about tomorrow, but when we do we give time to today?โ Kirkus Review Autographed copies of Hilary’s books can be purchasedย HERE. About Hilary An Italian speaking Brit living in the US, Hilary Hauck is a bestselling, award-winning author of historical and fantasy fiction featuring characters struggling to find their inner amazing. Her books includeย From Ashes to Song, The Things Weโll Never Have, andย Trevor Made Christmasย stories. Through Radiant Tree Books, SucceedandSoar.com, and her Fine Art collections at SandrasArt.Pixels.com, Sandra Gould Ford creates and presents art for healing and high achievement, to lift hearts and spirits, awareness and humanity. Until midnight EST, June 1,ย Succeed and Soar’sย first “12 Paths to Joy” series isย 25% off. โIllustrated Wisdomโ is Contemplative Art that is guided by the heart. It can open peaceful and inspiring spaces while: * Clarifying choices * Offering important insights * Relaxing body, mind and spirit Three versions of the beautifully illustrated, 60-page sketch journals can be previewed here: 8×10, Standard Print, Soft Cover. Regular $32.50. This week: $24.00ย ย Preview here. 8×10, Economy Print, Soft Cover. Regular Price $21. This week: $15.50.ย Preview here. 5×8, Economy Print, Soft Cover. Regular Price $15. This week $11.ย Preview here. Shop All Books
Zen Peace
Classic Movie Dialogue People here are funny. They work so hard at living they forget how to live. Hear Gary Cooper say these wordsย [5 seconds] Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, 1939 These special posts offer a little video, often less than five minutes. Some are selected to inspire. Some to amaze. Some to fascinate, even shock.ย All are chosen to fulfillย Succeed and Soarโsย mission: To lift the heart and spirit, our awareness and humanity. This month’s little video presents aย precious reminder of how to handle lifeโs most important moment. This Lovely Lesson begins, Once upon a time in a small village … Click Here to View.ย 4 minutes, 37ย seconds. Wise Waysย shares research and meditations on how to make the most of each moment. Some were first presented at the WordPress blog. It still exists. In 2019, these writings were updated and posted at Succeed and Soar, a web site that exists to lift the heart and spirit, awareness and humanity. Encouraging quotes from insightful thinkers like Albert Einstein, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Dalai Lama and Winston Churchill fill the book. The beautifully illustrated essays are shared in the order posted. All books have high-gloss, laminated covers. The 8×10, 60-page books are also sketch journals with guided meditations and inspiring prompts that allow enriching, contemplative experiences. Through midnight EST, May 23, these Wise Ways books areย 25% off. 6×9, soft cover Standard color book, 36 pages. Regular $22. This week $15. 50ย View. 8×10 Sketch Journal. Soft cover, 60 pages, Standard color. Regular $32. This week $24–.ย View 8×10 Sketch Journal. Soft cover. Economy color. Regular $19. This weekย $14.ย View. Shop All Books
Metabolic Fitness
Consider And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. โ Revelations 22:2 Metabolism, A Crash Course Click Here to View Yes, this video’s breakneck speed made my head spin a few times. That said, an awesome appreciation for what’s required to make my body work was gained. A lot’s going on inside. Length:ย 10:33ย Minutes Metabolism is how energy is converted into materials that grow and maintain bodies.ย Plants use sunlight to change water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbohydrates [sugars and starches]. Animals consume oxygen, carbohydrates and other things to create carbon dioxide, water and energy.ย Read more. Levels Healthย explains that metabolism is cellular mechanisms that generate energy from our food and environment to power every single cell. When these energy-producing pathways run smoothly, metabolic health, can include, Sharp memory and recall Sustained endurance Fat-burning ability and healthy weight Clear skin and less wrinkles Improved sexual health And more I first heard the term, โmetabolic fitness,โ while watchingย Saraโs Weeknight Meals, a healthy eating and lifestyles show. At the time, I wondered how metabolism and fitness connected and learned there are exercises designed to improve metabolism and provide important health benefits like, โImproving how efficiently energy moves through the body, so that more can be done in less time. โUsing calories in ways that they continue burning after a workout. โIncreasing aerobic capacity (how much oxygen is used during activities). See While even walking can improve health, here are Metabolic Fitness workout videos that definitely stimulate: 30 Minute Total Body Metabolic Conditioning Workoutย 30 Minute METCON Total Metabolic Conditioningย 45 Minute Workout to Boost Metabolismย In understanding the connection between metabolism and exercise, suspect itโs time for me to get going! Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. COMMENT As a young mother, I worked at Jones and Laughlin Steel’s Pittsburgh Works during its heyday when over 10,000 people struggled and snoozed, played pranks and died in that fire and brimstone world. I saw the last steel poured inside those bleak walls. I watched those miles of cinder and char change as new life evolved from the mill’s ashes. Steel Genesisย presents images and my experiences of making steel, the metal and human mettle. Through midnight May 18 EST,, three versions ofย Steel Genesis, Memoires of Metal and Metalย areย 25% off.ย All books have high-gloss, laminated covers. 6×9, soft cover, black and white photography. 60 pages.ย Regular $17.00.ย This week $12.00ย View 8×10ย hard cover, photo bookย printed on Premium Lustre Paper. 50 pages. Regular $125.ย This week $90.ย View. 8×10 trade, soft cover book, standard paper, 50 pages. Regular $69.ย This week $41.ย View Shop All Books Thanks for your support! When in New York City this summer, definitely visit LaToya Ruby Frazier’s exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. “Monuments of Solidarity” includes a special,ย Steel Genesisย presentation.
Your Heroic Heart – Caring Rides
Heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Anonymous When Andrew Carnegie created his Hero Commission, the steel magnateโs first intent was,To place those following peaceful vocations, who have been injured in heroic effort to save human life, in somewhat better positions pecuniarily than before, until again able to work. In the case of death, the widow and children, or other dependents, to be provided for until she remarries, and the children until they reach a self-supporting age. For exceptional children exceptional grants may be made for exceptional education. So far, six people have received the Carnegie Medal twice. In 1958, Ruddell Stitch was a 26-year-old boxer who rescued a dam operator who fell into the Ohio, fractured his leg and could not swim. While drifting downstream, Ruddell kept the man afloat until help arrived. Eighteen months later, Ruddell was helping a friend across the sill of the same dam when his buddy slipped, pulling Ruddell with him. Ruddell swam over 100 feet and kept diving, trying to find his friend. Ruddell left a wife and six children. When his widow died two years later, the Hero Fund provided a monthly stipend to the childrenโs grandmother for 16 years. On May 12, 1963, 20-year-old Daniel Stockwell ran 150 feet to a small beach where two men had fallen into the Atlantic Ocean. He then swam 35 feet to support one unconscious man until help arrived. On October 15, 1991, Daniel was a school principal who offered himself as a substitute hostage for fifteen students being held at gunpoint. ย For 40 minutes, Daniel talked with the assailant until police subdued the gunman. Research and Photos Source: Carnegie Hero Fund Commission Wouldn’t more monuments and statues honoring these kinds of heroes be great? โHeroโ comes from ancient words meaningย demiย [half, unfinished, almost]-godย andย to watch over, to protect. A “Random Act of Kindness” qualifies, as in this post’s video. Imagine a world where everyone goes to bed a hero. Random Acts of Kindness:Mr. Bill’s Village Click Here to View ย [2ย minutes, 37ย seconds] A Great Gift Through midnight EST, May 11, Succeed and Soar’sย “Beyond The Sky’s Limits” series isย 25% off. The 72-page books are sketch journals that offer space for โIllustrated Wisdoms,โ a Contemplative Art guided by the heart. This doodling and drawing can open peaceful and inspiring spaces while: * Clarifying choices * Offering important insights * Relaxing body, mind and spirit All books have high-gloss, laminated covers. Three versions ofย Beyond the Sky’s Limitsย can be previewed here: 6×9, Standard color, 72 page sketch journal. Regular $33.ย This week $25.ย View. 5×8, Economy color, 72-page sketch journal. Regular $16.ย This week $12. View 5×8 Standard color, 36-page book of visual inspirations. Regular $18.ย This week, $13.50.ย View. Shop All Books Thanks for your support!
Authors Speak, Daughters of Eve
Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time.ย ~ Edwin Percy Whipple Authors Speak This Succeed and Soarย series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Sally Wiener Grotta Photo [c] 2014, Sandra Gould Ford Sally, what phrase inspires your writing and life? Butt to chair; hands on keyboard. Sally Wiener Grotta How have theseย words helped your writing, your life? No book can be written without โButt to chair; hands on keyboard.โ But what drives me to write isย my need to try to understand what is incomprehensible to me in this world. And I write to try to find ways to make connections โ through questions and listening. My newest book โDaughters of Eveโ (Bayit Publishing) is an essay collection that is all about questioning and listening. Itโs a discussion workbook and journaling guide thatย explores the nature of living in the 21st century through the filter of the stories of the women of the Hebrew Bible (such as Eve, Sarah, Hagar, and so forth). Itโs designed to facilitate exchanges not so much about religion or the Bible, but about how our reflections on those ancient female archetypes influence and reveal who we are today. Most of all, itโs about connecting with and questioning the past, and then listening to our own hearts and minds, and to one another. By doing so, we can open paths for in-depth, respectful conversations on all kinds of subjects, among both non-religious and religious participants, as well as among people of different faiths or no faith. How did these words inspireย Daughters of Eve? While Iโve been inspired by many great authors and thinkers, such as Maya Angelou,ย Jorge Luis Borges, Ursula K. Leguin, Viktor Frankl, in the end, itโs up to me. The primary requirement of being a writer is to write. So, I do, nearly every day, for at least a ยฝ hour, often longer. When Iโm feeling uncertain or donโt know quite how I want the words to be formed, I remind myself: โButt to chair; hands on keyboard.โ And I type whatever. Stream of consciousness. My characterโs personality quirks. A physical description of a scene. I type until the story pours out of me. Sample text From the first essay in โDaughters of Eveโ (download a free sample chapter atย https://bit.ly/Daughters_chapter) << If you could be magically transported into Eveโs body before she reached for the fruit, would you pick and eat it? To not eat would mean to be immortal, protected, and forever innocent. To eat would mean death for you and all your descendants, and struggling every moment of your short life. Youโd be awake to good and evil, kindness and hurt, love and hate, and all the passions and needs that would beset your flesh and spirit. >> Reviewย ย Purchase Bookย Definitely check out Sally’s video chats with authors atย ย Why If? Why Not? How? About the Author Sally Wiener Grotta, award-winning writer, photographer & speaker. Her newest books are:ย ย Of Being Women, a collection of feminist scifi stories (Noble Fusion), andย Daughters of Eve, an essay discussion workbook that explores what it is to be a woman today through the filter of biblical tales of matriarchs (Bayit). Keep in mind, ย Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. โ Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! This Month, shopย Succeed and Soarย art on 3 types of towels Details: Luxurious, brushed microfiber 100% cotton back for maximum absorption Top of towel has image, back of towel is white Three sizes: Hand towel 15โ x 30โ Bath towelย 32โx 64โย and Bath Sheetย 37โ x 74โ Machine wash cold, tumble dry at low heat Personalized art arrangement Place vertical or horizontal on towel Change size and position Select from dozens of background colors See all towels. Shop all Fine Art America Collections. Thanks.
The Greatest Adventure
“.Andย remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart is not judged by how muchย youย love, but by how much you are loved by others.” Can you name the film source of these words? View Clip Here 4:12 Minutes These special posts offer a little video, often less than five minutes. Some are selected to inspire. Some to amaze. Some to fascinate, even shock.ย All are chosen to fulfillย Succeed and Soarโsย mission: To lift the heart and spirit, our awareness and humanity. DJ Sadhuโs creations are so beautiful and thought provoking that each year I like to share one.ย The Greatest Journeyย opens with, โThe best journeys in life are those that answer questions you never thought to ask.โ This interpretation of life’s moments is lovely. Enjoy the poetic imagery. Click Here to View.ย The Greatest Adventure 5 Minutes 8 Seconds. This Month, Shopย Succeed & Soarย Art on Towels Details: Luxurious, brushed microfiber 100% cotton back for maximum absorption Top of towel has image, back of towel is white Three sizes: Hand towel 15โ x 30โ Bath towelย 32โx 64โย and Bath Sheetย 37โ x 74โ Machine wash cold, tumble dry at low heat Personalized art arrangement Place vertical or horizontal on towel Change size and position Select from dozens of background colors See all towels. Shop all Fine Art America Collections. Thanks.
Thrive, Going Against The Grains
What If You Stop Eating Grains for 14 Days? Click Here to View Learn why Wheat, Quinoa, Spelt and ย Other Grains Should Be Avoided Length:ย 13 Minutes Consider Spending time in nature is healing energy. โ Source Unknown Shark Tankย is a television show where fledgling businesses seek capital and mentorship from affluent entrepreneurs.ย On this reality show, potential investors are called โsharks.โ In a January, 2023 episode, tortillas made from jicama flour were pitched as an alternative to wheat and other grasses-grains. [Jicama is a root vegetable native to Mexico.] During this segment, Oscar-winning actress-become entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow mentioned that her health-oriented cookbook contains jicama. Along with Paltrow, more people are avoiding grains like wheat, oatmeal, spelt, rice and others because of their connections to: SIBO [Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth] Tooth decay Exposure to toxic molds (mycotoxins) Heart disease Inflammation Read more about,ย โWhy Grains Are Bad For You and Grains to Avoid.โย Four side effects in the article,ย โ10 Reasons to Avoid Grainsโย are: Gas, cramps, constipation, diarrhea and candida Phytates in grains inhibit fatty acid and mineral absorption Insulin spikes High arginine amino acid can causeย herpes outbreaks, indigestion, bloating and gout The articleย โ10 Reasons Grains Make You Sick,โย says, “Flawed studies and pressure from the agriculture industry have convinced us that grains are a healthy part of a balanced diet. In reality, theyโre a leading contributor to many of our most common ailments.โ Yet, some believe grains have places in the human diet. Theย Tufts Health and Nutrition Newsletterย advises, โthe vast majority of science do not support the idea that all grains are badโ โwhole grains are associated with positive health effectsโ โIf you experience physical symptoms that you think may be associated with eating grains or grain-based foods, work with a healthcare provider to look for a cause.โ Inย โIs a Grain-Free Diet Healthy?โย Health Timesย answers, โA grain-free diet may reduce inflammation, aid weight loss, and improve digestion and blood sugar levels. It may also promote mental health and alleviate pain in people with fibromyalgia or endometriosis, though more research is needed.โ If foods like wheat spelt, millet, rice, sorghum, oats, dried corn, teff and amaranth should be avoided, how can a grain-free diet be satisfying? โA Beginnerโs Guide to Grain-Free Dietโย recommends filling up on, fruits like berries, oranges, grapefruit, and apples healthy fat sources like nuts, seeds,ย avocados, and olive oil healthy grain-free products like almond flour and coconut flour starchy vegetables likeย sweet potatoes, potatoes, and butternut squash nonstarchy vegetables like broccoli,ย cauliflower, zucchini, and asparagus animal and plant-based protein sources like chicken, fish, eggs, andย lentils Here are some recipes: How to Make Cauliflower Rice 18 Grain-Free Pasta Recipes That Can Be Made in 30 Minutesย includes โOne Pot Kung Pao Chicken Zoodles [zucchini noodes]โ and โSesame Cucumber Spiralized Salad.โ 25 Grain-Free Vegetarian Recipesย offers โRoasted Cauliflower with Creamy Cilantro Pestoโ and โ”Pumpkin & Pecorino Soufflรฉ.โ Videos Benefits of jicama flour pitch on Shark Tank [6 minutes] Gwyneth Paltrow makes jicama tacos with non-dairy sauces. [3 minutes] Shopย Succeed & Soar ย art on towelsย Details: Luxurious, brushed microfiber 100% cotton back for maximum absorption Top of towel has image, back of towel is white Three sizes: Hand towel 15โ x 30โ Bath towelย 32โx 64โย and Bath Sheetย 37โ x 74โ Machine wash cold, tumble dry at low heat Personalized art arrangement Place vertical or horizontal on towel Change size and position Select from dozens of background colors See all towels. Shop all Fine Art America Collections. Thanks.
Your Heroic Heart, Money Multiplies
The “Heroic Hearts” series is inspiredย Succeed and Soar’sย August 21, 2021ย post. There, Eleanor Roosevelt said, “We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time.” How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. –Morgan Freeman On March 12, 1904, in New York City, the Deed of Trust created by steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie opened, Gentlemen: We live in a heroic age. Not seldom are we thrilled by deeds of heroism where men or women are injured or lose their lives in attempting to preserve or rescue their fellows; such the heroes of civilization. The heroes of barbarism maimed or killed theirs. * Carnegie then created a fund from which โthe heroes and those dependent upon them should be freed from pecuniary cares resulting from their heroism.โ One of the first awardees was Richard X. Hughes of Bangor, Pennsylvania. Hughes was 42 and working in a slate quarry. Hughes sought shelter when an explosive blast was set then noticed John R. Owens had been blinded by burning powder and both could not find his way and stood near a cliff. With his own life in danger, Hughes ran from his safe place and carried Owens from harm. The 10,000thย Carnegie Hero was Vickie Tillman of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On February 19, 2017, Tillman stopped her car and called 911 when she saw Billy A. Aime being assaulted and bloodied, resulting in a concussion. The 56-year-old cafeteria worker next left her car and jumped on the attackerโs back to keep him from grabbing the police officerโs gun. She then restrained the assailant until help arrived.ย ย [The lady looks pretty petite in this picture.] ‘Heroโ comes from ancient words meaningย demiย [half, unfinished, almost]-godย andย to watch over, to protect. A “Random Act of Kindness” qualifies, as in this post’s video. Imagine a world where everyone goes to bed a hero. Found Money Multiplies Click Here to View ย [3 minutes, 50 seconds] A child finds money in restaurant parking lot. How he spends the windfall snowballs. First aired March 29, 2014 COMMENT. This month shopย Succeed and Soarย art on towels. Details: Luxurious, brushed microfiber 100% cotton back for maximum absorption Top of towel has image, back of towel is white Three sizes: Hand towel 15โ x 30โ Bath towelย 32โx 64โย and Bath Sheetย 37โ x 74โ Machine wash cold, tumble dry at low heat Personalized art arrangement Place vertical or horizontal on towel Change size and position Select from dozens of background colors See all towels. Shop all Fine Art America Collections. Thanks.
Easter, Eostre and the Equinox
Every day is a renewal, every morning the daily miracle. —ย Gertrude Stein ฤostre was an ancient goddess of the dawn, of spring and rebirth after winter. During her celebration, people exchanged colored eggs.ย Pysanky, the Ukrainian art of decorating eggs, is several thousand years old. In timeย ฤostre became Easter, The hare, her familiar, and the exchange of pretty eggs remainย parts of that celebration. Easter is also the name given to the crucifixion and rising from death of Jesus of Nazareth, an event also connected to the Vernal or Spring Equinox [the two moments when the sun is exactly above the equator]. Across Earthโs northern hemisphere, the ascension from wintry darkness and cold to increasing light and warmth reminds that rising from what was to new life is possible. Self Renewal Magazineย says, โSelf renewal is a process that allows individuals to reflect on their lives and make necessary changes to improve their overall well-being.โย Here are tips. The Spiritual Lifeย suggests twenty ways to renew, including socialize with different people and declutter your space.ย Read more. At this Easter season [in all seasons], considerย Thomas Mertonโsย words, There is in us an instinct for newness, for renewal, for a liberation of creative power. We seek to awaken in ourselves a force which really changes our lives from within. And yet the same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves. To be born again is not to become somebody else, but to become ourselves. BTW, Here’sย why the date for Easter changesย every year. and featured photograph is from my new book The Noon-Collins Inn,ย Meditations on Grace preview here Succeed and Soar! See beautiful, inspiring Succeed and Soarย posters.ย Sizes from 8โx6.5โ to the popular 30โ x 23.5โ Four Shape Options: Natural, Vertical, Horizontal and Square Printed on acid-free paper with archival inks Includes 1โ white border to allow for future framing and mounting View All Posters Thanks for shopping!
Authors Speak: MusicMaster
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. ~ Vera Nazarian Succeed and Soar’s “Authors Speak” series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Barbara Jean Millerย Barbara, what phrase inspires your writing and life? โI donโt know. Itโs a mystery.โ fromย Shakespeare in Love How haveย these words helped your writing, your life? Writing for me remains a mystery. My subconscious thinks of the things I forget and brings each book to a conclusion that amazes me. How these words inspired Barbara Jean Miller’s novelย MusicMaster. Though I did not know whatย MusicMasterย was about when I started, the theme revealed itself as how to make the difficult choices in life. Sample Text: โI would trade everything to have my father back again. And he is back. Itโs a miracle. Why donโt you even want to speak to your mother?โ … Maddie stared into his eyes. She saw the joy mixed with his sympathy for her and his total lack of understanding. โA motherโs love should be unconditional.โ Leighton bent his head toward her with that hard stare he used so seldom. โSo should a daughterโs.โ GoodReads Review Music Masterย is available atย The Wild Rose Pressย orย Amazon books. SPECIAL: Check out Barbaraโs short storyย โLocked Police Station โ 1โย free! About Barbara Jean Miller Barbara Jean Miller is an author, nature observer and educator who taught in the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction Programย from 1999 t0 2023. Web Site:ย ย https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com Photo: Barbara riding Grey Dawn with her foal Spyder. Keep in mind, Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. โ Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! See Succeed and Soar’s Beautiful, Inspiring Posters Sizes from 8โx6.5โ to the popular 30โ x 23.5โ Four Shape Options: Natural, Vertical, Horizontal and Square Printed on acid-free paper with archival inks Includes 1โ white border to allow for future framing and mounting View All Posters Shop All Art and Collectionsย HERE. Thanks for your support! Cloud Photo [c] Sandra Gould Ford