Save MONEY with "TIMEBANKING" Self Worth

    I know I already posted about this, but have to add a few things also about being an economical person. RECYCLE at Best BUY-FREE. They will take your old TV's up to 32 inches free and recycle. They will also take your PC's and remove the hard drive while you wait.

    I just saw this as it was tweeted to me, by way of Danielle Dellorto and thought it was a good reminder. Remember what made you happy before everyone started defining you. Now that's a good one !

   Okay Time banking. Please research it. Most states and many cities and towns now have time banking. Remember the hippie generation when the older folks made fun of them? Possibly some jealousy there? I think they had a lot of life right. They shared and helped with each others kids, gardens, needs and troubles, and they celebrated the good and mourned the not so good. Sure we remember all the free sex but isn't that the same topic being talked about just about everywhere today?
    With Time Banking it's strangers and also people who know each other or about each other, who are there to help each other, the way things are meant to be. So take any money you may have set aside for some repair job and just save it, or donate it to a good charity.
     There is also something now growing called Little Free Libraries. No fines. Imagine an idea without always digging in your pocket because time got away from you. Books are the greatest gifts we have to share with children. You can take a book or books, return or not, but please replace with another book or books. Yes, it is that simple and generous. These are all good hearted people who don't have it in mind to see what they can get, but what they can give and when that principle applies to us all-just imagine the outcome. What can you give? We all have worth.
 

The Jelly Bean Forest pic and....

 Phone is 717 437-0256 to order. Thank you to those who have already ordered. Payment at pay pal to Doozybags. T-Shirts are 4.50, Jelly Bean bags are free with the book. total with s&h is 16.50
  Life's a big Jelly Bean :)

Jonathan Kellerman

       My birthday was last month and my daughter asked what I would like so, lately I am back into Jonathan Kellerman. The same question was asked of me for Christmas and she had the same answer, Jonathan Kellerman.
     I was introduced to Jonathan Kellerman by my crammer school principal Mr. Vitalo in nineteen ninety-seven. It was over the top joy to see and spend time with this man again after years of not knowing where he lived and not being in touch again. Now I know it's true. You know that saying about there being a season for everything and timing is about everything.
     Thinking about Mr. Vitalo only brings me a feeling of warmth. He was a wonderful man and no one since or before was as great.
     On a summer's day in Cutchogue Long Island My daughter, myself and Mr. Vitalo with his wife sat and talked about life, where I was and what was I doing. He told me how he lived, still teaching part time at a local college, and what a great wife he had. They deserved one another. God knew when he was doing.
     One of the questions Mr. Vitalo asked me was about my interests and did I read. I liked to read but couldn't find stimulating subjects. I enjoyed working with kids and also liked working in mental health. Then he said it. "Hey Nance, have you ever heard of Jonathan Kellerman?" Before I could answer I know he knew I never heard of Jonathan Kellerman from the quizzical look on my face, not unusual.
    In the next few minutes he told me about  Alex Delaware,a character in Kellerman's books and how stories about kids and mental health  and the mysteries intertwine. I was now hooked all because it was something Mr. Vitalo said. If he said it, it was true. Sometime later and after lunch we all said good-bye for now, and I knew as I left I was about to buy a book. Just as we were getting into the car, Mr. Vitalo leaned over gave me a hug and said, don't forget, Jonathan Kellerman.
    I left feeling high as a kite, just because I spent time with Mr. Vitalo. As my daughter and I neared home, I asked if she's mind stopping at Borders. Yup, I found my first Jonathan Kellerman book.
    Yesterday my daughter gave me "GUILT" Kellermans' latest book, and an added bonus book titled "Therapy" which I started this morning. For Christmas she gave me "Victims". I don't always love all of his books, but I do always finish. Victims was too much for me, but I know already by reading the first page of Therapy I will love this one. Reading the inside jacket of GUILT, I know I'll love this book as well. Personally I enjoy the smaller paperbacks. While the paperback book is smaller to hold, there are more words, smaller print and more page, yet the stories are captivating. Johnathan Kellerman, I love your work.
     Thank You Mr. Vitalo

The Jelly Bean Forest Story Book

     

 A finished product which has taken eleven months of collaboration is finally coming true. Well by the time the books arrive it will be one year, start to finish.

       I never had any idea how this would go. To me it seemed simple. I wrote it, had an illustrator, and a guy who knew all about adobe programs and more. Sounds simple too now the way I wrote it. But there wasn't anything simple about it, except possibly my part. Writing comes easy to me, and the rest, now that's a story in itself.

      The idea started with a friend and I who were e-mailing back and forth all kinds of silly stuff, and from that I thought about a Jelly Bean Forest. As I wrote it, in my mind it came to life. I could actually picture it. But once written, who would do the illustrations? Contacting the local high school started out good, but financial expectations were beyond me. So I was  e mailing a cousin in Norway who said to me, come to family first and it's cheaper.
    Siisel let me know her son Tom was an excellent artist,  I sent two stories to him and Tom sent  art work to me, and all I could think was, this kid is only fifteen? Family, cousins and boy was I thankful. The artwork is brilliant and he sent me the originals to scan and then my printer broke down.
   My daughter gave me her printer, but it was so different and didn't scan the way mine did, but again, I was thankful. Family, a daughter. She sent the originals back to Norway, helping out with that expense.
   Now it was time to go from word to a pdf file, but here I was worried as this was all new to me.  One day a guy Ron Myrnes was over for a home repair and in talking he let me know he could put it together for me in no time at all as he had much more computer program experience than I did. I am thankful.
    It took almost a couple of weeks. E mails went back and forth. phone calls back and forth and then  files to the printer. Yes! Finally it was about to come true. Then, the printer said something about the colors and compression and it wasn't good. He asked for different files and Ron hoped, I hoped, cousins in Norway hoped. Ron called, said well if that doesn't work I'll come over and get the originals. I could feel my hope go flat with saying, they were returned. I wanted this book, The Jelly Bean Forest to be ready by March tenth.
     Today, Wednesday I decided to go ahead anyway, as I made tee shirts, jelly bean bags and coloring books with Toms sketches. Then I ran an errand and came home, opened my e mails and there it was.
     The printer said the new files Ron sent worked and I will have a proof  copy tomorrow. I was ecstactic and called Ron who was on his way to meet his wife.
He was happy to hear the news and I was happy to let him know. I am thankful.
The Jelly Bean Forest story is a collaboration of family, family across the sea's, of a man who came one day to roto till a new garden, a printer who, yes will be paid, but many months ago taught me things here and there and I am thankful for everyone, yet I have to end with Tom and Ron who without their skills, talents and kindnesses, The Jelly Bean Forest would surely be overgrown.

Two Boys and a Junk Store

       A little old man sat in the doorway as we walked in. He wasn't the owner. I knew we should have gone to church, but just haven't felt like it lately, so we went exploring instead. I told the visiting boys, lets get in my church car and see where it goes. Well it, Little Nick as I call it decided not to go too far, just to a small town square where a man owns what appears to be an antique store.
      
      The building was more of an antique than anything else. Wooden furniture sits outside in all kinds of weather, covered by a roof, but with windswept rains I wouldn't buy anything from there made of wood, although I did buy one thing about two months ago. I can't mention it now as it' or part of it will be a gift for my daughter. She reads this so...
       Well we get inside and this well dressed man, golden wedding ring stands out on his finger, white hair, wearing a fedora and back turned away from us as we enter. Yet he knows a woman has walked in as he greets me, hello Mrs....Wow I haven't heard that term that way in years. Since I don't like Mrs. I just said a quite hello and we walked down through the, body style selfish isles which mattered not to the boys. I squeezed, stood sideways, stretched taller, curved where I could in an effort not to knock anything over, after all I am a Viking! Boxes and boxes, glass counters stood piled high with things collected from anywhere and everywhere. Dust covered things, but most things were cleaned simply from handling. If we only had a ladder!
       AHA! A treasure was found. I heard one brother say to the other do you have any money? Noo, I spent it all, remember? Me too said the older brother. Coming closer to me he says, look, look what I found! It was a comic, an old one but in nice condition. I told him to ask the man behind the counter how much it was. He came back too fast. It's only fifty cents he said. Good I told him and walked away. I was smiling to myself as he followed and asked can I get this instead of ice cream? Yes he was thinking. Sure, and he bought his comic as his little brother looked on. His little brother, with big brown eyes said I want ice cream in a sad and small voice. I knew he also wanted a treasure, and it wasn't long before he found it, a book. He said he never read that book before. Both boys read a lot of books. We made two trips  to the library, taking out eight books for each child and they read them.
         As we were leaving the older man with the white hair and fedora asked the boys if they had fun. They gave me a lot of that feel good stuff, when almost at the same time said we always have fun with her, but what they didn't know is, I had the most fun. So we left, got in the car and I told them, let's go to Rutters, an area convenience store. The younger boy asked if we were getting ice cream. Noooo remember, you spent your money and also bought a treasure. He said but, but, but I said I wanted ice cream...and you didn't answer me. I inside smiled, quietly said lets go. In the car they hopped, happy with a treasure, sad without ice cream.
         I bought The New York Sunday News as they stood side by side, looking down into the ice cream case, lowered bottom lips. The woman behind the counter asked, Can I help you boys? I wish you could have seen their faces. You know what they said? Can she help us, looking pleadingly at me.
I smiled, said yeah, she can help you. She can even help me too. Grabbing our ice cream bars from the counter we jumped in the car, talking and planning the rest of the afternoon. They wanted to go back to the Antique/junk/treasure store.
                                                           Now that's a Viking day!