It’s the last day of February and the best one yet. I am in Paradise aka Venice. The day started on the beach to the sound of waves and ended on the beach to the sound of crashing waves. Their relaxing rhythm soothes nerves like nothing else.
In the morning it was yoga with the sound of bongs, followed by a walk through the historic downtown Venice, topped with a cappuccino at Venice Wine & Coffee Co.
I love the core of this tropical town in southwest Florida with amazing architecture untouched by chains and corporate structures.
Then we shopped with mom Ella the souvenir shops on Venice Ave. I found what I was looking for twice today. The first time at Green Parrot and the second time at Nest on Miami Ave.
We changed for a farewell lunch on the town- the coveted Bromdon Mediterranean restaurant on Miami Ave. My parents had classic gyros and I had a salmon gyro.
I found this community located on an island very diverse with a strong Italian influence. It wasn’t unusual on any given day to hear people speak Russian, French or Spanish.
The social time in Venice was also a time to test our @Moravia Sons Distillery https://moraviansonsdistillery.com cocktails made with our apple brandy.
Where else would you want to pilot this delicious refreshing cocktail than in Paradise?
Jack Rose made with apple brandy.
I still managed to pop in to the Great Reveal Party by Pages Promotions. Who did the deed and why? Find out on the replays posted on Facebook.
To be continued..,,
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During Lent, I like to start my day with Lenten readings and meditation no matter where I am. Most of them focus on the ancient disciplines of Lent- fasting, almsgiving and prayer.
I was surprised to see two young pastors from the Epiphany Cathedral in Venice at Croissant & Co., French patisserie in downtown. Well, I know I shouldn’t have been there either and none of us should be blasting to the world that we’re fasting each in our own way with ashes on our forehead.
It was a loud Friday on the beach with the northern wind howling that lifted the waves sending them crashing onto the shore. Behind my back, private jets were landing and taking off, others starting their descent over the Gulf of Mexico.
A waiter at the sandbar handed me a Margarita on the rocks with “Here you go, Love.”
I am indulging in the sounds of the beach: Russian to the right, laughter to the right, kids straight up front and the crashing waves as far as I can see. The sun is warming my legs while my feet dig deep into the hot sand. It’s 82F and the sun is high above my head.
Lemonade Razzonade Bait Bucket Margarita
My backpack has everything I need: notepad and pens, suntan lotion, water, cash for a Blue Bait Margarita and magazines about living in Paradise.
I cannot omit the price this Paradise had to pay during hurricane Ian in September. Crews are still fixing the roofs and some signs have not been replaced. Otherwise you would not believe a hurricane blew through; just south of town.
Dad Vaclav and mom Ella
We spent a great morning on the town starting with yoga with Elin on the beach to the sounds of Ukulele Thursdays. We took a walk on Miami Street in search of the Greek restaurant Bromdon. We browsed through the Island View Boutique with beautiful blings and resort wear. Hasta La Vista.
Mom Ella is doing much better today after her surgery. With strength she’s also getting back her attitude, just a tad.
I have to pick up on chapter Mara and the Revelation of the Great Singapore secret in the sequel to The Lost Town. More later.
I am meeting with Maple later today and mixing up some cocktail recipes.
Well, the meeting with Maple didn’t happen, but I met Pat, the board secretary instead. YAY!
To top off this incredible productive day, I managed to pop into Pages Promotions Winter Book Festival. I am still clueless as to who murdered author Andrew Allen Smith who stole the Sardonic Manuscript, but did he really or was he just framed?
To be continued…,
Copyright (c) 2023. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
I crossed the 40,000-word mark today in the NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge. It always amazes me how I got here?
The answer is simple, writing every day, and making it my number one priority of the day. My hope is to carry this beyond the challenge into the upcoming months which is easier said than done.
With the holidays upon us, it seems impossible, until it isn’t. NaNoWriMo organizers enabled everyday writing tracking even after the challenge ends on Nov. 30.
World Vision pumps for water are hand or solar- powered
By Emma Palova
Ludington, MI- Author Joan H. Young is no stranger to walking. Young was the first woman to complete the 4,600-mile- long hike on the North Country Trail in 2010.
But this was the first time, Young has walked with a mission to provide water for Third World countries, a global effort spearheaded by World Vision. Young walked a total of 21 miles on May 22 in the Global 6K for Water.
Joan H. Young, photo by Stacey Hames
Here is a Q&A interview with Young.
Q: How long have you been walking for water?
A: This is the first time I have done this.
Q: Why? What is your primary motivation?
A: Back in 1986, when I decided I wanted to go to grad school, in the sciences, I did a lot of reading and predicted that water was going to be the global crisis of the 21st century. So, I decided to study some field related to clean water. I ended up not using that degree, but I learned a lot and still believe that providing clean water to the world needs to have a higher priority.
Q: A little bit about Fatima: Where does she live and how bad is the water situation?
A: She was assigned to me. Each participant is paired with a child to give a face to our fundraising. She lives in Ethiopia where about 26 million people lack access to clean water. One organization claims that 7.5 percent of the globalwater crisis is inEthiopia alone. In addition to a lack of clean water, there is a lack of basic sanitation facilities. The result, not surprisingly, is a huge number of deaths from water-borne illnesses. So many children die that the world has become numb and is no longer outraged. World Vision bores deep wells, and the pumps are either hand powered or solar powered, so villages do not have to depend on unreliable or unavailable electricity.
Q: How much money has been raised and how much have you raised?
A: I know World Vision hoped to raise $2 million this year. I raised $1495, and was in the top 100 individual fundraisers, but I know some of the very top people raised over $5000. I think they are still taking contributions, so the totals have not yet been released. Donations are still being accepted as of June 1, 2021.
Q: What have you learned about yourself and others on your walks?
A: The distance proposed for most walkers by World Vision was 6K, about 4 miles. This distance was chosen because it is the average distance people in countries with inadequate clean water must walk every day to collect dirty water for cooking and drinking. I chose to walk more, as a challenge, thinking it might attract people to donate. Perhaps that was a factor. I was really pleased that so many people stepped up to donate. I was able to raise much more money than I ever could have given on my own.
World Vision estimates that it averages out to about $50 to provide clean water to one person. So that means I was able to help 27 people gain access to clean water. I like the way that feels.
Q: How do your walks project into your books?
A: So far, not at all, since this was my first one.
Q: What are your future plans for walking?
A: Walking is like breathing. I just do it. We’ll see if I sign up for another fundraiser in the future.
About Joan H. Young Author of the Anastasia Raven cozy mysteries, Dubois Files children’s mysteries, books about hiking, and more
Lowell, MI – Welcome “Blue Moon” October with your two full moons, pumpkins, candy, spooky characters, books, Girls Nites Out in ugly sweaters and paranormal investigations in the Fallasburg historic village.
Pumpkins decorated with hair from wool.
The month started off strong with a full moon, a storm in the morning and a brainstorming session in the afternoon with Anthony Mora Communications for the PR of my upcoming book “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” about our family immigration saga from former Czechoslovakia to the USA. As part of the project, they will also be marketing my book no. 2 that never fully reached the market because of covid-19. Thank you Anthony and Lindsey for your work on this project.
While most of the events have been cancelled, the nature hasn’t canceled her show in hues of oranges, browns and yellows. Moreover, today was the Feast of the Guardian Angels. We each have a guardian angel, and this year we need more than one. As I drove to the Vergennes Township hall to pick up my absentee ballot, I noticed a sign on Bailey: “Jesus 2020.”
Shifting Sands: Secrets is book no.2 in the Shifting Sands short stories series.
Just 10 minutes before the brainstorming session, I found out from my Romanian poet/publisher friend Valeriu Dg Barbu, that my book has already been translated into Italian. Thank you Valeriu. Valeriu owns a small publishing house Editura Minela at:
Plus my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary on Oct. 7. Happy anniversary Ludek.
The Pala-Konecna wedding at the “Zlin Zamek” in former Czechoslovaka.
The socially distant Lowell Harvest Celebration will take place on Main Street on Oct. 10. This year, the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce is taking over the Larkin’s Chili Cook-Off. The chamber will be selling $5 wristbands for chili tastings at different venues.
Featured photo: Hannah Rietzema at the Springrove Variety, that is now closed.
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Happy birthday to all the people who are celebrating their birthdays in the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020.
Alright, I caved in and decided to celebrate my birthday tomorrow on zoom at the Pushkin’s Bar.
All you need is the free zoom app from the app stores to join in. I will send the link and the password tomorrow to join. You don’t need to wear a mask unless you want to. BYOB
The band of choice is Twisted Sisters with their “We’re not gonna take it.”
Thanks to graphic artist Jeanne Boss for creating the perfect me in the featured photo.
Copyright (c)2020. EMMA Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Lowell, MI – This morning I found out from the Expatriots.cz newsletter, that Prague’s Staropramen Brewery will dump hundreds of thousands of liters of beer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coming from this country, that holds monopoly on both beer production and consumption, I find this sad and excessive. Staropramen, a subsidiary of Molson Coors, could export the beer.
The media reported earlier in the pandemic, that the US farmers will be dumping milk because the schools and the restaurants didn’t need it due to the shutdown. However, the cows still had to be milked.
Helping out Lowell, Canfield’s matching program until May 1
You can still buy a gift certificate to the local hair/nail salons or restaurants and Canfield Plumbing & Heating will match it up to $50 per household. We went for Sneaker’s.
Buy a gift certificate of up to $50 and Canfield will match it.
THE FESTIVAL WAITING GAME 2020
Michigan authors at the Lakeshore Art Festival 2019 in front of the Authors Tent.
Events and festivals in 2019.
Festival news from the Lakeshore Art Festival in Muskegon
We have heard from a number of exhibitors and guests and are so thankful for the outpouring of support for the Lakeshore Art Festival and would like to provide an update for this year’s event. We are closely following the status of COVID-19 within our state and throughout the country. Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our community, artists and guests. We also understand the extreme financial burden that is being placed on artists, businesses and employees. Taking all of that into consideration and the fact that our event is in July, we have decided to wait until mid-May before we determine how to proceed with the festival. By the end of May we will provide another communication with details on the status of Lakeshore Art Festival 2020. Please note: Status may change based on new directives put forth by the Governor of Michigan.
Thank you all health care and essential workers for keeping us alive and fed.
Stay tuned for day by day quarantine coverage from Michigan.
Copyright (c) 2020. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
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