Blind Dates and June Brides by J.Q. Rose

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir
by J.Q. Rose

Arranging a Dream: a Memoir by J.Q. Rose

In 1975, Ted and Janet with their one-year-old baby girl move all their earthly belongings to Michigan to make their dream of owning a greenhouse operation come true. Through tears and laughter they cultivate their loving marriage, juggle parenting and dig deep to root a thriving floral and greenhouse business.

Click here to discover more books by J.Q. Rose 

on her BWL Publishing author page.  

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Hello and welcome to the BWL Publishing Authors Insider Blog! 

Yesterday was Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, in the US. We honor and remember all those fathers and men who are important in a child's life. 

Father's Day is right in the middle of a crazy week for us. Our anniversary was June 14 (and always Flag Day in the US), Father's Day, June 19, and my hubby's birthday, June 20.

Little did we know when we set the date for our wedding, we would have such a week of special days. I did not know June 14 was Flag Day until my maiden Aunt Elizabeth told me. She was a civics teacher, so when I said, "Ted and I have decided to get married on June 14." Instead of smiling and saying, "Congratulations," she said, "That's Flag Day." Yes, that would be typical of my dear Great Aunt Elizabeth. She liked Ted very much, but I think I flummoxed her when I told her we were getting married.

Wedding Cake Fun

Ted and I met on a blind date in 1963, the summer before our junior year in high school. 

My mom loved him from the moment she pulled back the curtain from the window and peeked out at the young man who was stepping up the stairs to our front porch. She turned back to me, her eyes twinkling, and whispered, "He's cute!"

I opened the front door, smiling as bright as I could while trying to keep the butterflies in my tummy in check. He stood tall and fidgeted a bit as his dark brown eyes caught mine. I had to agree with Mom. He was a cutie.

We had a great time at the Illinois State Fair with his older sister and her date and Freddie, who arranged the blind date, and his girlfriend. However, his sister's 1947 Chevy broke down in Springfield, IL as we started the hour's drive back to Atlanta, my hometown. Instead of getting home by midnight as my parents requested, we arrived at 3 a.m. Yes, we did find a phone to call home to let everyone know we were going to be late.

I remember writing in my diary the next day that if I never had another date in my life, it would be okay. I was in love with Ted.

Junior Prom

We went steady through our junior year, broke up, got back together, broke up after graduation so he could go to the Air Force, and I could experience college life. We got back together, broke up, and so it goes. Can you blame me when I told him to either marry me or get out of my life? 

By that time, I was teaching third grade in Galesburg, IL, and he was working for AT&T in Champaign, IL.  We were parked in a grassy area near the lake and in a deeply serious discussion about our future together when we heard branches rustling and voices in the bushes just behind the car. 

We twisted around to look through the car's back window to discover where the noise came from. As we swept our eyes over the green area, two little boys raced out of the woods and down the road. We laughed so hard at them eavesdropping on us that the intense discussion faded from our thoughts. We knew we loved each other and wanted to spend our lives laughing and crying together.

Looking back over the past fifty-two years, I know we made the right decision!

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Wishing June Brides a very Happy Anniversary this month!

Ted and J.Q.

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How the Internet Affects Your Brain Function by J.Q.Rose #BWLpublishing

 

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
Mystery, paranormal

Click here to find mysteries by J.Q. Rose at BWL Publishing

Hello and welcome to the BWL Publishing Insiders Blog! 

The Writing and Wellness site released a study entitled The online brain: how the Internet may be changing our cognition. According to the Oxford dictionary, cognition is "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses." 

Lead author Dr. Joseph Firth reported, “The key findings of this report are that high-levels of Internet use could indeed impact on many functions of the brain. For example, the limitless stream of prompts and notifications from the Internet encourages us towards constantly holding divided attention—which then, in turn, may decrease our capacity for maintaining concentration on a single task.” from the article 5 Ways to Power Up Your Writing in the Morning.

Dr. Rawan Tarawneh, in an article from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, states, "While digital multi-tasking may be a good practice for shifting focus, it may also weaken our ability to maintain focus on one area for an extended period of time." He adds, "In addition to its negative effects on cognition, excess internet use has been associated with a higher risk for depression and anxiety and can make us feel isolated and/or overwhelmed."

Photo courtesy of Pixabay by Geralt

Starting your day by checking your email and social media will set your brain up for a day of distraction. It's like starting the day eating sugar, so the rest of the day you will crave sugar. With all the multi-tasking online, you create a pattern for your brain to be in racing mode for the rest of the day.

If the Internet interferes with an adult brain, just imagine what it can do to a child's brain. The Internet has already shortened the attention span of adults to 8 seconds...shorter than a goldfish attention span. !!! 

The article suggests five ways to start off your morning so you will have a productive day of writing.

1. Read a poem
2. Read a book
3. Meditate
4. Make a gratitude list
5. Write down your thoughts for five minutes.

Have you noticed you have trouble concentrating during the day? Do you have any other suggestions on how to start your morning without first checking the Internet? 

Click the links below to connect online with JQ Rose:

JQ's Focused on Story Author Website

JQ Rose Author Facebook page

Remembering Larry Sellers (Cloud Dancing) #Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman By Connie Vines #LarrySellers, #Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman, #NativeAmerican

 I was first introduced to Larry Sellers in 1992, before the television show “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” premiered on Saturday nights (running for six seasons).

My personal photo (with Larry's autograph)

Larry Sellers was a Native American actor and stuntman of Osage and Cherokee descent and an adopted member of the Lakota nation. He became known for his regular role as Cloud Dancing in the popular CBS hit series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993), and received an Emmy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. He also worked as a technical advisor on the show, notably on linguistic aspects.

When Larry was filming in the Hollywood studio backlot, he would drop by during our weekly Native American Craft Nights taught by Tribal Elder Barbara Drake,  held in a school auditorium (Ontario Montclair School District,  San Bernardino, CA). He performed puppetry and played his hand-carved flutes for the elementary schoolers and the toddlers.

I also facilitated numerous workshops when I worked with the Title IX and Title X programs and Parent Advisory Committee. Larry was always flattered when asked to work with our teen and pre-teen students.

Soft-spoken, courteous, Larry shared his knowledge and experiences with others. Fame did not change him; he was, first and foremost, a spiritual man.  *on a personal note, I spoke with Larry about a YA historical novel I was completing, “Tanayia—Whisper upon the Water.”  Native American boarding schools in the late 1880s were not a topic many publishers were willing to publish at that time.  Larry reminded me it was my duty to give the story life. He also shared his personal experiences of being sent away to boarding school at the age of five. He told me, firmly, the novel would sell.

Larry was correct “Tanayia—Whisper upon the Water was purchased by a publisher. The novel was “Book of the Month and Teen Read” at numerous Public Libraries and a National Book Award nominee.

Larry Sellers’s Career:

Larry Sellers enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school.

Larry was a 17-year veteran in the entertainment industry as an actor, stuntman, translator, and technical advisor.

An educator, historian, and historical consultant about his heritage.

He was one of the eight scholars chosen nationally as a Fellow at the Newberry Library Center for the History of the American Indian, located in Chicago.

Larry worked with the Arizona State Department of Education / Division of Indian Education among the many accomplishments as a consultant. And he has also worked with Traditional Tribe Medicine, the Arizona State Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and the Phoenix Indian Medical Center Rehabilitation Program.

As he was an actor as well, his acting credits include the feature films “Son of the Morning Star,” “Quick and the Dead,” “Revolution,” “Like Father – Like Son,” and “Assassination,” “Wayne’s World II.” Moreover, his television credits are the film “Kenny Rogers as ‘The Gambler’ III — The Legend Continues” on the CBS Television Network and the series “Life Goes On.“

Little known facts: He participated in the Wiwang Wacipi [Sun Dance] Ceremony.  It is said (though I did not confirm with Larry) he turned down an offer to appear in Kevin Costner's epic Dances with Wolves (1990) because he was not given the four days required to complete the Sun Dance ceremony. 

2016 - 2021, he worked as an Osage language instructor in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

Larry Sellers (Pinterest Photo)

To learn more about Larry Sellers, please visit:

http://www.thedqtimes.com/pages/dqfolklore.htm (Website for Dr. Quinn Forklore)  Cloud Dancing and Native American Folklore, too

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0565364/  Larry wrote (several years after our workshop discussion) the script, “Hearts and Minds,” for this episode Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, show which dealt with the Native American education/boarding school.

I am blessed to have known Larry Sellers. 

Thank you for allowing me to share my memories with you,

Connie Vines

  

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https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tanayia-connie-vines/1127822389?ean=9780228600060

https://www.amazon.com/Tanayia-Whisper-Water-Connie-Vines-ebook/dp/B0894GGJ3G/r

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