Category Archives: Family

Top 10 Reasons I Hate Election Years

Family, Friendships, Media Use, Politics, Social Change • Tags: , ,

 

©dswalkerauthor.com

  • 10. People stop listening to reason!
  •  9. All sides act like bullies and try to sway voters with put-downs instead of logic, setting bad examples for our children.
  •  8. Families and friends make a game out of turning on each other, instead of supporting each other, again setting bad examples.
  •  7. People argue with emotions instead of with facts, and too many politicians campaign totally on emotions rather than facts.
  •  6. People send chain e-mails without checking the facts first.
  •  5. Both sides ignore the real issues, and many in the news media join in instead of reporting facts.
  •  4. The campaign ads do not give reliable sources.
  •  3. We lose at least one year of action while our leaders are campaigning and fighting each other.
  •  2. Too few focus on the good both sides have done and instead focus only on the negatives.
  •  1. It divides our country, families, and friends at a time we cannot afford to be divided.

Wonderful Vacation! Now Back to Life in Paradise!

Family, Friendships, Fun Stuff, Gratitude, Wordless Wednesday • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Washington Monument as seen from National Mall in front of Smithsonian Castle

Vacation is a wonderful thing and returning to life post-vacation is always hard. Throw in a six-hour time difference, eighteen days away from home, and the beginning of the school year, and you’ll have an idea of where my head has been the last few days.

The trip however was well worth the jet lag! I got a chance to visit with my oldest brother and his family, to spend time with old friends, and to explore D.C., Boston, and Maine, along with a little of New Hampshire with the kids. They rode their first subway. We explored four of the Smithsonian Museums and toured the national monuments via of moonlight tour. We walked the Freedom Trail and we drove down to Plymouth, then up to Maine, where we met friends and hiked in the White Mountain National Forest. All in all a wonderful vacation! I took a thousand pictures, but don’t worry, I am not going to bore you with that many.

First Smithsonian Museum Visited

Lincoln Memorial at Night

Old Mother Goose was real! Who knew?

Did you know Old Mother Goose was based on the real person? Apparently, she was! I walked the Freedom Trail decades ago, but somehow I missed this tidbit until I went with the kids.

Boston, MA: The Old State House

Two of my favorite things!

A Reminder from Plymouth, MA: Thanksgiving Isn’t Thanksgiving for All!

View from Bradbury Mountain State Park in Maine

Hiking in White Mountains National Forest

The Year of the Water Dragon 9

Celebrations, Chinese New Year, Family • Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

You might have noticed that I was off-line most of last week and the beginning of this week. We have been celebrating Chinese New Year. This year we are taking no chances with our luck.

Not only did we attend the Chinese New Year parade and feed the lion, we also decorated for the New Year. I couldn’t resist buying these guys when I saw them at the street vender during the Honolulu Chinatown block party.

I brought a steamer and spent a full day making gau, a sticky pudding made with mochi flour, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and water. I even made it the old-fashioned way this year instead of in the microwave.

Here’s how it turned out! I gave some to my in-laws since gau is supposed to help families stick together.

Hubby and I got these to bring good karma to our home.

And this big one to place in our entry way.

I also spent time organizing and cleaning the house, and of course we had a wonderful Chinese meal that included a whole chicken for family harmony combined with a whole lobster for a harmonious marriage and noodles for long life and shrimp dumplings for wealth.

Kung Hee Fat Choy! (May prosperity be with you!)

Beginning Cal’s Story 8

Books, Bully Free, Bullying, Family, Gratitude, Wordless Wednesday, Writing • Tags: , , ,

It is still wordless Wednesday here, but I need to say a few words as I share the outline below for the first chapter of my next novel. Much of Cal’s story takes place among the trees and birds of Hawaii, so today I am grateful for capturing a Japanese White-eye or Mejiro hiding in the banyan tree that overlooks Cal’s school. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you might see a little green bird.

Cal is Mia’s little brother and his story begins when Mia is in fifth grade and he is third. He too has problems related to his sister’s anger after the bullying. Bullying not only affects the victim, it affects the whole family. This is what my son and I both want you to know. This is why there will be a second novel.

Chapter I: Angry Times

I. Anger

A. Mia’s not the only angry member of the family

B. My thoughts

II. Pleading my case

A. To Dad

B. To Mom

III. Venting and Acting Out

A. Getting in trouble at school

1. My friends don’t understand

2. I cannot explain

3. It sucks

B. Mom deals with it

1. Talks to teachers

2. Talks to Dad

3. Talks to me

4. Arranges for time just for me

IV. They get me and I get them

A. Support

1. From family

2. From friends

V. Light bulb Moment

A. Mia does not have this support even after Mom talks to people

B. I give Mia support