Tag Archives: Minnesota

Giving Children The Gift of The Christmas Season

Posted on by
Reply
Christmas gifts.

Christmas gifts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently I did a story on a sub Santa Program in my home town. Sub Santa provides gifts for those children that otherwise would not have a Christmas this year because of their family circumstances. I think Leo Buscaglia says it best when it comes to what we can do to help someone else.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

This is brief excerpt of the story that will appear in The Courier Sentinel this week.

Dawn Navarra has been working with the Sub Santa program sponsored by the Wells, Minnesota Lake and Kiester Lions Clubs for 12 years. It is the smiles on the faces of the children, knowing that they are going to get a gift that puts a smile on Dawn’s face. “When I see that smile on the face of a child it goes way into my heart.”

Sub Santa started many years before that at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, organized by Audrey Schroeder. The Lions became involved with the program about eighteen years ago.

Sub Santa provides gifts for children who might not otherwise have a gift under the tree on Christmas. Trees with tags are set up in area banks in Kiester, MN Lake and at three banks in Wells.

This might be a story about three small communities in Minnesota but the Caring and Sharing and Sub Santa programs are helping all across the nation sponsored by different groups and different individuals. Please take the time to find one and put a smile on a child’s face this Christmas.

There is a real need in our communities,” Navarra shared, “Until you
work with it, you don’t really know.

We don’t know unless we experience it ourselves. The entire article can be read in the Courier Sentinel. Like their Facebook page for updates on their new website coming soon. https://www.facebook.com/TheCourierSentinel

Remember what you do to help someone else, may change their lives forever.

Granny Is Back From Her Tour With Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour!

Posted on by
Reply

granny_hooks_a_crook_4You can’t keep a good Granny down but Granny sure is tired after flitting around from blog to blog promoting the book Granny Hooks a Crook.

“It was an interesting experience,” Granny said thoughtfully. I felt like Sally Field when she won the Oscar for Norma Rae. She shouted “They liked me, they really liked me.” I felt like shouting that too because everyone was so gracious.”

“Of course, I didn’t write the blog posts where my author, Julie Seedorf, was the guest blogger but I guess she did ok. She didn’t quite have my pizzazz or my Fuchsianess. There were times she was serious!!! Of course, I am serious too but I don’t let anyone see it. If I am on the verge of tears from sadness or happiness I usually get all crotchety and slam my umbrella down although I didn’t feel like doing that on this blog tour.”

Granny’s tour was arranged by Lori Caswell from Great Escapes Book Tours. “Lori did a great job,” Granny stated, “She didn’t even panic when my author didn’t get the guest post in on time. I don’t know what was wrong with Julie that day. She told me she was writing my second book and was so deep in thought that she forgot. It couldn’t be that because she hangs with me, Hermiony Vidalia Criony Fiddlestat, that my forgetfulness is rubbing off on her, could it be?”

Granny and Granny Hooks A Crook was hosted by:

 Kelly P’s Blog –  Community Bookstop – Melina’s Book Blog –– Cozy Up With Kathy – – Christa Reads and Writes – – Mochas, Mysteries and More – – fundinmental – – Musings and Ramblings – Guest Post – readalot blog – – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – – Brooke Blogs .

“My author didn’t know what to expect. She should be used to that because she never knows what to expect from me. My motto is: Don’t expect me to do what you think I should do because I’ve already done it and I want to try something new. Yes, I know, I like to rhyme.”

” I kind of like this touring thing but my author says she needs to take time to write now. She tells me her second book in the Fuchsia, Minnesota series is half done. She and I are wrestling with the name for the next book. I am at my prime and I have a new weapon, but it’s a secret until the next book is out. Did I tell you, I have another Granny to compete with? It is the Granny from “Whatchamacallit? Thingamajig? that is about my author and her grandkids. It is a book for young readers and hits the hearts of adults too. Apparently this Granny gets in lots of trouble too, the only difference is that I save myself, this other Granny has to have her Grandkids save her. What a wimp. Anyway to make a long story short, which is hard for me, Author Julie tells me that she is writing that second book to Whatchamacallit? Thingamajig? What’s up with that. I might have to tap her with my umbrella or my new weapon so she makes me, Hermiony Vidalia Criony Fiddlestat her main priority.”

Granny has had her say. She is back from her tour. She is up to saving Fuchsia, Minnesota again, and she is back to driving her kids and Franklin Jester Gatsby a little crazy. Granny will let you know when she is touring again.

“Wait a minute, I’m not done. This is what the bloggers said about me. If I don’t tell you, no one else will.”

 

 loved this book, the humor, adventure and mystery. ~Community Bookstop

..a really lite and whimsical story, I absolutely loved it. ~Melina’s Book Blog

Julie Seedorf has a great imagination. If you like cute and fun reads, you’ll like Granny Hooks a Crook. ~Christa Reads and Writes

Lots of Drama, action, laughter. ~readalot

Granny is funny, sassy and mischievous. If you like funny cozy mysteries, especially those with older sleuths, this is a story you should check out. ~Brooke Blogs

 

 

 

 

 

Help Me Write My Thanksgiving Column for Something About Nothing

Posted on by
1
Thankful by Nakeva

Thankful by Nakeva (Photo credit: Nakeva)

Column: Something About Nothing, by Julie Seedorf

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. I miss summer. Yes, those lazy, hazy days of summer are gone and, instead, we are rolling out the not lazy, hazy, crazy days of holidays.

We’ll sing of mistletoe and cheer. We will be making our list and checking it twice and, really, it doesn’t matter if the kids are naughty or nice, Grandma will buy them something anyway.

The real holiday frenzy started in some stores mid-summer, especially craft stores so all the crafters could buy their materials and craft like crazy to be done for Christmas. The other stores got into the act right around Labor Day or sooner. I think they were hoping to tempt me into buying more decorations before I looked at what I already had stored in the basement.

Many Black Friday sales have begun before Black Friday and Black Friday, on occasion, seems to be every day. We are tricked into believing that the sale will only happen once. For some unexplainable reason we believe the hype so we wait in long lines to get that special item that is important, such as the big-screen television.

Here in Minnesota it is better if we get snow so everyone feels it really is Christmas. Do you suppose the retailers in Minnesota put in a request for early snow so we will get the Christmas fever early? We are excited about Christmas. What happened to Thanksgiving?

On Facebook, I have noticed many of my friends are listing something they are thankful for every day. They have the gratitude attitude.

Churches haven’t forgotten about Thanksgiving. They are getting ready for Thanksgiving services although in these modern times, many services are in the evening before Thanksgiving Day because people have things to do on Thanksgiving and are too busy to go to services.

Food shelves haven’t forgotten about Thanksgiving. They know there are many hungry people out there who won’t have a Thanksgiving meal without the food shelves.

Local organizations haven’t forgotten about Thanksgiving. Many are gearing up to provide a free Thanksgiving meal so those that are alone, homeless or without the means for a meal will have a place to go.

Stores are gearing up to be open early for Thanksgiving Deals. They haven’t forgotten Thanksgiving and are trying to make it one of the biggest shopping experiences of the season. We can’t blame them. If we as consumers didn’t give up our family Thanksgiving to shop they wouldn’t open. It seems more important for us to shop rather than spend family time and rest and relax the entire Thanksgiving Day. I have a feeling that the small mom-and-pop shops will respect the Thanksgiving family tradition and wait until Friday to reopen.

The Thanksgiving Day Parade planners haven’t forgot about Thanksgiving. Last I heard the parades were still on. Football seems to be a Thanksgiving tradition. The entire family can gather around the television to watch their games before they fall asleep on the couch from eating all that turkey that contains tryptophan.

The holidays are anything but lazy. They are crazy. They are as crazy as we make them. What we do with Thanksgiving and Christmas determines where our priorities lie. It is different for each person and each family.

My family still celebrates Thanksgiving together. We have a meal. We play games. We watch movies, and we eat. We are blessed enough to have food to put on the table and to be able to spend time together. I feel especially blessed this year. I might have two working bathrooms. I don’t have to pull in an outhouse for the grandchildren.

This is not Thanksgiving week. Look around you each day and see the snippets of Thanksgiving in the preparation of the people you meet. Take the time to contemplate what you are grateful for and what you can do to honor the holiday.

How do you prepare for Thanksgiving? Has it been more about Christmas? Or has it been about being thankful for the blessings you have received this year.

I would appreciate it if you would email me this week at thecolumn@becomm.net and let me know if you feel the blessings of the past year. I would like my column next week to be full of statements about thankfulness and blessings for Thanksgiving from many people. I would like you to write the column with those blessings. If you want me to use your name, I will. If you don’t I won’t. I hope to hear from you.

Perhaps something you share will reach out and touch another person and remind them of what they have to be thankful for.

“Even though we’re a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” — Richard Roeper

Related articles