Amid the 4 Ps confronting us Californians —pandemic, poverty, protests, and pyrotechnics* — comes a heartwarming story from Sydney Page at The Washington Post. Just what I needed, as a fellow cleft-affected person, to forget about the "plagues" which are depressing us in the San Francisco Bay Area. We've had to keep indoors (no outdoor masked activity) for twenty-something straight "unhealthy" Spare the Air days due to wildfires. Then a man who has a 2-year-old with a cleft … [Read more...]
Easier ‘n Where’s Waldo.Find CLEFT HEART readers in photos.
It's easy to find Waldo these days. He's the only one at the beach or out on a once-busy Manhattan street. So, check out the two photos in this blog and figure out who's reading Cleft Heart. Let me know. Unprecedented Times for us all. As the great political writer Thomas Paine wrote during a low point in the American Revolutionary War, "These are the times that try men's souls." But as another great writer, Charles Dickens, wrote at the same time, "It was the best of times, it was the … [Read more...]
Rory Gilmore and Janie Junebug love books and share ’em.
Many of you remember The Gilmore Girls popular show which aired 2000- 2007. It created a book club for people to read all of the 339 books referenced on the show, esp by Rory Gilmore who loved reading books. She also loved the smell of books. Rory Gilmore loves books. Rory taught us important things that are now a part of many people's everyday life. First - always take a book with you. This tip has saved countless of us from complete boredom. Whether we're meeting up with a friend … [Read more...]
How to boost the CLEFT HEART book and reap rewards.
Thought some of you Cleft Heart book fans might get a kick out of seeing a photo (top right of the collage below) of politicians Pelosi and Schumer under an umbrella in D.C, back in the day. Actually, it's my sister Barbara and me in front of the U.S. Capitol after my dad mustered out of the military as a journalist in Washington, D.C. for the Navy's All Hands magazine. My loving sis wrote last year about growing up with a brother with clefts here and here. She wanted to add to the book I'd … [Read more...]
McCain—Survivor, hero, villain, family man.
I've been thinking about Senator John McCain—survivor, hero, villain, family man? In mourning the passing of a one-of-a-kind U.S. senator, I've concluded he was a complex character, defying pigeon holes. McCain—more than a survivor, hero, villain, family man. I get the impression that McCain was inventing himself as he went along. —1st. A rebel and later a poor student at Annapolis, frustrated that his family pigeon holed him as a Navy Man given that his dad and grandfather were … [Read more...]
How to be a CLEFT HEART book booster and reap rewards.
Thought some of you Cleft Heart book fans might get a kick out of seeing a photo (top right of the collage below) of politicians Pelosi and Schumer under an umbrella in D.C, back in the day. Actually, it's my sister Barbara and me in front of the U.S. Capitol after my dad mustered out of the military as a journalist in Washington, D.C. for the Navy's All Hands magazine. My loving sis wrote last year about growing up with a brother with clefts here and here. She wanted to add to the book I'd … [Read more...]
Today is World Book Day! Some advice.
Today is World Book Day. It's a global celebration of readers, authors, and books. It's an event recognized in over 100 countries around the globe. For school kids, it began this year on April 17 and lasted 5 days.World Book Day—Things to Do. Join me in reading a good book. In case you have nothing lying around to read, I've got an idea. Why not download the e-book version of Cleft Heart: Chasing Normal. Former Secretary of State John Kerry calls it "A poignant, heartfelt tale.Learn more … [Read more...]