Saying Goodnight On Optimistic Note

I've over-scheduled myself for the first 6 months of this year so I'm kind of behind the 8-ball.

Once I blogged every day, but that ended a couple of years ago when life got really complicated.

So for today, I have only a quote for you, but it's a humdinger!

Nathaniel Rateliff said: "I'm pretty easily overwhelmed and pretty tough as well. I think I'm tougher than I used to be. There's been a lot of hardship along the way. But that's what life is. And it's how you deal with those things, and how you let them shape you that makes you a better person and defines what sort of person you're going to be."

Actually, I never used to be overwhelmed. I handled everything well. Life got tougher so I've been forced to get tougher as well so that part of the quote and what follows is spot on.

Takeaway Truth

A strong positive thought can start your day well--or end it on an optimistic note which is what I'm doing tonight.

Tips on Changing Newsletter Providers

Like most authors, I maintain a subscriber newsletter/mailing list.

(If you haven't joined my mailing list, click here to join now. You'll receive a free ebook and also be first to hear about new books and giveaways.)

Also like most authors, I'm always trying to figure out how to get the most mileage from my marketing budget.

I've used a popular newsletter email service for many years, but they grew too expensive for me. One of my goals this year was to switch newsletter providers. Ugh! I had no idea so much work was involved.

Here are a few things I learned that might help you if you decide to do the same.

12 Tips on How to Change NL Providers

1. Set up your new newsletter provider account as soon as possible.

2. Download your existing subscribers into a CSV file.

3. Clean the CSV file. I noticed my old NL provider had unsubscribes in the CSV. So edit it as needed.

4. Upload the cleaned CSV file to your new provider.

5. Design your new sign-up forms. (If you click here to join now you can see the forms I created.)

6. If you have a "subscribe to my mailing list" in your existing books--and you should--change all those links to the new provider immediately.

7. Change the link on your website, blog, and in your author bios on ebook sites as needed.

8. By now, your new signup form should be getting subscribers.

9. If you have received notifications of new subscribers at you old NL provider, transfer them to your new NL provider.

10. Before deleting your complete mailing list at your old NL provider, wait a month in case you're getting signups from the old link at a place you didn't think of. If you don't want to be charged at the old place, delete your list (after all, you've already transferred them) until it is below the threshold and into the free zone.

11. Of course, do NOT send your NL to the remaining names at the old provider because you've transferred them to the new one. You don't want to make subscribers angry by sending multiple copies of a newsletter. Besides, that's just not kosher.

12. Finally, close the old account unless you want to use it for something else entirely.

Takeaway Truth

It's cumbersome and time-consuming, but saving on expenses is smart.

Review: The 15:17 to Paris

Last week Darling Hubby and I went to see Clint Eastwood's movie, The 15:17 to Paris.

Of course, we knew it was based on the real-life event in which 3 ordinary men thwarted a terrorist attach on a high-speed rail trip to Paris.

We wanted to see the movie because we both love stories of ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

I also wanted to see this film to see how Mr. Eastwood brought this story to the big screen--especially when he actually used the 3 heroic young men at the center of the action.

The movie is based on the autobiography The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Soldiers by Jeffrey E. Stern, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos.

How The Movie Unfolds

The movie started when the danger on the train started. Then the story went back to each man's childhood. Present day was intercut with the past to show why those 3 men became the men they are. From difficult childhood to sometimes struggling adulthood, the story unfolds.

By structuring the movie that way, the viewer gets to see these guys are just ordinary people--struggling to make something of themselves and find their way in a challenging world. They worked hard from childhood on and held fast to their friendship, their mothers who believed in them, strong faith in God, and sheer determination to never give up.

August 21, 2015

The 3 young men--Anthony Sadler, Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos, and U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone--took the Thalys train #9364 to Paris.

The Book on Which the Movie is based.

On the train, everything is fine it seems. Passengers waiting for one of the restrooms knock on the door, and a terrorist comes out with an automatic rifle. Chaos and panic ensue. A passenger actually seizes the gun from him, but the terrorist pulls another gun and shoots him and retrieves his AR.

Passengers flee and try to get away. The terrorist pursues, moving into the car where Spencer and his friends are seated. In a split second, Spencer decides their only chance for survival is to seize the gun.

I won't tell you the rest of the action, but the fight is brutal--a true life and death struggle. The terrorist had over 300 rounds of ammunition. There wouldn't have been anyone left alive if he hadn't been stopped.

In a formal ceremony, Spencer and his friends were recognized as heroes of the French Republic for their gallantry and bravery. Spencer received the French Legion of Honour.

Takeaway Truth

To sum up the premise of this movie, I'll quote Edmund Burke who said: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I think all people should heed those words.

Long Weekends: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?

I have a love-hate relationship with long weekends. You know, those that start on Friday and carry over to Monday, which is a legal holiday.

Last week, we left on Friday for a long weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas, with our older son and his kids.

I always enjoy visiting Corpus Christi. The only real drawback to the city is the traffic. The population keeps growing, but the freeway and surface roads haven't been able to keep up so you spend a lot of time in slo-mo traffic.

It was a fun weekend, but getting back into the groove when you blew off Monday's work is difficult. I was thinking about how behind I am on everything, and I realized that I haven't truly been caught up on everything in the last two years.

Ouch. Ugly truth.

Takeaway Truth

I think I need another cup of coffee to choke down that realization. Y'all have a great week!

Beyond Murphy's Law

Everyone's heard of Murphy's Law, but not many know the other so-called laws as identified and defined by other experts in various fields.

Here are a few other "laws" you might find amusing if not interesting. Sprinkle a few into the conversation at your next party.

First, let me officially define Murphy's Law.

If anything can go wrong, it will.

That's Murphy's Law, named after Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer working on Air Force Project MX981 at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949. The project was to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash. *shudder* I can imagine how that project gave birth to Capt. Murphy's Law.

Dunbar's Number

The size of the human brain limits the number of stable relationships that one human being can maintain to about 150.

Created by English anthropologist Robin Dunbar in 1992, this means you can have about 150 good friends. This is roughly the average size of tribes, villages, and even military units in every country.

The Ben Franklin Effect

He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged. 

From 1791, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. This says that it's easier to make a friend by asking for a favor than by giving a favor. (This seems odd to me. I would think if you'd done a favor for someone, that person would be more likely to help you than someone who has done a favor for you without reciprocation.)

Dunning-Kruger Effect

If you're incompetent, you can't know you're incompetent. 

Defined by American social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, this means that incompetent people overestimate their skills.

Humphrey's Law

Paying too close attention to a normally automatic or unconscious activity hampers your ability to do it well.

Named for English psychologist George Humphrey, this means don't overthink something.

Takeaway Truth

Don't break Humphrey's Law; just enjoy this post!

Saturday Recipe Share: Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

Do you love potatoes au gratin, but you don't eat this tasty dish because you're avoiding potatoes, you'll love this alternative.

A lot of people avoid "white" potatoes because they're high in starchy carbs. Others avoid potatoes because they're trying to eliminate nightshade plants from their diet.

The creamy baked goodness of Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is a nice substitute for scalloped potatoes, but it can also stand up as a meatless entree for a simple supper.

This dish serves 6 to 8 and is so easy to throw together at the end of a busy day. It's delicious and easy. With a salad and some French or Italian bread, it's all you need for a family-friendly meal.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I always use olive oil)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 large zucchini (or yellow squash), washed, stemmed, and cubed to a 1 inch size (If you're in a big hurry, slice the zucchini uniformly and it will cook faster than the cubes.)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk, warmed
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (get the regular stuff, not fat-free)
• 1/2 cup crushed Ritz Crackers
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (That's the best kind for au gratin of any variety, but you can use cheddar if you're economizing or don't have the Gruyere. My husband's grandmother used Parmesan sometimes. My husband always thinks the cheesier, the merrier so I use a little more than 1/3 cup.)

Instructions

• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until lightly brown--don't burn it!
• Add cubed zucchini, salt, and pepper and saute until the squash is browned. Don't overcook it. You want it just barely soft, not mushy. Takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly until the vegetables are coated. Pour in the warmed milk and keep stirring until the mixture thickens. (Congrats! You just used the flour, fat, and warmed milk to make a Bechamel Sauce. Common name is white sauce.)
• Remove from heat, stir in the mayo.
• Spray a large baking dish with Pam or something similar and pour the mixture in it.
• In a Ziplok bag, combine the crackers and Gruyere. Crush with a a rolling pin or flat bottom of a sauce pan or your hands. Shake bag to mix well.
• Sprinkled the cracker crumb mixture over the casserole.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Takeaway Truth

I really think you'll like this. Let me know if you do. Have a great Saturday.

Magic of Books Tour: Sweet and Sassy Valentine

SWEET AND SASSY VALENTINE

Genre:Mixed Romance (sweet to mild heat)