Category Archives: Community

Jun23

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

MEET INSPIRATION

AN APOLOGY TO MY FOLLOWERS: I know this isn’t Tender Tuesday or Wacky Wednesday, and not even Theatrical Thursday… Please accept my apology for publishing this on Freaky Friday! (I’ve been a little busy….)

Many of you may not be aware that I’m in process of publishing my first Picture Book! I waited for months to have the carefully chosen publishers respond to my query and tell me how anxious they were to get the project to print. I dreamt of bidding wars over my manuscripts- seriously! You’re shaking your head right now, thinking another disillusioned novice gets a dose of reality. Not exactly! I have had some experience with publishing in a former … Read the rest

May24

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

POST CRUISE SHIP BRIDGE LESSONS

                                               -Anyone Playing?

Welcome back to the Post Script of Cruise Ship Bridge Lessons.  I wonder if I’ve totally put you off enrolling in bridge lessons aboard after reading about our instructor, Christine, last week. I certainly hope not!  Believe me, she’s still in my head when I deal a game!  This memorable character left quite an impression on all of us!  My husband says I shouldn’t have been so polite when I mentioned one of the male passengers had declared, “Christine, you scare the ” s_ _t ” out of me!”

All teasing aside, our cruise did come to an end after 58 short days! My husband and I experienced a bit of emotional reluctance … Read the rest

Apr26

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

SENIORS CARING for SENIORS (Part 3)

What Happens on 5th Floor, Doesn’t Stay on 5th Floor

Welcome back to Tender Tuesdays! This week’s installment moves forward with our father’s brief stay on 5th Floor of our local hospital. As you’ll recall, we’re the senior kids caring for parents living long and healthy lives- many surpassing the more normal 100th Birthday milestone. This is the new norm!

Picking up from last week’s post, our dad was being moved out of Palliative Care and sent up to 5th Floor. We went up with him, the orderlies pushing his cot through the crowded hallways into a room with two beds. When we arrived, the nurse who accepted our father, was curt, ill-prepared, … Read the rest

Mar4

WORLD BOOK DAY

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WORLD BOOK DAY

World Book DayCelebrations for WORLD BOOK DAY are happening today in schools everywhere.  Students arrived in class dressed up as their favorite character and enjoying author visits, as well as sharing their own books published through Writers’ Workshop.  It’s an opportunity to inspire enthusiasm for one’s favorite titles and create awareness of the diverse and worthwhile reads out there.

No longer an educator participating in these school celebrations, I chose to share a book review of an eBook that was recently written by a woman while undergoing breast cancer and extended preventative surgery.  Tanyia Pelham was motivated to  write, HEARTS of the PRAIRIE PAST, as she convalesced and reminisced about her youth in the 70’s,  living on a ranch situated near … Read the rest

Jul4

Children’s Writer Shares Enthusiasm

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Children’s Writer Shares Enthusiasm

Children’ s Writer Shares

Enthusiasm

         Nanoose Bay author Mary Laudien is having a blast writing humorous, contemporary novels for anyone who loves their pet.

She shares that enthusiasm with young readers at the Wellington Library’s Summer Reading Club Thursday(July 5 ) at 2 p.m.

Laudien, a retired principal from West Vancouver, is writing the third book in her Frenchie series, aimed at nine to 12-year-olds, ages that she believes engage in reading through humorous books they relate to personally.

In the first book, Ethan enlists the aid of his quirky grandmother, and a following of bloggers, to realize his dream of owning a French bulldog. Misadventures ensue, including a bargain dogwash business in his mother’s laundry room, all shared nightly … Read the rest

Jul1

Blog Comment Contest

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Blog Comment Contest

With summer reading upon us, Mary Laudien is excited to share the first two books of her Frenchie series as a way to inspire kids to read and write blogs over the long summer break.

In preparation for Mary Laudien’s Author Visit to Nanaimo Wellington Library’s Summer Reading Club, she has organized a BLOG COMMENT CONTEST as a follow-up activity.  Participants will be given a business card with her blog address (http://twocandobooks.wordpress.com).  They will be asked to visit her blog site after the Author Visit and leave a comment.  The participants will have some experience with blogs through her readings and will be asked to briefly comment on one of the following:

1. a recommendation for an … Read the rest

Jul1

Summer Reading Program at Nanaimo Wellington Library

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Summer Reading Program at Nanaimo Wellington Library

If you’re a 9 to 12 year old  you will want to join

Mary Laudien at NANAIMO WELLINGTON LIBRARY

This is an author visit for absolutely anyone who likes having FUN, reading HUMOROUS BOOKS and is GAGA over their PET (French Bulldogs, in particular!). Mary is writing her third novel in the Frenchie series and she is excited to share her first two books with anyone who meets the above criteria!

 

$6.99                                                                            $9.99

If you own a pet or are a “pet- owner wannabe”, you’ll make a personal connection with the hilarious and chaotic contemporary fiction in this series. Listen to some hysterical readings from Frenchie’s Best Friend- Follow the Blog and the sequel Frenchie X 2- Follow … Read the rest

Jun6

CHAPTERS in NANAIMO

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CHAPTERS in NANAIMO

                                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m SO PUMPED!  Yes, this is me checking out my first book, “Frenchie’s Best Friend- Follow the Blog” on the shelves at CHAPTERS in Nanaimo.  What a thrill!  If you are on the Island or visiting, please look for my book in the Local Artist’s fiction section.  I’m hoping that all twenty copies disappear quickly and then you’ll be able to buy Frenchie X2, to find out why the fun and chaos just couldn’t end with Book One.  HAPPY SUMMER READING!

 … Read the rest

May17

Apple Workshops-No More “Social Media Phobic” Authors!

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Apple Workshops-No More “Social Media Phobic” Authors!

Such a revelation!  A couple of weeks ago a neighbour mentioned  pre-booking one-on-one tutorials and group workshops at Apple Stores from an App on iPhone.  Who knew?

Travelling to Portland for a few days each month, the app was downloaded and  an early morning workshop  booking made on Social Media for Businesses.  The “buzz” and crowd generation evident in the Apple Stores had been previously mistakenly dismissed as product excitement.  Wrong!

Arriving early to the workshop, one-on-one tutorials were already in progress and a greeter  personally approached participants outside the store to invite them in.  The atmosphere in the store at seven thirty a.m. was already charged, purposeful and welcoming.  Personnel (besides the presenter) circulated making connections with participants before … Read the rest

Apr17

Sense of Community Alive and Well in Nanoose Bay

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Sense of Community Alive and Well in Nanoose Bay

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At the first sign of SPRING, everyone has projects that they’re dying to get underway.  My Ryan needed/wanted/ pined for… a garden shed.  He had worked diligently over the winter months perfecting the design of his coveted SHED, by dusting off his Auto-Cad skills and then ultimately hired a professional, after all, to adjust the plan to comply with district building regulations. (Let’s just say after plans were created for the ideal SHED, reality hit! Apparently there are district size restrictions and the SHED became far less grandiose in size!)  Seriously, I think the man had secretly been planning a “MAN CAVE” complete with lazy boys, beer fridge and a flat screen TV.  Nope, that wasn’t going … Read the rest