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 |  Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 28 MAY 2024: Just a little about me. I've been married for 32 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, travels, random thoughts, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there. BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2024: I participated in the
![Merit Badge in Nonfiction
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Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Nonfiction.gif) Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~doingNaNo'24   for hosting the contest! OCTOBER 2024: I participated in the
![Merit Badge in Halloween
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Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Halloween-2026567.gif) Big Thanks to Lyn's a Witchy Woman  for hosting the contest!Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." 
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| I can't!! Where did it go? The last 9 days have been a blurr... I go to work, go home, eat, watch TV go to bed. I haven't been anywhere interesting and when it's payday, Wednesday, I catch up on my errands and go to Costco!! I  Costco. I still need reviews on my short stories so I can book marketing sites. So here is a gratitious plug: Here's the blurb: Night of Magic…Samhain—Dark…Dangerous…Powerful…The year is 800 A.D. on the Emerald Isle, and Prince Jasper is determined to regain that which has been lost to him. Five years past, Princess Aithne was taken from her father, Prince Jasper, by the forces of the Other World. On Samhain, the veil between the worlds is thin, and can be breeched more readily—especially if one walks amid the ceremonial bonfires. When Princess Aithne disappears, her father vows every year to bring her back. He tempts many champions with a chest of gold, but only one man can succeed. This year, Finn is determined to lay claim to that treasure, but to do so, he must tempt Fate. Will he survive his journey to the Other World to bring the princess back? Will he dare follow his heart? Or will greed determine what lies in store for him on this NIGHT OF MAGIC? Much thanks for your support. Every review is one step closer to my marketing goals! FUNDRAISING IN COVID Fundraising for the boys has always been a thing. When they were in elementary school, teachers would send home a list of items/supplies they needed for the classroom. Us room parents would pitch in and I even volunteered in the classroom to help out. If anything I was irked because CA taxes are SKY HIGH and it broke my heart that after all the TAXES I pay, teachers still dont have $$ for supplies for their classroom and they have to ask room parents. Of course, I support, especially at the elementary level, just sad. BUT... since school is online, fundraising from schools is practically non existent which is kinda nice, however Joey's high school is still food fundraisers. I don't mind supporting them either because usually when I get home, I am practically out of energy and don't have the stamina to actually cook a meal. Boy Scouts is still fundraising. Right now they have a popcorn & Christmas wreath fundraiser. I don't mind giving them a shout out on my FB page. Still, popcorn is expensive and I hate sounding like I'm begging. haha. The Christmas wreaths are nice though. If anyone is interested in supporting, let me know and I'll send you a link. Boy Scouts have been good for my boys. Andrew is an Eagle Scout. Joey is Star right now. I like the protocols they have in place now with youth protection. Well, that's all I have. Looking forward to tonight's presidential debate! Smiles Steph |
| Well, September is here. Things come, Things go. As usual, I'm a bit poky getting around to my blog, please forgive. (Though I am impressed that that I haven't been entirely negelectful and I'm finding time to pop in from time to time) Just sharing some misc thoughts about the world and events around me this September. SOCAL Well, things are pretty much still shut down here in SoCal, and I'm in LA County. Our county is in the Purple tier, so we are very resticted. No movies, No bowling alleys, Halloween is "not recommeded" bit isn't prohibited. I'm a tad "drained" from the restrictions. I go to work, I go home, I eat, I sleep. If I have a day off I do my errands and I go walking. Missing USC Football. COVID sucks. What else needs to be said? HOPE, HONOR, HEAL VIRTUAL 5K WALK September is National Suicide Awareness month and LAPD partnered with Hope, Honor, Heal to host a Virtual 5K to bring attention to suicide awareness. They used the "Just Move" app to record your progress. I signed up to do it and took my 13 yr old with me. We walked 5K's around Castaic Lake, but we did after work. I'm glad to walk and bring awareness to this issue. (FYI... I am a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. I take 911 calls for the city of LA as well as talking to the officers on the radio.) Here's a video by LAPD. FIRES The air quality sucks. As usual, California is on fire. But just so you know, it's fire season and California is always on fire. It burned last year, and the year before that, and the year before that too. My governor says the number one reason is because of climate change. Now this is a divisive topic, and I don't mean to stir up the dust here. But I found this guy, Bijorn Lomborg out of Sweden, who makes a lot of sense. Climate Change is real, but it isn't quite the force some think it is. Here's Bijorn's Article: https://nypost.com/2020/09/14/sorry-solar-panels-wont-stop-californias-fires/?fb... So Bijorn is my climate change guy. I believe part of California's problem has to do with the lack of forest management. Causes for some of the most recent fires have been lightening and a gender reveal party. While I believe like Bijorn, that the climate makes a favoritable enviornment due to the hot conditions and dry heat, the lack for forest management has made California a tinder box. I say give Bijorn Lomborg a read and see what he says rings true to you. OUt of all the things I've read and watched, Bijorn rings true to me. READING I've been a bunch of political books trying to round out my thoughts and ideas. I read Mary Trump's book and I just finished reading Don Jr's book. I know, more division. Sorry. What's the saying? Knowledge is power? Well, I'm working on my knowledge. Also reading "The Great Influenza" and "Carnegie's Maid." I like the historical stuff, can you tell? WRITING It feels good to be back writing. Mind you, it's slow, but due to COVID restrictions, I'm finding time. I am working on updating an "older" tale. It was published in the Victory Tales Press "Stimulating" anthology back in 2010. It was called "Christmas in Bayeux." Victory Tales Press went out of business in 2018 and it's taken me a bit to start to get my stories back out there. Here's a little preview of "new" scene: *** "But if the stock does well, it will earn you money."Annabelle buttered one side of her crossaint. "What did Marchand say?" "Buy." Noel let out a long breath. "He says Amazon is the future." "Have you asked your friend?" Noel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean Aiden?" "Yes." Author's note: In 2010, the year the story takes place, Amazon stock was between 100-114 dollars a share. Hard to believe, but true. ********** Hope September has treated you decent. Smiles to all Steph   |
 There are just events that happen which are burned into our memories. They may fade over time, but the emotion you feel years later is still strong. For the older generation who fought in World War II, Pearl Harbor is that day. (The Greatest Generation, 1901-1927) For some, JFK's assassination is the moment. (the Baby Boomers) For others, the Challenger destruction, moments after launch in 1986 is another. This is a moment that hasn't faded and powerful emotions can have me in tears in seconds. (Generation X) Another moment was when American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 struck the Twin Towers. American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. United Airlines Flight 93 crash landed in Shanksville, PA after the crew and passengers fought back and attempted to regain control of the Airplane which was headed toward Washington DC. (the Millenials) 9-11 still resonates with me. I was in the military from 86-97. In Feb 2000, I was hired as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I was 19 months into my new career and 3 months pregnant. I woke up, went downstairs, and turned on the TV. The north tower was ablaze. I watched the second plane crash into the south tower and my heart sunk into my chest. What was wrong with the world? I thought. What kind of world am I bringing my child into? I didn't even now the sex of the child at the time! (Nowadays my son is 18. The world has changed - its different from my growing up years and his experiences growing up are different from mine.) I still wonder to this day what kind of world I brought my boys into and if I gave them a solid start to tto live in this world. I gave Roll call training today. It was supposed to be about terrorism in LA, but I blew through that and spent a bunch of time on 9-11 and the events that lead up to that event. For me,its personal. We will never forget. My remembering this event and honoring it (like we do the anniversary of D-Day) we think about what's important in our lives. Our families. Our jobs. Our way of life. I challenged the shift to just spend a moment or two in silence. Say a prayer for those lost their lives, and their families. Do one kind thing today. I think UA Flight 93, who knew the danger they were in and tried to fight back, would appreciate that small gesture. I will never forget their heroism or the bravery of every person on every flight,the unsuspecting people in the twin towers just getting to work,and the courgeous firefighters, police officers and port authority officers who responded. |
 I think we all enjoy having the first Monday of September off. It’s a nice break since the last holiday was the 4th of July. That’s a long span not to have a holiday. So, what’s Labor Day about? It’s dedicated to the American worker and all they’ve done to strengthen the nation, help make America prosperous, and boost the overall well-being of the country. While the origins of the holiday are debated, what we do know is that one of the first Labor Days came about in the 1880’s out of New York City, and the intent was to celebrate with a picnic. By 1894, 23 states celebrated Labor Day. The first Labor Days involved a street parade with floats and exhibits that embodied the strength and Esprit de corps of the trade or labor unions. After the parades, there would be festivals, picnics, amusement to help entertain workers and their families. I, for one, enjoy a good autumn festival. Today there are “Highland Games” that take place in the fall, State Fairs, Apple festivals, etc… Labor has contributed to the high standard of living in America, and the worker deserves to be acknowledged for their contributions. I think that’s the heart of the holiday that we shouldn’t forget. Labor Unions were very important when they first formed. Labor Unions were formed in the private sector for manufacturing jobs. They helped establish fair practices. Labor Unions not only negotiated fair wages, but also for the 8 hour work day, and benefits from sick time to holiday pay. Labor unions helped to protect workers. They helped to do away with children laborers as well. Labor Day is now approximately 125 years old. It’s still considered the unofficial end of summer, as schools usually back up after the holiday. But do unions do the same thing now in 2020 that they were conceived to do in the 1880’s? The times have changed since 1880’s and now. The Industrial revolution is over and now there’s a technical revolution. What makes a Union successful in 2020 is the ability to successfully negotiate contracts. There are public unions and private unions. Public service unions have grown while private ones have gotten smaller. Public unions focus on retaining good pay, good benefits and job security. Public sector unions also have a political influence. Private unions have declined due to the jobs market declining in certain jobs such as health care, restaurants, and hospitality as well as manufacturing. As for the holiday, I would love see America get back to basics with parades and festivals. (which would definitely be challenge in 2020 due to COVID) What makes the holiday special for me is the day off to relax and appreciate all the benefits I have due to the hard work of laborers before me. So, for Labor Day 2020, I’ll be BBQ in my backyard, share my Labor Day flowers with you all, and read a good book. I might even go shopping at Target. It's the little things that make the holiday special. |
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