Little Red Bear’s New “Autumn Splendors” Video!

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 / jrmilson / 8 Comments

Happy Autumn!

The time of Autumn is our favorite season and time of year around these parts, beginning with the last marshmallow roasted on Labor Day and lasting thru to the first of December when we start celebrating the Christmas holiday and all things snow and winter.

Right now we are loving every minute of October and Autumn. Some early-changing leaves are just beginning to turn color and hint at the beautiful display soon to follow.

It has been a while since we have made a video, so Little Red Bear thought it a perfect time to fix that and create a new one to celebrate the beautiful season of Autumn to share with everyone.

We tried a few new things with this video, updating the playbook a little as we try to keep learning and evolving our technical skills, keeping in mind that this old writer went thru college using a slide rule at a time before the dawn of personal computers.

For the first time, we included a few “mini-videos” within the video, in addition to using a vocal backing soundtrack for the first time, with all previous videos having used instrumental tracks.

A big Thank You to members of our Patron community, whose support allowed us to renew our video creation service subscription which had lapsed a couple years ago, so looking forward to creating more presentations going forward now, with Halloween and Vintage Christmas themed videos already in mind as possibilities.

And, big Bear Hugs and Thank You’s to Matt and Delia of M&D Hills Photography, who allow me to share their beautiful photographs of the Smoky Mountains Region with you. Matt and Delia are truly “good folk” as we say, and I encourage you to visit their site and learn more about their talented work and offerings.

Little Red Bear and I hope you enjoy our new video and your Autumn visit to Little Red Bear Land. We would appreciate a tap on the “Like” button and a “Thumbs Up” on Youtube to let us and others know. View on full screen with speakers and earbuds if you have them, for the best enjoyment, and please feel free to share with friends and family.

Do you like to chase after autumn leaves when they fall, floating in the air and blowing in the breeze, running to catch them before they land on the ground? I invite you to join us for a comforting and relaxing Autumn visit to Little Red Bear Land.

The background music track to the video is “Like a Star” by Laura Ault, and it is available on Amazon for download if you would like. If you would like to see videos about the characters and settings in Red’s stories, visit our Little Red Bear’s Videos page.

Thanks as always for visiting and spending part of your day with us! We hope that in our own way we help to make your day a little more special, too. — Jim (and Red!)

ps — Remember to join us here every Sunday morning for our regular “Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes” feature when we share the top special recipes which caught our eye during each week! Tap Here To See The Most Recent Recipes For Autumn

This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating. If you enjoy your visits and time with us, Join our new Patron Community today. Patrons help my friend Little Red Bear and me to continue this as an ad-free site, dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!” — L. M. Montgomery

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly, Multi-generational Stories and Fun for All Ages!

~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~

Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“Autumn — the year’s last, loveliest smile.” — William Cullen Bryant

“Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes — Happy October!”

October 1, 2017 / jrmilson / 4 Comments

Happy October! Autumn has arrived!

When not lying awake nights trying to come up with words that rhyme with ‘orange’, Little Red Bear and I like to make things that often feature the color orange, one of the official colors of the autumn season.

In recent weeks I have shared a few recipes appearing on various company websites and mentioned a few product brand names which I use and recommend from personal experience. That led to a question as to whether I am receiving any income in return from product mentions or from recipe and blog referrals. To clear that up right away, the answer is No, No, and No. This is and will remain a non-monetized blog. None of the companies, products, or food blogs which we mention or refer to even know that I or my writing blog exist.

If we find a recipe which we deem worth sharing and it just happens to be on a particular product or company’s site, so be it. Same goes for the various food blogs whose recipes we feature each week. If they all receive a benefit from it via their own advertising and sponsorships — great. It is all about the recipes and sharing for the benefit of everyone. Same for product mentions. If I have personal experience with a product brand which I rely on, that information is passed along for the benefit of everyone from a perspective of sharing, not because I receive anything for it.

It’s simply about sharing and helping others with no strings attached. That’s the Little Red Bear Way, after all.

If you are new to our Sunday morning recipe sharing and missed the first Little Red Bear Recipes Post explaining what we are doing, simply tap on the link to check it out.

So then, let’s get to the recipes we found this week!

Favorite Frosted Brownies

While we both will eat any brownie placed in front of us, Little Red Bar and I disagree over our favorite type. Red prefers the thinner fudgy type brownies, while I like to add an extra egg to my batches to get the taller, more cakey brownies. But we do agree that regardless of the texture, we both love Frosted Brownies! Which type of brownies do you prefer?

Favorite Frosted Brownies Recipe

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Okay, this is the first of a couple of recipes this week that when Little Red Bear and I looked at the title turned to each other and asked — “What were they thinking?” But, then we dug a little deeper into the recipe, thought about it for a minute, and then turned back once again to say — “Oh my goodness, that looks good!” So, ultimately, a bewildered “What?!?” was replaced with a hungry “Wow!”

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

Easy Apple Cobbler With Cinnamon Roll Topping

This is an easy recipe for an Apple Cobbler that uses prepared, canned Cinnamon Rolls (in the dairy section of the food market) for the topping. It is mentioned in the text but not in the recipe card itself — be sure to cut the individual cinnamon rolls into quarter pieces before spreading over the top so it all comes together better in the end. It also says you may discard the frosting packet. I don’t think so! That frosting gets spread over the top of the cobbler in these parts! The taste and smell of the apples plus the cinnamon rolls baking together has to be amazing.

Easy Apple Cobbler With Cinnamon Roll Topping Recipe

(Fool Proof) Homemade Pretzel Bread

As mentioned before, I make breads of all kinds and love Pretzel Bread. Little Red Bear called me over the other day. “Look here, Jim,” he exclaimed with a sly grin on his face, pointing at the recipe title. “They must have written this recipe just for you — it says right here — Fool Proof.”

(Be sure to make those cross slashes in the top to provide a way for the steam to escape while baking. Otherwise, built up steam inside will escape by bursting out uncontrolled somewhere else, disfiguring the nice loaf shape.)

(Fool Proof) Homemade Pretzel Bread Recipe

Blonde Chocolate Macadamia Bark

This recipe is certainly a keeper for the holidays coming soon. The “Blonde” term comes from caramelizing white chocolate, gently toasting white chocolate in the oven to a rich caramel color and flavor. And, it has Macadamia nuts. What else can we say other than “Please pass the tray!”

Blonde Chocolate Macadamia Bark Recipe

Mac and Cheese Soup

This was the other head-scratcher that Little Red Bear and I came across this week, at first trying to comprehend the thought of a macaroni and cheese soup —“Say what?”

Then, we thought about it. And thought about it. It was a chilly day that day, and by the time we got to mid-afternoon this Mac and Cheese Soup started to sound really good for dinner. Made from a base of chicken or vegetable stock with milk and a combination of Velveeta and shredded cheddar cheese, this soup would be wonderful with a slice of rustic bread on the side. Another lesson to never judge a book by its cover, or a recipe by its title. And who doesn’t love the little pasta shells?

Mac and Cheese Soup Recipe

Autumn Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Spice Cakes are a fall and winter favorite here with the delightful aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice wafting thru the home. This is a scratch cake recipe as opposed to the supermarket box mix and is beautifully finished with seasonally colored candy sprinkles and nuts decorating the top and sides. The nuts are optional of course, but always added here with a bear and other critters waiting for cakes to emerge from the oven.

Autumn Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

And remember, all of these recipes are added each week to our “Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes” board on Pinterest for you to access anytime and find those from previous weeks if you missed them. I invite you to follow and check out my other Pinterest boards while there.

Family Time is the Best Time!

Sunday family dinners are special times when families step away from busy weekday schedules, get together, and share not only a meal but also important ‘together time’, as well. Staying connected and involved. It is so easy for us to both feel and become disconnected in today’s hectic, fast-paced world, with all family members being pulled in so many different directions between work obligations, school, after school and social activities. It happens to us before we know it. And I don’t know of anyone yet who has had a successful, meaningful, or long-term relationship with a cell phone.

We all benefit from, but children especially need a home base and safe place to feel secure, confident, and loved. That connection and anchor has always been and will always be family. There is no substitute. Little Red Bear and I hope that you and your loved ones can enjoy family together time today.

We’ll be back every Sunday morning with more of Red’s selected special recipes, so be sure to subscribe in the top right column and follow along to be notified of every new post.

Wishing everyone a wonderful coming week. Kindness costs nothing and can turn someone’s life around. Be the reason someone smiles today! – Jim (and Red!)

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Stories — Sponsored in Part by —

Old Orchard Feed, seed & Farm Supply — proudly supporting Ozarks mountain country ranchers and farmers since 1886. we take special orders –” none too large or small, we fill them all.”

(Read about Old Orchard Feed, Seed & Farm Supply in coming Little Red Bear Stories!)

“Family is the most important thing in the world.” – Princess Diana

“I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.” – Barbara Bush

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly, Multi-generational Stories and Fun for All Ages!

~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~

Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“Kindness is the sunshine in which Virtue grows.” — Robert Green Ingersoll

Like and Follow My Writer’s Page on Facebook For Daily Inspirations & More!

“Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes — Officially Autumn!”

September 24, 2017September 30, 2017 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

When not hard at work sweating over a laptop working on his adventure stories, Little Red Bear and I like to sweat over the kitchen stove whipping up treats and goodies for the other story characters.

With the Fall Equinox, it became officially Autumn at 3:02pm on Friday afternoon here in the midwest. Never mind that our temperatures have hovered in the mid to upper 90s all week. It will change soon, and before we know it there will be the welcoming fall chill in the air as we reach for sweaters and jackets. And leaf rakes.

We had so many amazing looking recipes coming our way this week that it was difficult to narrow it down to just a few to share with you today, with some undoubtedly to be carried over to next week.

Each week we try to select a mix of sweet and savory recipes to keep it balanced, but in coming weeks and as the fall and holiday season progresses, are thinking about doing a week here and there devoted solely to one theme — all Fudge, all Halloween Treat items, all Pumpkin stuff, all Homemade Candies, all Christmas Cookies, like that for example. If you would be interested in our doing that, please let us know in the comments and we will get to work on it.

If you are new to our Sunday morning recipe sharing and missed the first Little Red Bear Recipes Post explaining what we are doing, simply tap on the link to check it out.

Grab your apron and here we go!

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This beautiful bundt cake caught our eye because it is made with a sweet potato puree. That alone means it qualifies as a ‘health food’, right? Rich and moist, the cake is swirled throughout with sweet, maple-flavored cream cheese and topped with a maple praline frosting. How many “m’s” in Yummmm?!?

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Recipe

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Perfectly suited for dinners, snacks, sports viewing lunches, or party treats, Chicken Nuggets are so versatile with nearly universal appeal. This recipe seeks to copy a favorite. Easy to prepare and so much better than hauling them out of a grocery freezer bag. There is an included recipe to prepare a homemade Honey Mustard Dressing, Little Red Bear’s favorite (the honey!), for dipping the nuggets.

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Disney’s Apple Caramel Pie

Apple Pie and Autumn go together like Little Red Bear and honey — a perfect pairing! This is the Apple Caramel Pie served in the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. If the caramel did not make it special enough, the crust is made with a sugar cookie bottom! This delightful apple pie will be perfect not only all thru the fall season but also for coming holiday dinners. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Now you’re talkin’.

Disney’s Apple Caramel Pie Recipe

French Dip Sliders

One of my favorite sandwiches is a French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich! What Little Red Bear and I both liked about this recipe for French Dip Sliders is that it used sliced roast beef from the deli, not having to go to the time and trouble to cook a whole roast at home first. So that makes it a wonderful and easy dish to prepare for afternoon football viewing lunches, after leaf raking lunches on a chilly afternoon, book club meetings to discuss “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” stories, and other friendly gatherings.

French Dip Sliders Recipe

Flavored Pie Doughs

We don’t try to hide it and keep no secrets here — Little Red Bear cannot make a decent pie crust to save his soul. A champion at biscuits, not so much with pie crusts. So we were both amazed this week when our favorite bread flour maker, King Arthur Flour, included a link to Flavored Pie Doughs in their message. Who knew pie dough could be flavored? So, here is the information from their site, on how to prepare Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Flavored Pie Doughs. I think Little Red Bear is headed back to the kitchen for another try or two! The thought of an apple pie in a peanut butter flavored crust is intriguing.

Flavored Pie Doughs from King Arthur Flour Recipes

As an added bonus, while discussing flavored pie doughs, we came across a recipe for a pie dough made from Pecans and Cinnamon. That got our attention, too! But a word first — the recipe calls for “dehydrated sugar cane juice.” Unfamiliar with that and never having used (or seen it!), I got busy and did some research. From the best I can tell, it’s basically the same thing as sugar. While cane juice is extracted from the sugar cane plant and then evaporated to form the crystals, white sugar has its juice filtered first to remove some of the brown solids. The evaporated cane juice has trace amounts of the solids remaining, supposedly making it more natural, hence healthy. The two sugars are nearly identical, basically 50% glucose/fructose in the end, no matter which way it is processed first. Long story short, it is fine to substitute either plain white or brown sugar in equal measure for the dehydrated sugar cane juice. So if the idea of a Pecan and Cinnamon Pie Crust excites you like it did us, then go for it! Simply use the sugar you normally would in a recipe.

Pecans and Cinnamon Pie Crust Recipe

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies

Described as a tangy and buttery shortbread cookie, studded with bits of toasted pecans, LIttle Red Bear insisted on including this recipe. We both liked its flexibility too, allowing for the substitution of your favorite nut in place of the pecans if you wished — pistachios, walnuts, cashews, or something else. These would be a real treat in a holiday cookie exchange or on a buffet table! ‘Elegant’ could certainly be used to describe these beautiful cookies. And a perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot tea.

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies Recipe

Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Chilly days are surely on their way, and this Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder has a little bit of everything to warm both the tummy and the heart — corn kernels, chunks of carrots and potatoes, along with meaty chunks of ham in a rich and creamy broth. And, best of all, it cooks by itself all day, unattended in the crock pot. Winner, winner, creamy nourishing soup for dinner!

Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder Recipe

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Imagine, if you can, a layer of delicious chocolate chip cookie covered over with ooey-gooey caramel sauce, topped with another layer of chocolate chip cookie. Yeah, we know. Hard to imagine but here it is! Cut into bars, these treats are perfect for Halloween, afternoon treats, and holiday buffets. Wrapped individually, these also freeze well, allowing them to be made in advance of the hectic holiday season, or to simply have at hand anytime. Like, right now, for example.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

If you enjoy these recipe features, please tap the Like button below and feel free to Comment and let us know, and we will be on the lookout for more interesting and fun recipes to share with you each Sunday morning as we go along. And remember, all of these recipes are added each week to our “Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes” board on Pinterest for you to access anytime and find those from previous weeks if you missed them. I invite you to follow and check out my other Pinterest boards while there.

If you have a family favorite or vintage recipe that you would like to share, please snap a photo and send it along to us. We’ll be happy to add it in for the benefit of others.

Family Time is the Best Time!

Thanks as always for spending part of your day with us! We would be honored if you recommended our site and pages to friends and family. Little Red Bear and I look forward to your visits here, and hope that in our own way we help to make your day special, too! We’ll be back every Sunday morning with more of Red’s selected special recipes, so be sure to subscribe in the top right column and follow along to be notified of every new post.

Wishing everyone a wonderful coming week. Kindness costs nothing and can turn someone’s life around. Be the reason someone smiles today! – Jim (and Red!)

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Stories — Sponsored in Part by —

myra cookson’s pie pantry & goodies shoppe — Featuring homemade delights sourced from only the finest local, fresh ingredients. check our coupon in “squirrelly world” for a free ‘singing lily’ with your first purchase. centrally located in the heart of downtown butterfield.

(Read about Myra Cookson’s Pie Pantry & Goodies Shoppe in the Little Red Bear Stories!)

“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox

“A cupcake for dessert is always good. But four are always better.” – Little Red Bear

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly, Multi-generational Stories and Fun for All Ages!

~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~

Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“Learn how to cook. Try new recipes. Learn from your mistakes. Be fearless and above all have fun.” – Julia Child

Like and Follow My Writer’s Page on Facebook For Daily Inspirations & More!

Tri-County Storekeepers Line Up to Back Little Red Bear Adventure Stories!

September 22, 2017September 23, 2017 / jrmilson / 2 Comments

When not standing in the ‘Strange and Silly Fiction Aisle’ at Barnes & Noble waiting for people to ask for our autographs, Little Red Bear and I are hard at work reenacting and writing about Red’s adventures.

The second collection of Little Red Bear stories well underway now will be somewhat different in approach than the first collection, which consisted of six short stories, each more of a novelette in length, truth be told. The second collection book will be noticeably longer with two additional full-length stories, along with much shorter stories which we have not agreed on a name for yet — Mini Stories or Interludes — positioned in between the longer length features.

What with the format changes, longer overall book length, and increased number of stories, it has become quite the project and undertaking. Add to that several new story characters coming from all over the U.S. and overseas, and it is readily apparent why we are running substantially over the production budget. More characters to house and feed, additional writing sets to be constructed, landowner permits obtained for writing access, new character travel expenses, etc. Not to mention insurance, medical, and paramedic service costs while working with wildlife, some rather ill-disposed.

As luck would have it, the majority of our story characters are domestic animals and wildlife, so wardrobe costs are kept to a ‘bare’ minimum, so to speak. And while it is true that some of the characters quite literally do work for peanuts, it still does all add up in a hurry.

Scanty wardrobe and peanuts notwithstanding, the long and the little of it is that we found ourselves already way over the anticipated production budget for this story collection by the midway point, with critters eating us out of house and home. And did I mention about the peanuts?

To their credit, a good number of businesses in the surrounding region of Little Red Bear Land in the Ozarks Mountain Country, which we refer to as the “Tri-County Area” in the stories, have stepped forward to sponsor our writing and story work. In exchange for an occasional mention of their enterprises in the stories, of course. Perhaps you may already be familiar with one — ‘McNickles Famous Pickles & Pork Rinds’ on the outskirts of Round Corners, where Little Red Bear has done book signings on occasion.

So, rest comfortably assured that writing and production work on the next collection of Little Red Bear stories is continuing unabated thanks to local shopkeepers and community support. Just letting you know so that you are aware what is going on when an occasional message from one of our sponsors appears here on the writing blog and elsewhere as we go forward. It goes without saying that this still is and will remain a non-monetized blog in the traditional advertising sense, of course.

We will be updating story progress from time to time as we go along and get closer to the publication date, scheduled for early next year, barring unforeseen production delays.

If you are not already following my Facebook Writer Page, now would be a good time and I encourage you to do so. As in the weekly recipes Little Red Bear shares here on the writing blog every Sunday morning, we find a number of wonderful, inspiring, entertaining, and educational videos and other items each week doing writing research. We are going to begin sharing the best ones on my Writer Page as we come across them. Most are short, focusing on our major themes here of Children, Family, Kindness, Positivity, Mother Nature, and Pets. Pets and animals always make for a smile to brighten a gloomy day.

Thank you always for spending part of your day with us. We would be honored if you recommended our site and pages to friends and family. Little Red Bear and I look forward to your visits here, and hope that in our own way we help to make your day special, too! — Jim (and Red!)

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Stories — Sponsored in Part by —

Bad Bob’s Bandit Bandanas — Furnishing the Finest In Must-have Accessory Items for Successful Highwaymen and Holder-uppers Since 1836. Conveniently Located next to the citizen’s bank of blusterville.

(Read about Bad Bob’s Bandit Bandanas in the coming Little Red Bear Stories!)

“Give light and people will find the way.” – Ella Baker

“The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” – Peggy O’ Mara

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Multi-Generational, Family-friendly Stories and Fun for All Ages!

About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends.

Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“It’s not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is — what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Orange Juice — Clean It Up!

August 10, 2017 / jrmilson / 6 Comments

Following a rather unfortunate mishap in the kitchen the other morning, it occurred to Little Red Bear and me that, to the best of our knowledge, no one had ever written a poem or advisory about spilled orange juice. We are told from an early age not to cry over spilled milk, of course. And if we spill salt, a pinch tossed over the left shoulder for good luck will supposedly blind the devil waiting there.

But what do we do about spilled orange juice? Cry? Don’t cry? Splash some over our shoulder? And what can we learn from the experience? So, we sharpened our pencils and set to work.

In the end, neither Little Red Bear nor I could think of anything to do about spilled orange juice other than to simply get busy and clean up the mess, being especially grateful that it was merely orange juice and not our treasured, albeit icky-sticky, honey supply.

And, upon further review, we found the orange juice innocent in the regrettable and messy spillage episode, and blamed it all on the yellow cup which proved itself to be notably deceptive and unreliable. And haste, which, of course, we all know what that makes because someone did take the time to develop a proverb about the consequences of haste and waste.

When pouring fresh yellow orange juice into a non-see-through yellow cup,

Take a moment to switch the light on to save five minutes cleaning up.

Pouring in the dark soon leads to over-filling and spilling, you see,

Leaving behind a mighty mess which must be sopped and mopped up by me.

This I have learned from experience, such a true and noble teacher,

Who knew that congenial yellow cups could have this peculiar feature?

Thanks always for visiting with us. A single kind word or act of kindness can turn someone’s entire day or life around. In a world where we can be anything — be Kind, and the reason someone smiles today! – Jim (and Red!)

If you enjoy your visits here Become a Patron of this site and my writing work, helping to grow and expand our outreach to others. Find out more and discover Patron benefits today!

“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” – John Barrymore

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So, do it.” – Kurt Vonnegut

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Stories and Fun for All Ages and Fitness Levels!

About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends.

Tap Here For A Free Preview!

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.” — Kate DiCamillo

What is Patreon, Why I Joined and What It Means For The Future

July 16, 2017 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

If you are like me, you may never have heard of Patreon before. I hadn’t until it was suggested to me and I started investigating.

Growing and increasingly popular among artists, writers, videographers, musicians, and other creators, Patreon is a new, web-based membership platform providing a means for creators to build a subscriber base and receive funding directly from their fans and followers who are seeking a way to reward and provide tangible encouragement, help and support for their creative work, thereby enabling creators to focus on their work and do more.

Historically, “patrons” have directly endorsed and supported creative artists’ work over the centuries. Patreon is a platform for that to happen once again, by providing fans and followers of creators the opportunity to subscribe as a patron of their work at whichever amount they may choose.

Some patrons may contribute each time a creative work is produced, while other patrons may pledge a small monthly amount to assist the creator on an on-going basis. In many instances, as little as a dollar a month. Membership participation varies, individual to each creator.

So, if you see a new Patreon button or logo on someone’s page that you follow, or are provided an email link in correspondence, that is what it is all about. A way to reward, encourage, and support the creative work of those you follow and enjoy.

Contrary to advice received over the years, I have steadfastly refused to monetize my writing and creativity blog by incorporating advertisers, and will continue to do so, to never distract from positive messages and enjoyment of visitors, so receive no revenues from this site.

Retired on disability and living on a fixed income which diminishes each year with rising housing costs, medical expenses and inflation, I have become increasingly reliant on revenues from the sale of my teddy bear and other creations in my online stores to offset the costs of the blog and writing, and to make ends meet. At the same time those revenues have been decreasing from more difficult days when hand work becomes more challenging, coupled with more time spent on the blog and writing.

After a great deal of thought I came to the decision to join Patreon to help keep it all going, and as a better alternative to intrusive, annoying and questionably tasteless or shady advertisements running on my blog pages, which I would ultimately have little or no control over.

Patreon provides a reliable means for followers who would like to participate in the process, to help keep both the site and my writing work not only going, but also growing to reach a wider audience with our themes of Children, Family, Kindness, Positivity, Mother Nature and Conservation. That is what it is all about here.

What joining Patreon means, is that thru small monthly pledges and encouragement, Patrons allow me to –

Devote a greater amount of time to writing both with Little Red Bear and on exciting new projects in the works,
Provide a higher quality experience and educational information for visitors to this site,
Reach new readers thru my writing blog, Little Red Bear stories, and other new ways,
Continue spreading our positive messages to new audiences,
Maintain this site free of advertising and easy loading for reader enjoyment,
Be able to continue providing free original reading material, poetry, and wholesome entertainment for all ages.

If you are interested in becoming a Patron and would like to learn more about what it involves, simply Visit my Patreon Page and discover the exclusive rewards in store for Patrons as my Thank You – including writing updates, sneak peaks of upcoming releases, extra materials not able to be included in stories and books, the ability to participate in my Patron community, and much more.

Sharing kindness, positivity, and care for Mother Nature, together we can reunite and unify the pieces to help bring about a better future for our children and grandchildren.

Thanks as always for visiting with us. If not able to become a Patron at this time, please be assured that my writing blog will always remain free and accessible for all, and thank you always for your encouragement by following along. – Jim (and Red!)

If you enjoy your visits here, Become a Patron of this site and my writing work, helping to grow and expand our outreach to others. Find out more and discover Patron benefits today!

“Someone’s sitting in shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffet