Kindness and The Power of Words

October 17, 2016October 15, 2016 / jrmilson / 6 Comments

My Mother, who I consider to quite possibly be the wisest person I have ever known, raised me on the adage of — “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Her intent was to both support me when on the receiving end of hurtful barbs sent my way, and to make sure that I learned not to launch any in the direction of others myself.

quote-kindness-careful-words

With all due love and respect to Mom, that’s plain hogwash. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but Words can be truly hurtful. We need to be especially careful, supportive and encouraging with our chosen words for children, whose self-images and psyches can be so fragile. And with everyone, really. Words have the power to hurt or heal. Support or discourage. Build up or tear down. Words can serve to create or to devastate and crush a young and loving spirit. Broken bones and wounds tend to heal well over time, but poorly chosen, hurtful words can leave lasting impressions and scars that stay with us forever.

An unkind word is like toothpaste. Once out, it is impossible to put back. Hurtful and demeaning words may be forgiven, but likely never forgotten.

quote-kindness-kind-words-10

A kind word can mean the world to someone who may be going thru a rough stretch of road. And we never really know what someone may be going thru from outward appearances. Oftentimes, all a struggling person may need to turn a life in turmoil around is a kind word to know someone else cares. On how many occasions after someone has passed, have we heard the sentiment — “If only I had told them . . . . “?

quote-words-power

We should never let pass the opportunity to lend a hand, help someone, or as William Makepeace Thackeray put it — “Never lose a chance of saying a kind word.”

Thanks as always for stopping in to visit. Share a kind word, and make someone’s day a little brighter. — Jim (and Red!)

quote-kind-words

“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.

Sunday Family Day — Putting “Family” Back Into Sundays!

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016 / jrmilson / 5 Comments

Things tend to change over time. Oftentimes for the better. Sometimes not.

Sundays were family days a while ago. Back in the days before over-hyped sporting events and media distractions began to dominate the scene and steal away quality time. Sundays were spent relaxing from the weekly routine, the hustle and bustle, from the work grind and stress. Reconnecting. Spending time together. Going for Sunday afternoon drives thru the countryside. Looking forward all day to Sunday dinner. Sundays were for staying in touch, returning to our center and to what is truly important — Family.

This is the first in a series of weekly Sunday posts dedicated to returning Sundays to Family Days. Spending quality time with loved ones. Each of us only gets so much time in our life and no one knows how much. We can choose to invest the time given to us wisely, into what is most important to us and to the future of our children, or to fritter it away in frivolous pursuits which yield nothing but empty minutes passed and a longing for something more substantial and connecting in our lives. So many feel disconnected today. Be and stay connected — with your family.

picnic-31-via-google-via-123rf-images-site

It is easier to withstand the storms of life, not being blown over by the random winds of misfortune, when we are grounded, anchored and held secure by family and loving roots. Sundays are made for grounding and staying connected. Our society, with so many challenges confronting families today, ranging from rampant drug use to negative social media influences and divisiveness, perhaps now more than ever, needs to rekindle that spirit of family togetherness and bonding.

The autumn season, with its refreshing and crisp air, is a perfect time to get the family together for a picnic. Take a trip to the park and kick around a soccer ball. Launch a Frisbee thru the air. Play hide and seek. Or even spread a blanket on the ground in the backyard and just have a fun time together tossing leaves about and grilling up some hot dogs or marshmallows. If inclement weather, take that same blanket and make a tent in the family room. Spend the time together, and have Fun! Experience, share and enjoy the Peace, Joy, and Love. They aren’t just words on a page. Give them true life in your family, making lasting loving memories while forming the connections which strengthen and hold us together.

(Image Credit: Tori Watson Photography, The Haggards Family, blog.tori-watson.com)

Family time. Together time. Fun time. Quality time. The best time! To be in our children’s memories tomorrow, we must be in their lives today.

children-parenting-time-spent

Thank You for stopping by to visit! I hope you enjoy this new Sunday feature, and follow along each week as we work together to bring Family back into Sundays. Spread the word to family, friends and neighbors. What does your family do to stay connected? Please feel free to share in the comments! We are all in this together, after all.

Happy Sunday! Happy Family Day! Wishing everyone a beautiful autumn and family Sunday — together! – – – Jim (and Red!)

(Image via CanberraYourFuture.com)

“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.

A Look Back — “Ode to Summer”

September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

“Ode to Summer”

Vacation trips, adventures, off-roading and more,

Fun with friends and family, summer’s never a bore.

Splashing dog washes and sudsy car washes,

Out in the backyards with our gardens and squashes.

We went to the beach (with kites!) and combed the seashore,

Searching for shells and pirates and treasures of yore.

Snorkeled and swam and played in the ocean,

Slathered with sunscreen and all sorts of lotion.

Towering castles we built entirely of sand,

And it was so much fun to step off dry land.

Barbeques, grilling, picnics, cookouts and parties,

Tossing candy to kids— to each a sweet roll of Smarties!

Jumping in puddles with muddy galoshes,

Searching for Bigfoot and hairy Sasquatches.

Trips to the park and we stayed out after dark,

Watching fireflies and cheering each July firework’s spark.

Fishing, camping, biking, hiking, and parasailing,

We did it all until the wallet was wailing.

We sat in the porch swing, relaxing with tea.

Oh! What a summer we had, you next to me.

Too soon summer has ended and its now the fall season,

But it’s fun to look back, as if we needed a reason.

Artwork by John Sloane — “Good Old Summertime”

“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.

Little Red Bear Answers Reader Questions — “Where is McNickle’s?”

August 8, 2016 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

More reader questions for Little Red Bear! Here we go with another one . . . . . .

Reader Question from Road Trip Rick in Disoriented, Oregon – “Dear Little Red Bear — I’m really hungry for some old-fashioned pickles and pork rinds so planning a road trip on Sunday, but can’t seem to find “McNickle’s Famous Pickles & Pork Rinds” country store where you do book signings, anywhere on a map. And my GPS is no help at all. Where is it and will you be there on Sunday for a book signing when I get there?”

Answer— That is a very good question, Rick! And it’s not surprising that you can’t find McNickle’s Famous Pickles & Pork Rinds on a map or in the GPS doohickeys, because it seems to be one of those kind of places that a person can’t find unless they know where it is to begin with.

The best thing to remember is that it is on Shady Holler Road, just west of Knob Lick. The country store is located about half a mile past Turner’s red barn, and across from the split pin oak tree if you’re unfamiliar with the area. If you find yourself sitting in front of the Post Office in Curly Pine, chances are you most likely missed the barn and went too far. That old red barn sits back from the road a bit, behind the row of hedge apples, so you need to keep a sharp eye peeled and be on the lookout for it, especially during the summer when the trees have their leaves. And if that’s the case and you’re staring at a mailbox, we find it best to just go back and start over from where you left and try again.

But, Ethel McNickle is adamant that the store remains closed on Sundays, so you might want to plan a Saturday trip. As for the book signing, Ethel assures me that she will have a number of pre-signed books on hand for you when you get there. But don’t look for me. Summer Saturdays are for fishing, not sitting inside talking. If you want to talk about the book, just mosey on down to Perch Lake. Don’t worry, I usually bring along a few extra fishing poles for visitors if you forget yours. Out-of-towners dropping by to talk and fish seem to turn up quite often ever since the book went out last year. And if you don’t like fishing, that’s not a problem, either. We can always use another hand or two cleaning ’em. Hope that answers your questions, Rick. Drive safe. — Little Red Bear

Horizontal Rule 1

Please keep those questions and letters coming, don’t be bashful. We’ll get to them as best we can here for you. And if it’s really urgent, just smear a little honey on the envelope seal. Red will be sure to get to that one first!

Happy reading, and thanks as always for stopping by! And remember folks, life is simpler when you plow around the stump. – Jim (and Red!)

LRB Ad- With a Fishing Pole

“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.

“Hello August, My Old Friend . . .”

August 4, 2016August 4, 2016 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Happy August! I think. Truth be told, the month of August is a slog thru, survival test month for me.

Heat, Humidity and afternoon Headaches are a losing trifecta. Waking up clear-headed this morning, I realized that trying to work thru a headache is like trying to drive your car with the emergency brake on. You can eventually, slowly get there, but aware of something grinding, dragging, holding you back and burning all the way.

Had another nagging, summer humidity headache yesterday afternoon and the result was, oddly enough – a poem. More or less. Hard to see thru the haze, but it might be.

With deepest and heartfelt apologies to Simon and Garfunkel then . . . . . .

Hello August, my old friend.
I’ve come to sweat with you again.
Because my skin is quickly burning,
Feeling like I’m on a spit turning.
And the pain that was seared into my brain,
Still remains . . . . within the sound . . . . of agony.

“Friends,” said I, “you may not know,
Summer’s sultry heat wave grows.
Hear the forecast that it might teach you.
Use some sunscreen so it won’t scorch you.”
Hope my words, will be heeded by one and all,
As sweating . . . . we await the cooling breezes . . . . of Fall.

So here we are in August. That sweltering, grass-turned-brown, kids-back-to-school, muggy, hot and shriveled month that stands like the Great Wall of China between summer and the glorious season of Autumn. Kind of like surmounting the final obstacle on the course, fighting off exhaustion to doggedly climb over the Warped Wall to finish the race and survive to reach the other side, where sweet and spicy Pumpkin Pies, Candied Apples, Cider, Cookies and the open Highway to the Holiday Season await!

Hang in there and stay cool. Take frequent cooling breaks if working outdoors, limit physical exertion, wear loose fitting, light-colored clothing and stay hydrated with cool, clear liquids. And please remember to bring the pets indoors with you during extreme summer heat. They are wearing a fur coat and overheat, too. And just like children, they overheat as quickly as we do, if not more so. And check the backseats of cars, no one left behind.

We’re off for some iced tea and aspirins. And a big bucket of ice. Thanks as always for visiting with us! — Jim (and Red!)

“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.

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Determined To Be ‘Sound Investment’

July 28, 2016 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

In order to cover all bases for his fans, Little Red Bear had an official Cost/Benefit analysis of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear: The First Holler!” performed by his trusted accountant and financial advisor, Angus McNutt, senior partner of the firm “McNutt and McGillicutty CCC” ( Country Crop Counters) over in Slippery Slide, and the results of the study are in.

For the paperback, at 64,254 words, the reader receives over 4,961 words per dollar invested. For the Kindle and eReader version, a reader receives over 21,781 words per dollar. And of course, the book is Free for anyone with Kindle Unlimited. Taking into account that all words used are original text in copyrighted format with the Library of Congress, it is quite clearly a bargain at any price.

In addition, bearing in mind the fact that words enrich the brain and lessons learned about nature, life, kindness and simply having fun remain with a person forever, it was clear that any of the versions far exceed any value received in television and other forms of entertainment, where “any benefit potentially received is fleeting and transitory”, as Mr. McNutt stated in his report.

It should be noted that the Preface, Frontispiece, Dedication, Artwork and such were not included in Mr. McNutt’s calculations, which would have the effect of making the Cost:Benefit ratio even higher for a reader.

It was Angus McNutt’s conclusion then that “’The Adventures of Little Red Bear’ short story collection is both a wise and sound long-term financial investment.” Just in case anyone was on the fence concerning issues of that sort before investing in the book.

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Story Collections on Amazon. Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Storytelling and Fun for both the Young and the Young-at-Heart. Positive Themes of Friendship, Kindness, Helping Others and Mother Nature. With a healthy dash of oldfangled, belly laugh humor and fun.

Join us for an Adventure in the Beautiful Ozarks Mountain Country, and stop by for some biscuits and honey! — Jim (and Red!)