December words are out in the world. I’ve linked to a few stories below. My story on the Poor Clares is in the winter issue of Sandlapper, but not yet online.
Enjoy!
(Grocery giveaways below… Please scroll down and enter.)
(Great information below, but there are some sick little ones in this video. FYI.)
I have been privileged to help tell the stories of several families whose babies were born far too soon. The March of Dimes has made dramatic steps in saving these babies. (Surfactant, which helps tiny underdeveloped lungs inflate, is probably the single greatest advancement in saving the lives of preemies. Babies as young as 23 weeks gestation have a chance at survival now.) However, there is much to be done. Our state got a big fat F on the prematurity report card issued by MOD last year.
Please watch the video, click over to the March of Dimes’ site and learn more about this. If you are pregnant, know the signs of preterm labor!
Boy howdy, writers of the world are getting their vicarious revenge today over the Cooks Source alleged plagiarism brouhaha. (Not that I advocate revenge, of course. But I do have a fondness for copyright laws.) Google it, if you haven’t heard. Anyone who has ever had their intellectual property misappropriated will find it interesting.
Anyhoo.. I wrote these words all by my lonesome. And I am super excited to have my photos used with an upcoming story. I will post as soon as it’s out. My photography is indeed a work in progress, but it’s fun to see it in print.
So I will link up to some stories running this month. Where did the month go? I remember saying around the first of the month, “If I can just make it to the end of October, then I can rest.” Still counting on that, but rest is relative, you know?
I will add other that are online. Enjoy.
Can you identify that worm? It’s very odd and loves purple coneflowers.
Anywho, it’s time for the monthly link-o-rama. Thank you for indulging me as I promote the work that pays me, as opposed to the work that doesn’t pay me. ;)
I have lots of new words out in the world. I hope you will read and enjoy.
Homeschoolers, how about adding MORE to your school day? Now, take back that thing you just said about me and head over to Heart of the Matter to read my thoughts on doing just that.
You can plan your child’s birthday on a budget.
If you need a birthday location, supplies, etc. and you are in the Midlands of South Carolina, please check out the birthday guide. I worked hard on it, really.
Hey, I love my husband, but that’s no surprise.
If you live in Columbia, S.C. or have even visited – you must know about Cromer’s, guaranteed worst in town.
In the Upstate of South Carolina, please pick a copy of Upstate Parent, available in Greenville, Spartanburg, Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties – pretty much all of the Upstate, hence the name. Lots of good stuff for July, including the birthday guide. I can’t post links here because the stories are listed on greenvilleonline, which is now behind a paywall. If you have access, go to “news,” then “parent” for current stories. Gracias.
We are off to a screening of Despicable Me tonight. I will have a review up tomorrow. I already know I need my own minions. That’s what missing from my life --- minions.
(I will update with a link to WNC Parent stuff as well. I am tired of fist fighting my Internet connection at the moment.)
Yes, this is probably the first and last time I have a story out about someone during the same time they appear in Maxim. Definitely a first, but I have to say, Danica was a delightful interview – bright, passionate about math education and very grounded despite her youth as a child star. She can out-math anybody, I’m convinced.
My story (not Maxim’s) is also running in Palmetto Parent.
More May stories:
Adventures in South Carolina (nearby vacation spots)
My life as a tree-hugger
Eating Disorders and adolescents
Under the category of “where did those follow up posts go?” I now present more of the belated Disney info from, um, February.
I think even the Disney folks were stunned at the response to the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day volunteer promotion. The goal was to give 1 million volunteers a free day at a Disney park in return for their community efforts. This was to be a 2010 promotion. All tickets were spoken for by March. Hope you got yours – if not, you can still volunteer (but not for a park ticket, just for the joy of giving back – you heard me). The big kick-off included some neat people like the Jamitors, Ty Pennington, Mickey Mouse (yes, he’s real), the world’s largest canned food structure (not a person, but cool) and MOST importantly, Kermit and Sweetums. (More from Kermit tomorrow, I promise.)
For you Disney geeks out there, this was the actual Kermit. Steve Whitmire, who took over after the death of Jim Henson, was present and helping Kermit fulfill his duties. No word on Sweetums.
I’m late in posting links to online stories for April. In my defense, there was that celebration of the resurrection of the Savior and all. Hope yours was wonderful.
Oh, and summer came – not spring. We skipped that. It’s not snowing, so who cares?
Here you go, for your reading pleasure:
I think there are more, but I will need to seek out links. I know you wait with bated breath. ;)
Coming in May, my interview with Danica McKellar (aka, Winnie Cooper). Smart girl, that Winnie.
Warning, warning. I am in the beginning stages of moving this blog to a different platform. It will remain at www.chrisworthy.com, so if you reach the site that way, you are A-OK. If you get this through Google reader of some other format, I will let you know in advance of the change. Consider this is pre-warning warning. This will probably take me eight years to do, so hang tight.
More of my hard work is online for your reading pleasure. If it indeed is not pleasurable, please don’t tell me.
More links are coming…
Fellow South Carolinians, please check out the Spring issue of Sandlapper magazine. It is in bookstores and in your mailbox if you are a subscriber. I have a story running about the BMW Charity Pro-Am. I have written extensively about the tournament in the past (and I don’t know a birdie from a mulligan – OK, I know what a mulligan is) but this is my first time profiling a sampling of the diverse charities that benefit from the event. Guess who’s playing this year? Cheech, Puddy and John Locke – good souls all. (Note to those in attendance: I dare you to walk up to Terry O’Quinn and say, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” I’m sure he never hears that...)
On a completely different note, it is snowing here again and I have deadlines. What happens when seasonal affective disorder meets stress? Why, cooking, of course! Here’s how my stress manifests itself (enlarge to see what’s cooking):
Either you get the appeal of Walt Disney World or you don’t. I am convinced there is no middle ground. No other company on the planet does things “the Disney way,” by definition. In fact, the Disney Institute actually teaches companies from around the world how to provide meaningful service that keeps customers coming back.
And we keep coming back.
I was fortunate to be able to attend a press event at WDW last week and I will share the details in a few upcoming posts. The Cliff Notes version is that innovation continues, with unmatched attention to detail and a firm grasp of what appeals to children, their parents and grandparents.
The Magic Kingdom is undergoing its biggest expansion in history, with a variety of interactive attractions coming. Below is a rendering of Belle’s village (Belle!!), which will be part of the expansion. The village will include several restaurants as well, including a Gaston-themed spot, which presumably will use antlers in all of the decorating.
Guests will be able to participate in a surprise party for Princess Aurora (that’s Sleeping Beauty, of course) and will learn to be a Royal Knight or dance with Cinderella. (Pause to sing the Stephen Curtis Chapman song. You know you want to. When you are done crying, read on.)
For every parent who has ever said, “Please, can we skip Dumbo?” I have great news. The attraction will soon be doubled in size and have a covered queue and activities to pass the time in line. Prayers have been answered from across the land.
Have you traveled via the Disney Cruise Line? We haven’t, but I hear wonderful things. In addition to amazing expansions, the new Disney Dream is going to boast the AquaDuck (points for the name). I get the heebie jeebies just watching an animation of this thing, for I am not a dare devil. OK, on some things maybe, but not things that involve water or enclosed spaces. But I would pay money to see my son and husband on this. Check it out online.
I am, however, a geek. Pictures below are from last week’s event at the newly themed ESPN Wide World of Sports. It was my first visit to the complex and it is all kinds of great. The athletic facilities are impressive and the new ESPN theme is going to make athletes who are competing there feel like they are on Sportscenter. And they might be. It truly is becoming THE place for youth sports and many, many adults, including the Atlanta Braves (Go Braves!), are finding the facilities to be top-notch.
Chip and Dale – Chip has the chocolate chip nose (above). Never be confused again. It’s just another public service I provide. You are welcome.
Pluto! Minnie! Mickey didn’t come to my table. I made up for it by eating Cracker Jack.
More to come….
It’s a steal: absolutely free.
I hope you enjoy the current fruits of my labors online:
The January issue of Palmetto Parent is online and will be on the stands in the next few days.
The education-themed issue includes:
I love, love, love the online magazine viewer. What do you think? Shouldn’t every print magazine do this? It sure makes life easier for writers…
I get paid to write stuff. I would be most honored if you would click over and read (and comment, where applicable and if you are so inclined – yay for job security!) on some of the things I have online currently. Much obliged, ma’am.
(Here I am in 1970. Two years old and already very interested in cake. My cousin is providing the boost because I couldn’t reach. Still can’t.)
**Homeschoolers, come back here Monday for a fun giveaway.**
For comic relief, I am going to use Fridays (‘cause everyone is in a better mood on Friday) to post some excerpts of things I have written that will never see the printed page. Some of these will be better than others. All will be embarrassing – because I can do better now, I hope. I think it helps sometimes to see how far we’ve come, while remembering that they journey is still ahead of us. (No, that’s not the Friday File.) These files are OLD. I am not going to say how old, but trust me, this isn’t the first (or fourth) computer they have been transferred to over the years.
I will do this for as long as I can stand, which might be just today.
The porch was deep—a full ten feet—enough to provide an oasis on even the hottest days. Rocking chairs would be in the budget one day, and her waiting room would be cooled by massive brass ceiling fans and the breeze that made her sign come alive. One day. For now, the blue-gray of the porch mingled with sap that had risen to the surface of the cedar planks that comprised its backbone, and a hundred summers had blistered the paint into warts. Beyond its confines, the front yard had been stolen inch by inch, as the farm road of another time had swelled into a growling four-lane. It had forced Esther to turn Mr. Jacob’s remaining patch of backyard fescue into a gravel lot.
P.S. I don’t even venture into fiction these days. You’re welcome.
Yes, there – to the right. Down just a bit. See that box? If you want to keep up with things here, you now have the option of signing up for updates via email.
I’ll try to make it worth your while.
So, the original point of this post was to urge you to go see “Up.” Go. It’s really, really good – better than Wall-E, I would say. And I really liked Wall-E.
For sensitive adults and kiddos, I am going to give you two heinous spoilers. Highlight below if you are sensitive and don’t want to feel like your ribs have been kicked in while watching a cartoon. If you’ve got the chops, go spoiler-free and have fun.
Spoilers:
The movie includes a montage, of sorts, of scenes from the life Carl and Ellie share together. Spoiler one: There is a reference to the fact that they are expecting a baby and then they are not, complete with sad scene in the OB office. Spoiler two, which you have probably figured out from the commercials: Ellie does not live to go “up” with Carl.
Now, on to summer. We are doing school a couple of days per week. I feel like I have the world at my fingertips. Still working, with a big project in high gear this week. The kids have Vacation Bible School next week – the girl is teaching, the boy is participating. I am working on my own personal projects next week because I DID NOT VOLUNTEER FOR VBS. Aren’t you proud? I have zero guilt about this decision. So there.
I am hoping for productivity and good things to post.
I hope you will check out the May issue of WNC Parent. My column on learning to be still is running, which sounds ironic, right?
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