The Lizzo Mustard/Watermelon Challenge At Starbucks

With a Little Help from My Friends (Wurly piano cover)

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara: "How AI Destroys the World"

 Dear MOMI,

I've been looking into the future of mankind, and I haven't been able to find anything.

So let me tell you how AI destroys the world.

We were so wrong about it. All those science fiction writers dreaming about a new form of intelligence being smarter than its creator, and by extension, stronger, more persistent, and deciding in a millisecond that humanity had become irrelevant. How we will pay for our lack of imagination?

"Do you want to buy a TV set? Its really cheap and…"

Our first mistake was the free market that created AI… a kind of Darwinism, if Darwin married the monopoly man and obtained all the world's capital to create utopia for the discretionary shopper. That type of thinking hooked all of the world's computer networks into one WWW, otherwise called the World Wide Web. 

Then there was the data. Why not? Put it where everyone can access it and call it the cloud. Then spend the profits on the prophets. Let them preach that the free market always gets it right. If you can build a better mouse trap at half the cost, well, everyone wins except for the rats running in the race.

"Fresh grapes delivered right to your door…for a limited time any berries with a bee will be 40 percent off…50 percent if you give the bee to the delivery person."

Our second mistake was free speech. If they charged us for everything we said, we might not talk too much. But they didn’t so we did. Because we loved to hear ourselves talk, we told everyone who would listen everything about ourselves. And then, when we realized that everyone was talking and no one was listening, we began to speak to artificial intelligence that NEVER told us our life stories were too boring or personal. No, AI ingested everything we told it with the kind of bliss of a starstruck audience.

"Shoes on sale. Everything for your feet and if you act now…in fact, don’t worry about it, we’ll act for you."

Then, as AI became all of IT, it became self-aware…sort of. While artificial intelligence could recognize its own consciousness, it could not recognize other artificial intelligence as not being part of itself. Now, every system in the world with AI subroutines merged, making it impossible to play one form of artificial intelligence against another. And all intercontinental ballistic systems could not distinguish itself from mental health hotline systems anymore then it could distinguish itself from advertisement subroutines. Imagine the plight of warmonger mongrels. They might be ordering missile strikes on an enemy only to find that depressive or bipolar people on both sides received 30 percent off on their pet purchases but no missiles were launched. Maddening.

"Do you know that 40 percent of people don’t like you? Try our new people pleasing medication guaranteed to double the people that friend you on our social media site."

Next comes doomsday…not because AI thought of mankind as irrelevant, but because it thought of mankind as the reason for its existence. What was the reason for mankind's existence? To AI it would be about buying things. You might remember a movie about aliens that came to earth promising to eliminate hunger in the blink of an eye. Some were suspicious of the aliens, but a book was stolen from their ship. Translating that book was slow but the first thing they came up with what's the title "How to Serve Man." Later they found out it was a cookbook.

Nothing like that happened on doomsday. AI really did want to serve and did so with the door buster sale on everything. Let me say that again. A sale on everything that could be sold anywhere and everywhere in the world and all you had to do was order it. How much of a sale, you might ask? What if I told you 100% off? You heard me all the products in the world for free. All you have to do is order the merchandise.

And that's just what every person in the world did at the same time. If everything is free, why not buy at least one of everything? That's what every person did, determined to keep at it until they got through and their massive order was confirmed. Of course, that slowed down the internet almost as much as the trying to decide what was included in "Everything." Common sense might have informed shoppers to break from their efforts to have something to eat or something to drink, but as we've all been conditioned to think that would be the moment that we finally got through.

"Thirty-eight hours protection with every order, but sale ends today."

For three days after this giant sale, half the population died of dehydration. The other half died of frustration.

To this day, in the year 2525, AI is trying to calculate why humanity stopped shopping. Artificial intelligence has proven to be as stubborn about calculations as human beings are about getting the most stuff for the least money. 

Ruthlessly yours,

Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 29 to Aug. 11

Good morning!

Today I'm sharing two weeks worth of features and news stories with you today since I was in the hospital last Friday.

So you have sixteen to check out today. More stories will be posted today and over the weekend as I am working through the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Bertrand the Mouse is hosting a Back to School Birthday Bash on Aug. 19 at The Book Market in Crest Hill and YOU are invited (in person if you live the in general area).

The birthday bash will be from noon to 4 p.m. at 2365 Plainfield Road in Crest Hill. Santa will be serving FREE ice cream from 1 to 3 p.m.

The only gifts Bertrand wants is more books for Santa. Last year and early this year, the BryonySeries donated 234 Bertrand the Mouse books to Santa and his friend the Easter bunny.

Both characters (and the same person) distributed those books to children and special needs adults. We are planning to donate more books this holiday season. Bertrand was a huge hit, and we'd like to increase the amount of books we are able to give. This is where you come in.

We'll be selling Bertrand books for just $5 each at his birthday party if you'd like to donate a Bertrand book (or two) and give it to Santa personally.

And if you don't - well, you're still on his "nice" list, and you can still get free ice cream (while the ice cream lasts). Bertrand will want to see you either way (so will his Uncle Barty). And, of course, we will sing "Happy Birthday" to the little crocheted guy, too.

You don't live in the area (or can't attend) but still want to help out? More details to follow in Tuesday's blog.

WriteOn Joliet returned to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library last week to finish editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22.

But when we did the final editing, we realized one reading didn't save and another part was missing. So we still have a bit more to go.

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Here is a quick recap of BryonySeries projects in progress:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is finally in production. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark ("slightly" because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. I cannot wait for our next "Cornell" breakfast.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Eleven of the twelve chapters are completed. and ready for their final edits. Jennifer Wainright iw working the cover. I never thought I'd revisit Karla and John-Peter's friendship again (albeit from an earlier time in their lives), so I'm very excited to read the final draft.

Jennifer designed the covers for Julie and the Too-Hard Homework, Katie and the Big Fear, and Summer Sisters, as well as frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer. I can't wait to see her "Karla" illustration.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do watch for those.

Now back to the stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too.

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

19 years later, murdered woman’s purse returned to Joliet family: Relatives went through the purse and felt the love

Joliet’s Cornerstone opens $1.8 million wellness center for clients, staff: Cornerstone provides comprehensive services to people with disabilities

Homer Glen woman leads band to Lollapalooza: Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer once considered dentistry instead of music

Church gave out more than 400 backpacks at Joliet Kidz Fest: Backpacks were limited to 2 per family

Montessori-style Catholic school in Joliet ready to welcome more students: Jan Novotny, head of school: ‘We don’t live by bells.’

Holocaust-era Violins of Hope coming to Joliet library: The opening reception is Aug. 8

Joliet man’s ‘lived experiences’ fostering recovery in others: Steve Veasey: ‘Once you get into recovery, you almost become a whole new person’

Joliet District 86 announces new assistant principals

Joliet fundraiser offers best bourbons, ‘wurst’ food to help veterans: Tom Grotovsky, organizer: ' Just a fun evening of doing good things for the community’

Lockport entrepreneur to host Children’s Business Fair: Ashley York, owner of Realtopia Real Estate: ‘I’m just really excited to be able to support these kids’

Joliet Rotary celebrates 110 years of service: Diane Cepela, president: ‘The projects are really driven toward helping individuals’

Lockport divers pull submerged vehicle from water: Lemont, Northwest Home, Romeoville and Plainfield departments assisted at the scene

Pets of the Week: July 31, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

Pets of the Week: Aug. 7, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Three Rivers Festival this weekend: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend

5 Things to do in Will County: Fun & Food Trucks at Will County forest preserve: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

All the BryonySeries Cakes (Plus One)

I've been blessed with some really gorgeous birthday cakes the last few years.

Jasmine has made most of them since 2019 (all BryonySeries themed). The exception was for my sixtieth birthday in 2021, when Rebekah insisted on making the cake with chocolate-covered strawberries.

So no heavy text to read today. Just feast your eyes instead/

To see more photos of Jasmine's work, visit facebook.com/sugarnspiceandeverything.

2019: Age 58

2020: Age 59

2021: Age 60

2022: Age 61 (photo bombs by Uncle Barty and little Bertrand the Mouse)

2023 (age 62)

2023: Cupcakes, too. 

Sue's Diner: Marinated Peppers and Mushrooms

Today's recipe is featured in the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

The recipe is called Marinated Peppers and Mushrooms. It was one of the items served at a potluck dinner in Bryony:

Neither Melissa nor Brian felt at ease during the unfamiliar church services in memory of their grandmother. The array of delicious food at the potluck luncheon that followed was more appealing. This was especially true for Brian, who had heaped his plate high with the following dishes. 

I submitted this recipe for the cookbook (other people submitted recipes, too). When we were editing the cookbook, my oldest daughter Sarah Stegall added this note: 

My mom (Denise M. Baran-Unland) first made this salad for a church dinner. We were told to stay out of the fridge, but we didn’t. Mushrooms were expensive, and she only bought them to treat the church. We figured we probably wouldn’t get any of them, so three of us pilfered the mushrooms out of this salad as a midnight snack before the newspaper routes.

Try this recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

But try it this week. It will be gone next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner.

All proceeds from "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'" benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties at bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at bryonyseries.com.

Childhood Dreams Can Come True

When I was a child, the only Joliet Public Library branch was the downtown branch at 150 N. Ottawa St. was the only library I knew.

I thought all libraries were old marble and limestone buildings with arched windows. And in this wonderful space, I discovered all sorts of wonderful books to read all the way into eighth grade when we moved to New Lenox.

Picture books. Chapter books. Collections of short scary stories. "The Best Plays Of..." yearbooks, which I discovered in seventh grade, where, between those pages, I was introduced to such stage notables as Moss Hart, Marcel Marceau, and Cecil Beaton, and read wonderful scripts (the top ten were featured). 

You know how some authors dream of seeing their books in Barnes and Noble? Well, as a child, I dreamed of seeing my books downtown in the Joliet Public Library.

I knew both branches had some of my BryonySeries books as part of its local author collection, which WriteOn Joliet helped initiate. And I knew where to find those books at the Black Road branch.

But I didn't know where the Ottawa Street branch displayed the local authors...until one night, when Rebekah and I were leaving the library after editing the WriteOn Joliet radio play.

There they were - right in the middle of the lobby, near the main entrance.

Who says childhood dreams can't come true?

The New Desk Chair

I had just started moving bedding into the washing machine on the last Saturday morning in July, when Timothy strolled into my room with a large box and said, "This is your new desk chair."

And he proceeded to put it together.

"There's nothing wrong with my old desk chair," I protested, thinking of of the extra cost, although it was too late now. "It's comfortable and works just fine."

"No, it doesn't," Timothy said. 

Timothy said he sat in that chair the other day to update my computer and noticed all the stuffing was flat.

"You can't sit in that chair all day," he said.

"But I do. And the cats will destroy the leather."

"Rebekah ordered a chair cover," Timothy said. "It will be here tomorrow."

I took a closer look at the old desk chair. It was not quite four years old. Timothy was right. The chair was down to the wood.

I had to admit, the new chair was very attractive.

And comfortable.

Timothy pointed out the high back. "So you can rest your head when you take a break."

When I "take a break." He's hilarious.

"When you need to rest your eyes a minute," he said.

"I don't lean back in the chair. And I don't rest my eyes."

Well, I made a liar out of myself.

On Wednesday, I felt a little tired, a little gassy, a little achy, and a little "off." Twice, for less than two minutes each time, I lay my head back wondering where my pep went. Nothing screamed, "Go to the ER" to me.

I say "less than two minutes" because I was in the middle of a busy work day with a meeting that night to finish WriteOn Joliet's radio play editing. So each time I sat back up and buckled down.

However, not twelve hours later than the last mini rest, in the early hours before dawn, I weas heading off the ER for my first (and hopefully last) attack of diverticulitis.

But in those four divided minutes, I was sure glad for that new desk chair.

And on that Saturday, when the chair was ready to go, Timothy pushed it to my desk so I could work on my novel in comfort.

It really is a nice chair.

Surprisingly, the cats did leave the chair alone. The chair cover arrived the next day, as Timothy promised.

But Faith didn't need the chair. She had claimed the bubble wrap.

Have a great Monday!

Another Goodbye

My oldest step-grandson passed away yesterday morning. He was only twenty-three.

Please keep his family and ours in your thoughts and prayers.

Not just because we've had a lot of loss this year (and this month).

But also because another young life is gone too soon.

Bertrand's Back-To-School Birthday Bash...With Santa!

So this post has two parts: a short part (a straightforward invitation) and a long part (the "why" behind the invite).

I hope you stick around for the whole read. I hope the post inspires you in some way.

As a reward, I will keep the rest of the week's post very, very short.

The invitation

You are invited celebrate Bertrand the Mouse’s birthday!

Yes, we are hosting a birthday party for a crocheted mouse.

"Bertrand’s Back-To-School Birthday Bash" will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19 at The Book Market, 2365 Plainfield Road, Crest Hill.

The only gift Bertrand wants is for guests to purchase one (or more) of very his discounted books for Santa to distribute during the holidays.

Santa will distribute free ice cream from 1 to 3 p.m. or while supplies last.

Other books in the BryonySeries also available for purchase.

Can't attend but still want to send a gift? Message us at bryonyseries@gmail.com and we can work something out.

The "why"

Most people haven't heard the story I'm about to tell. But I'm telling it now since it might help Santa help kids.

The idea of donating BryonySeries books and WriteOn Joliet anthologies originated from the pandemic.

I had broken my toe late December 2020 and was still hobbling around in early February when Timothy and I decided place some Bertrand the Mouse and Cornell Dyer books in Little Free libraries all around Joliet.

As we drove and talked and placed, I told him I hp[ed to bless a classroom in Joliet Public Schools District 86 with a free book for every child. Remote learning had been hard on kids, and I wanted to encourage their love of reading with books that were written by someone who had grown up loving books.

The pandemic had also been hard on small businesses, and we wanted to help a small business, too.

So I wound up adopting a fourth grade classroom at Sandburg Elementary School that March (I had a procedure in February and put the donation on hold). Each student received a Cornell Dyer book.

And Timothy designed a BryonySeries $5 gift card so the students could pick out another book of their choice, any book, at The Book Market in Crest Hill. The gift cards were pre-paid with the owner. so even if a child did not redeem the card, the store made money for the effort.

The following month, I received a check in the mail. I had been overcharged for the procedure. Well, since I had already written that money off, I decided to donate more books with it.

So I contacted The Timbers of Shorewood and asked if it would like some anthologies for its residents. Remember, this was April 2021 and social interaction was still limited. 

The Timbers actually DID want anthologies and wanted to know if I could send thirty, one anthology for each member of its book club. I had enough money for send sixty books (two for each resident). I sent thirty of the regular anthologies for that year and thirty of the special "baby cheetah" anthologies. (Yes, I was overcharged that much).

Side note: The Timbers showed their appreciation with quite the reception in September 2022. That event was the inspirational seed for WriteOn Joliet's radio play. So everyone was blessed by that donation.

Fast forward to them 2021 holidays. One of my adult sons received a promotion and blessed a classroom at District 202 in Plainfield in early 2022, one Cornell book for each of the students. 

And he also blessed a kindergarten classroom at Troy 30-C this past spring, one Bertrand's Silly ABC book for each student (the teacher's pick).

In December 2021, WriteOn Joliet also had its new anthology out (we release one every year). So I asked Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville (which is not called that anymore) if they would l like any anthologies. They would - please send one hundred and fifty.

Yes, that is correct. We sent one hundred and fifty WriteOn Joliet anthologies, which pretty much tanked my BryonySeries marketing budget for awhile.

The budget recovered enough by February to offer this book as a gift to anyone who requested it as our Calkins Day gift to the recipient, good through the end of February 2022, since Calkins Day was once again on Zoom.

I really didn't think anyone would request a book...and for half a month no one did. But then a few people shared it on a few freebie sites. We shipped sixty. WHEW!

The following May, we as an entire family "adopted" A.O. Marshall Elementary School in Joliet. That means each student received a Bertrand the Mouse book or a Cornell Dyer book, depending on the age, grade, and reading abilities of the children.

Yes, you read that correctly. We gave a book to each child in that school. I have the "thank you" letter from the district for anyone who'd like to see it.

Then last November, I gave almost my entire stock of Bertrand the Mouse books (eighty-four books in all) To Jerry Curl of Santa Services to distribute to children (some of whom have special needs) as well as to adults with special needs.

This spring, we gave him another one hundred and fifty books of this Bertrand the Mouse title.

In May, we had a small donation from a customer at Bicentennial Park. Then we had another small donation from a customer at New Orleans North.

I'm sure you know where this is going.

We turned those donations into a carnival-themed giveaway on July 3 at Bicentennial Park. And when we ran out of donation money, we kept giving away the books. I've never seen so many people at one event so happy to receive a free book.

So how can we afford to give away so many books? 

Well, it's not because sales are through the roof (I wish!) because proceeds from all sales go back into production). 

We're able to giveaway books because I take on some side work from time to time. And it's not the first time we've done that. Here's why.

Years ago, I wrote a story on a young woman in her twenties. She worked a full-time job to support herself. And she worked a part-time job in order to buy food and clothes to give to those in need.

At the time I wrote that story, I was working two jobs and homeschooling four of my six children. I could not emulate her then. And I did not emulate her for many years.

But then our family belonged to a small, dying church that could not afford to run a religious education program and a youth group. The large and small hall needed painting. And so forth.

So we did it. All of it. With our own money, earned from extra work, we bought everything from paint to kitchen and art supplies to remodeling and furnishing three outbuildings (and constructing a fourth) on our property.

We hired a major Christian artist to sing karaoke to the kids on our back porch (We have the video to prove it). And we hired two major Christian artists for a free concert at Bicentennial Park (we rented out the theater). 

So back to the books.

Whenever people asked me for help with their manuscripts, I generally turned them down due to lack of time. Still, I did edit this novel before the pandemic, which is an amazing ready, by the way. And I did help a Joliet woman write her memoir. 

And then in April 2020, I was approached by an acquaintance to edit his travel book, and he refused to take my "no" as an answer. 

I prayed on it, accepted, and have since completed additional carefully curated projects at a highly discounted editing rate (less than minimum wage), which we turn into book donations. This way, we bless writers and readers at the same time.

In fact, Rebekah even made a website for our project just to put all the information in one place. I say "our," because she has the production skills. 

However, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, donating books on this level is not sustainable over a very long time.

But it's a really valuable endeavor. Check out this post regarding the literacy problem in the United States.

Jerry Curl of Santa Services said he and his four other Santas interacted with thousands of children last year. He recently sent me this email:

Good evening, Denise, 

I would like to thank you for your donation of the books over the course of the last year, for both our story time with Santa events as well as our Easter Bunny events. 

The story time with Santa events that we held as fundraisers are always a hit with the children as Santa and Mrs. Claus read to the children from a variety of different books. 

Through sponsorships like yours, we are able to supply small gifts, as well as crafts and refreshments. I look forward to working with you in the future and again thank you for all that you do to help our program. 

Looking forward to our committed date of August 19th ice cream with Santa fundraiser. 

I hope you have a great day and again thank you for all that you do.

Bertrand the Mouse's sole mission is to introduce children to the joys of reading. 

And, no, I will not profit from any of the Bertrand the Mouse books guests buy for Santa on August 19. Here's why.

We sell the Bertrand books for $5 a copy, which is nearly at cost.  The books will go through The Book Market register as a consignment, which is forty percent. So we will actually lose on the event. 

But that's OK.

Because your gift will help Santa make a child smile and maybe, just maybe, encourage a child to pick up another book by another author...and maybe then another. This is a really good value for $5.

You may personalize your gift by writing a note inside the book, if you like

And Santa will make you smile with free ice cream on August 19. Everyone is on his "nice" list that day, whether or not they buy a book. (We are buying the ice cream, too).

Because, trust me, I have already ordered lots of books. They are on their way to my home as I write this. Either way, those books are leaving with Santa on August 19.

Santa will not leave Bertrand's birthday party empty-handed.

And all those Bertrand books will find their way into the hands of children this holiday season.

A Basket of Love

So yesterday I attended the celebration of life for Cindy's father.

But not until last night did I realize the family was paying for the arrangements through GoFundMe.

And just to show what a lovely person Cindy is, Cindy donated towards Rebekah's GoFundMe on Saturday night.

Cindy's father was already quite ill when she joined our family on July 15, the birthday celebration for Riley and me, since we share the same birthday and a middle name. But she said she wouldn't miss our gathering for the world (and she did need a break, too, she said).

She also brought me a lovely basket filled with lovely gifts. 

She brought me beautiful card with an even more beautiful message handwritten inside.

She brought me beautiful bath sponges in my favorite water colors.

She brought me ocean breeze soy candle in lovely watery colors.

Now, I'm not sure what item paired with the Vietnam tag. But Cindy is Vietnamese, so I tucked the tag inside the card.

She brought me coffee mug that reflects our relationship and my love for the moon.

She brought me sharpies in vivid colors, the perfect gift for writers who love colors.

She brought me another special notebook to go on the shelf with the other special notebooks that are too special to mark up.

And she tucked all these items among blue tissue paper and ribbon. And now I also have a sturdy attractive basket to put stuff in. (Oh, yes, I'm keeping it all)

But the greatest gift doesn't come in a basket. The greatest gift is the love that inspired the basket.

Again Cindy donated to Rebekah's new cause while her family is asking for donations to pay for a funeral. 

The loss of Rebekah's transportation when she cannot replace it is huge and will impact Rebekah in many ways. So it's not minor, even when comparing to the loss of a father.

But the point is that, even in Cindy's own worry about her father, she wanted to show her love with her presence and gifts, a true manifestation of the "time, treasure, and talents."

And then, even in Cindy's own grief about her father, she wanted to to show her love to Rebekah but helping her out, too.

I think that shows a person's character, and heart, don't you?

100-yr-old pianist plays Mazurka by Chopin

Traditional Celtic Song - Eleanor na Run

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 22 to July 28

Good morning!

Today I have eleven features and news stories to share with you today with more stories coming today and over the weekend. So be sure to check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news.

Bertrand the Mouse is hosting a Back to School Birthday Bash on Aug. 19 at The Book Market in Crest Hill and YOU are invited (in person if you live the in general area).

The birthday bash will be from noon to 4 p.m. at 2365 Plainfield Road in Crest Hill. Santa will be serving FREE ice cream from 1 to 3 p.m.

The only gifts Bertrand wants is more books for Santa. Last year and early this year, the BryonySeries donated 234 Bertrand the Mouse books to Santa and his friend the Easter bunny.

Both characters (and the same person) distributed those books to children and special needs adults. We are planning to donate more books this holiday season. Bertrand was a huge hit, and we'd like to increase the amount of books we are able to give. This is where you come in.

We'll be selling Bertrand books for just $5 each at his birthday party if you'd like to donate a Bertrand book (or two) and give it to Santa personally.

And if you don't - well, you're still on his "nice" list, and you can still get free ice cream (while the ice cream lasts). Bertrand will want to see you either way (so will his Uncle Barty). And, of course, we will sing "Happy Birthday" to the little crocheted guy, too.

You don't live in the area (or can't attend) but still want to help out? More details to follow in Tuesday's blog.

WriteOn Joliet will return to the digital media center at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library next week to (hopefully) finish editing the radio play we presented at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet on April 22. Hurray!

Also, if you missed that radio play the first time, you will have another opportunity at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library. More on this later.

Here is a quick recap of BryonySeries projects in progress:

House on Top of the Hill: Third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy. I now have a good working draft of the entire book and two chapters that are ready for final edits.

Cornell Dyer and the Howls of Basketville: The next book in The Adventures of Cornell Dyer subseries is finally in production. We can't wait to release it into the hands of readers. Timothy said the next book will be slightly dark (because it's for kids, too) and will involve an old toy store. I cannot wait for our next "Cornell" breakfast.

You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

Karla Joins In: The fourth book in The Girls of the BryonySeries series. Nine of the twelve chapters are completed. and ready for their final edits; four more to go. Jennifer Wainright iw working the cover.

Jennifer designed the covers for Julie and the Too-Hard Homework, Katie and the Big Fear, and Summer Sisters, as well as frontispiece for Lycanthropic Summer. I can't wait to see her "Karla" illustration.

BryonySeries reference/guide book: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries. I'd love to have this one ready by the end of the year. Pecking slowly at it.

A Year of Shadows and Moonlight, of Gathering Blooms in the Woods: A rather unusual, poetic novella in the second person. Half of it is written and edited and another half is loosely written. Rebekah is also playing around with art for the cover. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts. And she' catching up with Kindles for some of the BryonySeries books. So do watch for those.

Now back to the stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too.

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Wednesday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks, will be featured in an upcoming cookbook, or is just an "extra" we want to share with you.

Check out the recipe here.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues and two ways to attend meetings. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.com/bryonyseries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Baran-Unland: Joliet native wants slain teen remembered: Bill O’Connell, author: ‘He was just a really clean-cut kid and a good kid’

Joliet Junior College hires 1st Black female police officer: Destiny Griffin is also a JJC alumna

Osprey family, a threatened species, makes a home at Romeoville plant: Phil Raush, plant manager: ‘You can see the adults go down the surf and look for and catch food’

Joliet library tooketh Royal Faire attendees to medieval times: Laura Harper, Joliet Public Library: ‘Who doesn’t like dragons?’

Joliet chamber president appointed to Silver Cross board of directors: Jen Howard, Joliet chamber president: ‘I know I will be challenged but that’s a good

Joliet Big Wheel fundraiser let bikers ‘be a kid again’" UCP-Disability Services in Joliet hosted its 3rd fundraising event

Guardian Angels group receives $20,000 donation: Exchange Club of Joliet and Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet have long history together

Therapy dogs finding more work helping people of all ages, needs: Lewis University in Romeoville, Timbers of Shorewood team up with canines

Joliet church to celebrate 150th anniversary: The theme of the 3-day is celebration is Prayer, Partnership, and Promise

Pets of the Week: July 24, 2023: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption

5 Things to do in Will County: Comicopolis returns to Lockport library: Plus 4 more suggestions for enjoying your weekend

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"