My two daughters, Ellen and Katey, live in Dallas. We have missed our traditional yearly road trip for the last two years due to my illness. This year, we are taking the long-awaited trip to the southern part of Everglades National Park. I am hoping to see the wild flamingos that mysteriously settled there twenty years ago. Some people say they came from South America.
Flamingos had not lived in the wild in Florida for the previous one hundred and fifty years. I have dreamed of seeing these wild flamingos since I first heard about them . Maybe it will happen!
Before we leave, at the request of my younger daughter Katey, we will have an Easter egg hunt. I am filling plastic eggs with small chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and some goofy little surprises. I will hide hide the eggs in the yard for Katey and Ellen to find. This is the first Easter I have spent with my daughters for many years, and I am looking forward to it!
Katey has also asked me to get a favorite ice cream that is not available in Texas. It is cherry ice cream with chococolate-covered cherry hearts mixed in. We will try to eat small portions!
My daughters are going kayaking. We are taking two boat tours, one in the Gulf of Mexico, and one in the back country.
Then, we are going to the Florida Keys to swim with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea. There are many other marine animals there, including sea turtles, seals, sharks, and rays.
We plan to eat some authentic Cuban food, locally grown tropical fruit, and some famous Key Lime pie. I will post photos and tell you all about our adventures when we return.
I will be on break from April 15-30, 2025.
Katey, Ellen, and Cheryl on our road trip several years ago.
An Initiative By Aspiring Blog, Ritish Sharma and Deepak Joshi
Who is a Hero?
Amazon Review by Cheryl Batavia
The unsung heroes in this beautifully written book will inspire and amaze you! Whether they came from privileged backgrounds or had challenging childhoods, they all dreamed of helping others rather than aspiring to wealth or fame.
All of these heroes persevered and refused to give up in the face of opposition or seemingly impossible obstacles. What started as a simple act of kindness often developed into major initiatives that made the world a better place.
Their contributions to humanity vary widely: uplifting the outcasts of society, protecting endangered animals, providing educational opportunities, developing technologies that benefit mankind, saving the lives of others, providing access to healthcare, helping to rebuild a war-ravaged country, promoting equality and civil rights for all…Many sacrificed their resources, their time, and even their lives for causes they believed in.
Who is a hero? This beautiful book will broaden your concept of heroism and restore your faith in human nature.
This is an update on what I have been working on over my break and until now. It is embarrassing to admit this; I have encountered my share of scammers. I have dealt with fake agents and impersonators of executives of Big Five publishing companies. I did lose money in one of these scams, but was lucky enough to get my money back.
Major Publishers have fraud departments. You can contact them online before you sign up if someone claiming to be affiliated with the publisher approaches you. Also, contact the fraud department if someone tells you that a major publisher is interested in publishing your book.The fraud department will verify whether or not the people who have contacted you are legitimate.
It will not be possible to recover your money if you pay a scammer with Apple Gift Cards! Even Banks, Zelle, and PayPal are changing policies about refunding payments made to fraudulent online companies.
One self-publishing company charged me a lot of money for republishing three books and presenting five books to traditional publishers. They did not obtain any publishing contracts. Even though books have been sold over the last three years, they have refused to pay me any royalties.
Do not allow yourself to be rushed into signing a contract. Read every word before you sign. If you can afford an attorney to review the contract, hire one before you sign it. Be prepared to consult an attorney if the company violates the contract. Keep records and documentation of communications with the companyin case you ever need them.
Recently, a scammer, whose name was unknown to me, tried to steal one of my books. He tried to register my book with the Writers Guild of America. He falsely claimed he was a collaborator and said he had “done most of the work” on the book. I have never had so much as an editor, much less a collaborator on any book!
Register your copyright with the copyright office before you make your work public to help prevent theft. Alternatively, do it right after you self-publish a book. This ensures financialprotection in court if someone violates your copyright. Theamount of compensation you can get in court depends on your timeliness.
It is not easy to check out shady individuals and fly-by-night companies. The Better Business Bureau had given a high rating to a self-publishing company with fake agents. I heard that the company got into legal trouble, and I don’t think they are in business anymore. I didn’t lose any money with them. I did waste a year of my life dealing with one of their fake agents. This fake agent eventually ghosted me.
A Website called “Writer Beware” publishes what I call “Naughty Lists” and blog posts that can help detect scammers. They say that legitimate agents work strictly on commission. If an agent’s company asks you for payment for any services, the agent is unlikely to be legitimate. Such an agent is also unlikely to be licensed. This is the case with some “hybrid publishers.” The scam companies I encountered are all on the “Naughty List” at Writer Beware. I wish I had read it earlier!
Be sure to check out anyone who solicits you with offers to publish or market your books! Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid nightmare scenarios!
Do you have any advice to add? Please put it in the comments. It’s a jungle out there! Your insights could save a fellow writer from being scammed!
Current Projects
Despite health issues and unfortunate encounters with scammers, I do have a book coming out in a few weeks. Life on the Blue Planet is the third book in the trilogy about life on Earth. All three books have similar chapters and themes.
The first book, Life in Inspiring Places, highlights places I have lived. The second book, Earthly Days, includes many nostalgic poems and poems about love. The final book in the trilogy, Life on the Blue Planet, has an emphasis on the environment.
The poem in this post, “Flimflam World,” appears in Earthly Days. I will share more about the new book very soon.
I am still working on a screenplay based on several of my books, which has taken far too long. I met my new screenwriter yesterday at a Zoom meeting. I have high hopes for the project to be finished in a few months.
Stay far away from scammers!🤪 Have a wonderful weekend! 💕️
Coming Soon: Life on the Blue Planet
“Embrace the World!” Photo by Mr. colo from Pixabay. This is one of my favorite photos from Life on the Blue Planet. It is the final book in the trilogy about life on Earth.
Egyptian pyramids. Photo by Fynn Schmidt from UnsplashStep pyramid, Mexico. Photo by Raquel Moss from Unsplash
Morning!
Birds singing…
Phone ringing!
Open your eyes.
to today’s surprise,
a gorgeous sunrise!
Don shoes and pants.
Step around fire ants!
Feed birds, water plants.
Bye, birds! Parting glance.
Taking a shower, getting dressed…
Phone ringing… don’t get stressed!
Hucksters calling; I’m not impressed.
Morning walk… escaping these pests!
Cloudless sky, sunshine… mind rests.
Sitting down to eat breakfast, stress-free,
anticipating world news updates on TV…
Politicians debating… can’t seem to agree.
Storms, fires, wars, crimes… Goodness me!
Ads played loudly, repeat, repeat endlessly…
Enough! Time for a wildlife documentary!
Protest. Photo by Kayla Velasquez from UnsplashSea Turtle. Photo by Randall Ruiz from UnsplashZebras. Photo by Sutirta Budiman from UnsplashPolar Bears. Photo by Hans Jurgen-Mager from Unsplash
This is a ziggurat poem, a fun form invented by Paul Szlosek that I like to play with occasionally. His website is Paul’s Poetry Playground. Ziggurat poems are often written about humorous topics. The poem has the shape of a ziggurat, or step-pyramid. Each verse has lines with the same end rhymes.
The title is the first verse and has one word. The second verse is 2 lines of 2 words. The third verse consists of 3 lines of 3 words. The fourth verse has 4 lines of 4 words, and the fifth verse has 5 lines of 5 words.
I broke the rules by adding a sixth verse to this poem. 😎
Wishing everyone a beautiful day… informed, productive, but inspired and entertained as well. 💕
Last September, recently discharged from the hospital and recovering from quintuple bypass heart surgery, I had very limited energy. Robert’s birthday was in a few days. I always write poems and make cards for him for his birthday and Valentine’s Day. “Well, I think I can write a haiku, at least!” I decided.
My recovery includes a daily walking program. Because of Robert’s COPD, post-polio, heart problems, and other issues, Robert can now only walk short distances. Many times he walks a short way with me, and I continue the walk on my own.
Having Robert walk with me brings me happiness and encouragement. This is the poem I wrote for Robert’s birthday and printed out on white copy paper…no handmade card this time. I put it on his computer keyboard where he would find it when he woke.
I was hospitalized again in November to stent two of the grafts that had become blocked. By Valentine’s Day, though, a longer poem and a handmade card were back! Robert keeps all of the cards I make in his office. He even kept this haiku printed out on plain white paper…and I keep all the cards he has ever given me!
Vulture. Photo by Mark Boss from UnsplashMonarch butterfly on milkweed, a host plant on which monarchs lay their eggs. Photo by Winifred Helton Harmon from UnsplashOsprey carrying a fish. Photo by Stephen Crane from Unsplash.
A week later, our power returned, and we became aware of the devastation in nearby cities and communities. Milton was a major hurricane. Due to storm surge, high winds, and numerous tornadoes spawned by the category 3 storm, people in several states lost their homes, businesses, vehicles, and boats. Roads and other infrastructure are damaged or destroyed. More than a dozen people lost their lives.
Electrical, roofing, and general construction companies, military personnel, and relief workers from many states have come to help those who suffered losses in Hurricane Milton. There are many heroes in our region in 2024!
This poem was written shortly after Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida on October 9th. I was on break, and didn’t post it.
Robert’s sister and daughter visited for three days last week. We wanted to take them to a nearby beach, but beach restoration is still not finished. A tsunami-sized wave had washed sand up on the beach higher than the two-story restaurant where we had lunch. The bulldozers are still leveling sand, and the beach is still closed!
The Statue of Liberty. A poem by Emma Lazarus is carved on its base. The quote below is from that poem. Photo by Allesandro Chitarrin from Unsplash
“Send me your huddled masses
yearning to be free…”
I Believe in the United States of America
I believe in the Constitution of the United States…Three co-equal branches of government: Legislative, Judicial, and Executive.
I believe in the system of checks and balances provided in the Constitution:
Congress, the legislative branch, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. They are elected by the voters of the states. The legislative branch has the power to enact laws and appropriate money. They are not permitted to exercise powers belonging to the judicial or executive branches.
Federal courts and the US Supreme Court uphold the Constitution. The judicial branch is not permitted to make laws or exercise powers given to the President or the executive branch. Members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President with the approval of Congress.
The executive branch, headed by the President, is limited to its designated powers. It is prohibited from exercising powers given to the Judiciary or to Congress.
I believe in “government of the people, for the people, and by the people.” Citizens, represented by Congress, have the power, and the responsibility, to play an active role in government. Voters have the right to elect members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President.
I believe, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “All men” (and women)“are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
I believe in the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press;” (media) “or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
What Can We Do?
If we are dissatisfied with the current situation, if we feel we need to return to the ideals our country was founded on, what can we do?
There are many issues of concern: An autocratic president and the executive branch are overstepping the bounds of the separation of powers. They are defying the decisions of federal courts, unduly influencing members of Congress through intimidation, and committing flagrant violations of law and the Constitution.
There is a whole long list of concerns related to these violations:
*criteria for federal appointments determined by loyalty and financial contributions to the President’s campaign rather than by qualifications
*dismissal of the “watchdogs” who monitor the legality of the actions of government officials
*unauthorized dissolution of independent, Congressionally-founded, and Congressionally-funded federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Education, and the USAID
*unlawful firing of federal employees
*inappropriate access to personal information of citizens by unauthorized persons…
*undermining the independence of the Department of Justice
*overturning reproductive rights, attempting to take away LGBTQ rights.
The federal government is being deconstructed in many ways:
*sweeping changes to programs that protect the environment and programs that protect children, persons with disabilities, and elderly persons.
*deregulation of banks that can lead to a recession.
*changes to tax laws that favor the wealthiest 1%.
*the highest income inequality in our country’s history
*tariffs that can worsen inflation.
*foreign policies alienating our allies and emboldening our enemies
*isolationist policies not to our advantage in the long run.
*brutal immigration policies
*threats to seize territory belonging to other countries: the Panama Canal, Greenland, Gaza, Canada, and potentially others
*planned negotiations between the US and Russia about ending the war in Ukraine that exclude Ukraine’s participation.
What can we do?
Some very courageous people have resigned their positions, spoken out in the media, and signed petitions. Others are volunteering or lending financial support to organizations that fight abuses of power. Do what you can.
One thing we all can do, whether happy with how things are going or not, is to vote.
We need to inform ourselves before we vote in the upcoming Congressional midterm elections. It is important to get news from several sources, not just those we agree with. Vote intelligently. It’s your right and your responsibility as a citizen.
Do you have questions about what I have said? Do you disagree with what I have written? I am not an expert on politics, just a concerned citizen. I don’t enjoy writing prose, especially on political topics.
Check it out! Do some research using multiple sources. Then make up your own mind. Peace! ☮️
Gulf Coast Poet 