We hope you enjoyed the October 2024 issue of This Awful Awesome Life. Many thanks to Orlando Bartro for his contributions to the magazine. Special thanks to Louise Porter for her interesting answers to our October Q&A.
Please take a moment to thank and recognize FEMA for their continued response to the natural disasters that have been happening across the United States in the past months. It’s their job, and they are doing well, no matter what you’ve heard.
As we plan and prepare our Thanksgiving feasts, the World Central Kitchen has also been on the scene in Asheville, North Carolina as well as continuing to provide food and water to the people in war-torn Gaza and other parts of the Middle East. I made a donation to help them keep up their humanitarian efforts around the world. If you are able, I hope you will also make supporting the WCK part of your Thanksgiving.
Please join me in showing thanks for the many individuals (especially Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift), agencies, and charities trying to make a difference.
Happy Veterans Day to our veterans and their families. Thank you for your service. To our service families and Gold Star families, thank you for the letters and care packages and for getting up at all hours to have those video chats with you loved ones. We recognize and honor the sacrifices made by veterans and their families all around the world.
This month our themes are “Men’s Health,” and “Giving Thanks.” What are the main health issues men face? How did Movember start, and why is it so important? We’ll try to answer those questions along with answering questions about the history of Thanksgiving and why it’s about more than filling your plate with delicious food.
Every November I want to put something in the magazine in recognition of NaNoWriMo (Novel Writing Month). A few years ago I did. Please use this link to check it out, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2022/11/4/national-novel-writing-month-by-fran-joyce?rq=National%20Novel%20Writing%20Month
Orlando Bartro who reads dozens of books each year has been reading the same novel for fifteen years. In this issue he explains why.
This year, I’m writing a short story for each issue related to the theme in some way. This month, my short story, “Husband Hearing,” is about a man coming to terms with the importance of taking care of himself physically and emotionally. Do you know any Calvins? Are you a Calvin?
Tony Valerino is featured in this month’s Q&A. Valerino answers questions about his debut novel, Civilizations of the Ancient World: A Global Survey and his Facebook blog, Pivotal Historical Moments Fan. He also explains how a busy and involved husband and father of four with a day job makes time to explore history and write about it. I also reviewed his book for this issue.
For our new column, “Happy Birthday,” our author this month is C.S. Lewis. I did something different this time. I contributed a brief introduction about C.S. Lewis and a list of his best-known works, but the body of this article is from one of Tony Valerino’s blogs on Pivotal Historical Moments Fan. Enjoy!
We have an eclectic assortment of films this month for you to stream. Our November quiz explores myths and historical facts. The lines aren’t always clear. Are you up for the challenge?
For November 2024 in “The Twelve Months of Salsa,” I decided to make Creamy Avocado Salsa. This recipe is delicious with tortilla chips or on tacos or burritos. It can also become a tasty dressing for a salad. It all depends on how you choose to prepare the ingredients – manual or electric food processor or blender. I used all three methods and loved the results. You also don’t have to worry about the avocado turning brown and spoiling the visual optics of your brunch or party spread.
We found some great choices for our November reading recommendations for kids, young adults, and adults written by Native American authors, as well as some interesting memoirs, biographies, and fiction offerings you won’t want to miss.
We’re constantly updating our Author Page to include the latest published works of your new favorite authors, and we’re adding authors. Being able to give authors a free place to display their work is a dream come true for me, so please check every month to see who’s new and what’s new.
Don’t miss our new Artist Page where we will be celebrating creatives and providing their contact information. We will be updating and adding to the list during this month and the following months, so keep checking our new page.
Everything in Between is now available in audiobook. The narrator, Louise Porter, does a wonderful job bringing Sabrina and her story to life, and I can’t wait for you to have a listen. You can purchase the audiobook for Everything in Between on Amazon, iTunes, or Audible. https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Everything-in-Between/dp/B0DDR8GRWS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TV0J0HCWYT7T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tdRKc5MxwdOobXZOLckDvQ.0BXe9QYH3JnZOn9j0LC6Yy6gCG9UI3lIcRu4KlRnIPs&dib_tag=se&keywords=everything+in+between+by+frances+joyce+audiobook&qid=1725234363&sprefix=everything+in+between+by+frances+joyce+audiobook%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-
USA Today best-selling novelist, Annette Dashofy has a new book in the Zoe Chambers Mystery series. You can order What Comes Around on Amazon or find it at your local bookstore. It’s also now available in audiobook. Congratulations Annette!
All year, we’ve been encouraging you to be an informed voter. One of the most important elections in American history is happening in a few days. Are you ready, or do you need to hear more about what they have planned from day one of their inauguration?
If you have already voted, thank you for doing your civic duty. If you are reading this and haven’t voted early, VOTE ON ELECTION DAY! Do your research, so we don’t end up with legislators who care more about partisanship than serving the needs of the American people. The League of Women Voters is a reputable and impartial source for information check them out before you head to the polls.
The candidates at all levels have shown and told you who they really are. I hope we’ve all listened carefully, and aren’t fooled by the spin doctors out there. Please keep showing up and voting. We will never tell you who to vote for, but we will keep telling you to vote and do your homework!
Which incumbent legislators have actually authored and submitted legislation to benefit Americans? Who’s all talk and soundbites? Who refuses to bring legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives or Senate, so our Representatives/Senators can vote on it? We pay them to conduct the government’s business, not to sit and do nothing. We don’t pay them to do the bidding of political parties or billionaires. Would you hire this person to run your business or trust them to be a fair boss?
Samantha Sayers has been missing for six years since she disappeared on August 1, 2018, after a day of solo hiking at Vesper Peak near Seattle, Washington. Sam grew up in the Erie, Pennsylvania area where her parents Ron and Lisa still live. Her family is exploring all avenues of inquiry to find and bring her home. In the face of such an enormous challenge, they have chosen hope. Please keep sending positive thoughts to Sam and her family. As promised, we will be displaying a yellow ribbon for Sam on the opening page of each issue of This Awful Awesome Life until she is home.
If you are a person of faith, please pray for her safe return to her family. Because we are an online publication, we can update this article with any news. We will also post information on our Facebook page, but only after it is verified. Thank you!
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Happy Reading,
Fran