The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Friends - Photo by Mary Vee Island of Bolero, Venice, Italy Thanksgiving week blessings. Hubby walks out to his car dressed for work and lunch in hand. He happens to look down at the front tire, something I wouldn't do, and walks back to the house. The tire is flat. This morning, he fills the tire with air and nurses it up to the tire store. Across the street is one of those hometown restaurants with basic food, servers with pads of paper and pencils, and unlimited gut rot coffee. "So, yah wanna get breakfast?" He asks me. How could I refuse? Two hours later the car disappears into the shop. Although Hubby devoured southern style biscuits and gravy et all the trimmings, he is nervous he won't have the car in time to leave for work. We walk across the road, yes we paid the bill plus tip, and walk inside the tire store. Before hubby can ask, the tire guy grabs keys off his counter walks them to my hubby and says, "Everything is taken care of."...

Photo by Mary Vee Bakery in Germany Amazing, but true.  John Chhan opened his shop in California at 4:30 a.m. then had to close the doors at 8:30 a.m. because of the community. What had the community done? The story started when a woman brought her daughter into Chhan's bakery. His wife had been there all the years the woman stopped in the shop in the past, but she wasn't that day. The woman discovered John's wife had an aneurysm and was home recovering from surgery. After the woman returned home, she thought about Mrs. Chhan. The couple came to the U.S. as refugees from Cambodia many years before and set up this bakery. Every day the couple arrived at the shop at 2 a.m. to make the donuts then opened the doors at 4:30 a.m. to sell the treats. When all the donuts were sold, the workday ended. They closed the doors and went home. The woman told neighbors and wrote a blog post about the Chhan's saying, if everyone went to the bakery early and bought in the...

Photo Courtesy: Pixabay.com A bookstore in Southhampton, England, called October Books, could no longer afford to pay the rent for it's building. No big deal, you might say. Most people buy online anyway. But this is a different and unique, and basically a Never Give Up Story because the community formed a human chain to save this bookstore. October Books is an independent bookstore that also offers organic foods and hosts events for the community. Their interest in the locals impacted the people, stirring men and women, boys and girls to come to their aid.   After having been in their original location for 25 years and facing rising rent, the owners knew they had to leave. They searched for another building and found an abandoned bank.  Several problems rose for a timely move down the street. A stockroom filled with books had to be transported. Painting. Setting up the new store. Creative genus struck when the owner called for help from the community.  So,...

My book, Anders' Redemption is eligible for the Grace Award in the mystery category this year. Any book that you have read which was published in 2017, in any Inspiration category can also be nominated. (women's fiction, contemporary, mystery, speculative, action/adventure/western, young adult)  The more nominations, the better the chance of a book winning.  This is how you can nominate my book, Anders' Redemption: Send an email to the Grace Awards site with the following information: Anders' Redemption by Mary Vee Mystery category Say in 45 words why you liked the book. Email this nomination to:  graceawards@yahoo.com Here is a blurb to help you remember what the book was about:  A horrible accident steals Brice Anders' career and much of his memory. Only hope and motivation wake with him every morning. A letter arrives. A chance to forge the dream Chef career...then an intruder breaks into his new home, sabotaging hi...

Hubby and I had the annual Christmas talk. The one that starts:  "So, honey, what do you want for Christmas?" And  continues  with, this response: "I don't know." And so, the games began. Neither one of us wants to confess the dream, number one Christmas gift.  There are several reasons for this.  1. The dream gift is uber expensive. 2. The dreamer doesn't trust the purchaser to find and buy the right one. 3. There isn't enough time to arrange/find/get the dream gift. 4. The dreamer feels guilty about asking for that item. Sigh.  I have no clue what hubby would like for Christmas. From our first Christmas celebrated as a married couple, we've chosen to have a birthday party for Jesus. Knowing that the money to buy the gifts came from God, we honored Him with a celebration rightfully belonging to Him. Hubby and I buy balloons, have a birthday cake, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, decorate our home with a Christmas ...

Maybe the Internet has taken away the mystery or fear of meeting new people, I'm not sure. But this week, three cases leaped to my attention where new folk met new friends not on the internet. These weren't just superficial hi, howya doin' chance meetings. They had a deeper connection. Thanksgiving is a great time to talk about this topic. The first new unexpected friend I'll share happened at the local community college during a Citizens Police Academy class. BTW, this is a great class for everyone and is offered all around the country. My greatest take away was the strategies for driving on ice. Of course, I enjoyed the tour through the jail because of the unplanned riot in the women's wing, and sitting in the jury box for the first time while the judge gave her presentation on the courts.  The point being is I met classmates. We had a "graduation", a food and chat time during the last class hour. I took a handful of bookmarks with photos an...