The Storyteller | Mary Vee

This is my opinion, based on hearing the program Wait. Wait. Don't Tell Me aired on NPR in July 2018 I am often out driving on Saturday mornings when Wait. Wait Don't Tell Me airs. I flip through the channels searching for music or an interesting program and have caught this program several times. Often portions are funny. Often portions are informative. Sometimes the program is disrespectful and inappropriate, and I understand many listeners appreciate the comedic factor that is intended in the disrespect. I usually turn it off, or down, waiting for the next segment. BUT, the last show and the show that aired after the Thai boys were rescued from the cave in early July had comedic dialogue that went too far, in my opinion. Here is why I think so. The teen boys and their twenty-something coach faced a horrific period of time in the underground cave. Alone in absolute darkness. Unsure they would survive. Days without food they managed to find limited water, which they ...

Would you like to take another virtual trip? We've gone to Italy, Israel, Jordan, and a boatload of other places. What a great time we've had! I will be the tour guide, passing on what I am learning, seeing, hearing, tasting, etc. Tons of photos!! Okay, I hear you. You want to know where we're going this time? We will be traveling up the Rhine in Germany, visiting castles, and a wealth of other European sites along the way.  I board the plane July 31st. I have my passport, haven't begun to pack, but I have my journal ready to go! You, reader, won't need a suitcase or documents.  I'm keeping the travel log on a new FB page created solely for this trip. Each day I will choose a few photos, perhaps a video clip, and explanation. You'll be tempted by the delicious foods, and weary from climbing castle stairs. Feel free to interact in the comment section on the page. Here is the link. You are all invited to join us.   Click here to join Mary...

Saffron crocus. Its stigmas and styles  Photo Credit Saffron is a spice. Its vibrant red is also used to color foods. During a time when I made ultra fancy dishes for my family, I remember needing saffron. The tiny jar costs a lot of money. I only bought it that once. When adding saffron to my dish, I noticed the food took on a beautiful golden color. Can I tempt you with this delicious recipe for Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce from the Food Network? Looks yummy, right? Today's topic, though, is not about saffron recipes. We're telling a story: The Soldier and The Farmer. One of the two places quality saffron grows well is in Afghanistan. In this war-torn country, farmers cultivate the ground and grown rows of saffron crocus plants, but they had a problem. There was little demand in their country for their crop. Last Saturday, the Weekend Edition of NPR aired a story of three US soldiers,  Kimberly Jung, Keith Alaniz, and Emily Miller,...

  Photo Credit Have you had a chance to watch the rescue story of 12 Thai soccer players and their coach? I realized, after writing a few posts on my Facebook page that not everyone has had a chance to follow this story. I wanted to dedicate this post to those boys and their coach. Also the volunteers and the many experts who sacrificed time, money, comfort, and for some, their vacation to come to the team's aid. I waited to publish this post to hear the last piece of news. So some of you will be reading this post on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. This evening BBC news announced: the doctor who examined, treated, and stayed with the team during the rescue process and the last of the Thai divers have left the cave. The mission is complete, at least this portion. Talk about exciting. My post today is not going to rehash all the details. Here is a link to the article that will give you all the details including links to more information.  https://www.bbc.com/news/wor...

photo by Mary Vee Blue Ridge flag An author, whom I've know from a distance for a long time and have had few conversations with but I doubt remembers, has chosen to retire. In the panel-yahoo group where he has shared his writerly advice for all these years, there is a big going away party. Memories shared. Thanks given. All the usual that is done for those who have given so much to their field. What I wanted to share with you today, is his response to one of the compliments:  For six years I served as a missionary in Kenya, East Africa. A few years later, I returned for my first visit. The night before I left Kenya, I met with a group of pastors in a mud-and-thatch hut for a final meal.            Unasked, those pastors began telling me things I had done for them. Their words shocked me. “Really? I don’t remember doing that,” I said each time, “but I do remember when you. . . “        ...

As an author, I have learned that many experiences can be understood with enough research. Social media pushes the emotion of whatever is viewed. Anger. Rage. Joy. Loss. Tragedy. Triumph. Victory. Discovery, etc. Photo by Mary Vee, Oklahoma I mostly agree with this still, because as the days go by, I write about a situation then reach into my personal memories, pull up my true responses, and insert that response into the character. I can empathize with those who experience a myriad of situations because I can call up my personal similar emotion. You do too. Knowingly or unknowingly. You've cried, laughed, cheered at movies or while reading a book. Admit it. :) But there are some experiences that extend beyond our realm of experiences encountered so far. Photo by Mary Vee, Oklahoma For example, yesterday, my daughter and I drove through Oklahoma heading east. I am not from Oklahoma, but I've heard plenty about their colossal storms.  Tornado season ha...

At this moment, I am hanging out in a border state in the United States. Guess what the hot topic is here?  Right, immigration and the separation of children. Arizona/Mexican border, PC-Katy McNiff I in no wise want to tackle a political debate here but want to discuss an interesting aspect of this topic brought up by the BBC. At the end of a very lengthy immigration article posted by the BBC the writer asks:  Was your family split up after entering the US? Are any of your family members currently being detained and kept apart? Email The question got me thinking.  The answer for my immediate family would be no, but the extended family, yes. However, it happened in another country. With modern technology, we can now dig back into our genealogy and learn amazing pieces of information about our own family. So, if you're interested, you can find out if your ancestors ever experienced a similar experience. Separation of families is not new. Stalin separated...