The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Mary Vee's blog has a new name and a new look. I thought about what I write, what I post on social media and even what articles I prefer to write here on this blog.  The bottom line is, I like to see our world. Big. Small. Rural. Woods. City. You name it. My extended family has a cabin where family members like to vacation every year. One said, isn't it nice to sit back and listen to the water? Sure. But not in one place. I haven't seen the Indian Ocean, but I've seen the Pacific, Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and others. The Creator has made a world filled with variety. This is what I want to share with you. As a writer, I use pieces of these amazing places in my stories. I also post here, on social media, and in my newsletter opening readers eyes to amazing places. I'm so excited to invite you for a walk in the woods, a ride up the Eiffel Tower, climb the Alps, sail on a pirate ship and so much more.  Become a follower of this blog to r...

Last week, the director of the Literacy Council in my county asked me to tutor a single mom who wants to pass the GED. My first thought: How awesome is that. She wants to pass the GED. Good for her. Of course I want to help. The director then said, the woman needs help in math. My first thought: how hard can it be? I taught third grade math. Are you laughing? I would too...if it wasn't me. I researched the GED test (which I have never taken) to find out the highest level of math tested and rolled up my sleeves.  Our family room library has LOTS of books. Some from my college years. I dragged out the math books and chose one for review. Last night, problem 16 threw me for a loop.  My gift is tenacity. Incredible, nothing can distract me from whatever is plaguing my mind until it is solved tenacity. Problem 16 was the age old, two consecutive numbers problem. This particular question wanted even integers only and the product had to equal 288. All I needed was...

Here is a fun summer idea for any number of persons.  Go on a city scanvenger hunt. Choose one or more unusual items, google all the venders that typically have that item and hop in your car or on your bicycle. The day was Monday, hubby's and my anniversary. We had an unusual cake for our wedding. One that had to be specially ordered. It was banana nut. We've asked bakeries if they made the cake for years. The answer is no. So, we set out with a list of twenty bakeries that took us to parts of our city we hadn't visited. Many were the old parts of town with brick roads.  The interior walls separating stores are still the exposed brick. Workers at the bakeries recommended other bakeries not on our list, so we added them. We walked tree lined streets. Met people sitting outside shops reading newspapers. The original kind. Ink on paper. And found many shops that we will visit next time. Look at the cool antique ...

The final step in the long process to become an American citizen is taking the oath. A ceremony is scheduled for a large group of applicants to take this final step together. This week, seventy individuals from fifty countries dressed in their best and brought their friends and family to the event. The Gerald R Ford presidential auditorium was filled to capacity with several individuals standing in the back. I went to support a dear Guatemalan friend. Unlike the movies, the seventy enthusiastically stood for the anthem and boldly sang, spoke the pledge of allegiance, and waved handheld flags during the ceremony.  The presiding judge said they had the freedom to walk up to the platform to accept their naturalization paperwork or remain in their seats to have the papers brought to them. All seventy individuals, including a man who could barely walk, stood when his or her name was called as though winning an Oscar or an Olympic go...

Technological advances have come a long way to help those who are visually impaired. Those devices are used only by the individual, which is great. The Be My Eyes app won two awards for technology in 2018 and they need our help. Say this individual goes to the store and the items have been moved or a new item has been introduced. He or she is unsure which to buy. This new app lets them connect with a volunteer at a moment's notice. They turn their phone screen to the store products and ask their question. Perhaps they might say, "Which one is ... brand."  The price is great. The app is free. My daughter has signed up for this app. She is excited to have her first opportunity to help someone. Here is the link for the explanation of the app. The link will direct you to FB:   Be My Eyes - Helping the Blind   OR You can go to the app store and find the app on your own. What I like about this idea is it gives me the opportunity to help someone in a ve...

Pacific Ocean Oregon Photo by Mary Vee One of the favorite summer pass times for readers is finding and reading the perfect book on a beach.  Sitting under a sun umbrella with a coating of sun tan lotion, readers turn pages to the beat of waves rippling on the shore. What could be more peaceful? There are so many stories available, how can we choose? Here is a fantastic resource: The Grace Awards website features noteable books throughout the year.  This week, board members for the site are hosting a Fiction Spotlight called Summer Book Bash 2019. They selected twelve books designed specifically for readers such as you. Any of these stories are perfect for taking to your favorite relaxation place.  Photos of the books, links, and blurbs tell why these books are the perfect choice for a beach towel on the sand read. Best news of all: the featured books are on sale, most at only $0.99!  I saw most genres represented in the list....

Lindt Coffee Shop Paris, Photo by Mary Vee Writers learn early on the importance of writing about what you know. This doesn't necessarily mean we are experts in the topic we include. But we have dabbled in or research a plethora of resources which enable us to seamlessly take a reader to the location, or communicate the experience. Today, my main character sits in a coffee shop located on a narrow, windy Paris street a few days before Christmas.  During the late spring, summer, and fall seasons, tables and chairs clutter the sidewalk outside this shop. It's considered prime seating. Ambiance worth every penny because in the distance, the tip of the Eiffel reaches above the buildings. Not on this day, though.  Inside the coffee shop, locals take chairs from other tables and huddle together. They reach past their knees for their cup of latte, take a slug, and put the cup back. The topic of conversation is undefined, much like oil and water, swirling from one i...