Chicken Soup for the Soul - Life Lessons From the Cat

I submitted my short story, "Meowy Christmas," to the 2015 Tapestry Awards contest. Tapestry is a Florida state-wide contest associated with Word Weavers International, an excellent not-for-profit organization that supports Christian writers through an encouraging critique system.

Imagine my joy when "Meowy Christmas" took first place in the short story category! The judges who read the submissions also offer suggestions, when needed, to improve the work. As an example, their notations informed me that not everyone is familiar with an Austin Healy Sprite. I mentioned my 1969 British sports car in the story as I described trying to drive a stick shift from one city to another with two rambunctious kittens underfoot. (For those under thirty years of age, a stick shift is a vehicle that doesn't have an automatic transmission. The driver shifts the gears using a clutch to the left of the brake pedal. 😼)

I made the suggested edits to the story, then submitted it to Chicken Soup for the Soul for one of their Christmas books.

No response.

The following year, life sent me storms of challenges that rocked my world. The story sat idle in my computer until the tempests died down. I opened it up again, made a few technical edits, then submitted it again to Chicken Soup for the Soul for their next collection of cat stories.

A few months letter, Voilá! The long-awaited message from D'ette, the Chicken Soup for the Soul editor, arrived in my inbox.

As I read the other stories, I consider it an honor to have mine included in this collection with other talented, award-winning authors. "Chicken Soup for the Soul Life Lessons from the Cat" is available in bookstores, online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and through the Chicken Soup for the Soul website. I have a few in my personal stock for local friends.

They make great gifts. Enjoy! 😸

Remembering the Greatest Generation

Since my soon-to-be completed novel, "Miss Ellie's Orange Tree," is set in the 1940s, I am re-running this previous post:

 Remembering the Greatest Generation

Ads on TV call for donations of WWII memorabilia. These ads state the importance of documenting "The Greatest Generation." Call me cynical, but do they really want to preserve this part of our history, or destroy anything that might show our soldiers in a positive and victorious light?

 

We've seen how the education system has twisted the discovery of the New World, the Mayflower passengers and the American Revolution. They've demonized Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson and other signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as removed portraits of George Washington from school buildings. The latest misconception of the Confederate flag, supported by the news media, speaks to the skewed teachings of the War Between the States. They even mislabeled it, calling it a "civil war." The word "slavery" is mistakenly associated with that war, instead of the true issues of taxation, economics, and states' rights.

 

For this reason, I'm hesitant to send anything without doing some research on these organizations. Who funds them? Are their workers volunteers or paid employees? Where will they store the collected items? Will the public be allowed to view the items? What will they do with faith-related letters or documents?

 

Many years ago, I donated my late father's uniforms and some photos to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. I recently found the web page for the 379th Bomb Group, my dad's unit. (379thbga.org : The 379th Bomb Group of WWII) We may have located a photo of him with his crew. I have his small Gideon Bible, in which he inscribed the words: "This Bible flew 33 missions with me."

 

 Before you give away precious memorabilia to an unknown source, do your research. Locate your family member's unit. Visit bona fide museums and consider donating to them instead. Preserve them and pass them on to additional generations to give them a perspective of the faith and sacrifices required to defeat a godless dictator and win a world war.

 

Let us never forget the Greatest Generation and the faith that brought them through to victory!