The other day I wanted a snack. I was having a hard time getting any audiobook recording done, for reasons. However, when I went out to the kitchen to get a nice slice of buttered toast, there was only one slice left. So I did this instead. Below is my recipe for Baked Bread. I also did a video on it that you can watch or work along with on Facebook @JamesOBarnes
Happy Halloween! In honor of Halloween, I felt like doing something special. I've been doing a lot of audiobook and voiceover work lately and Halloween just kind of snuck up on me. Anyway, I decided this year that I'd like to share one of my favorite Edgar Allen Poe stories, "The Black Cat". Yes, it is a little PG so maybe not for the little ones. But, I like it because it shows how easily one can descend, a little bit of karma, and maybe even asks the question: If a cat has nine lives, shouldn't you be careful of how you treat it during its first? I hope you enjoy it. Take a listen on the commute home or while handing out candy to the trick or treaters (maybe with headphones so the little kiddies don't hear). I did this after a day of recording so my apologies. My voice felt like it was about to give out and the pacing may be a little off. But hey! It was fun to do. You can click the audio file below to listen, or go to the JOURNAL section of my website. James O. Barnes is an Author, Narrator, and Dad. He loves the puzzles of life, business, and Dadliness. Recent works include: 3 Simple Rules: A Guide for Business and Life. www.jamesobarnes.com.
Wanda Kay Moren is my mother. If you were her friend, raised, or cared for by her at any point in your life you were family. She passed on Wednesday morning 09/11/19, and as in life even in the end she was not alone. She did everything in life that she ever wanted and at least with me never shared any regrets for not having done more. Her obituary tells who she left behind and the nice things like quilting, crafts, jigsaw puzzles and shopping at yard sales that she liked to do. It also states that her main priority in life was to make sure her children were taken care of and needed for nothing. It is this last bit where I would like to go into more detail. My mother was one of the strongest people I have ever known. Mom’s heart could be both gentle and hard. She loved music, crafts, dancing, and most of all her friends and family. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do or give for her family. But, for anyone that ever crossed her family, Mom was a force to be reckoned with and a fierce warrior. Going into detail about all the things I remember about her would take far too much space here. Instead, I am going to use an old writer trick to try and get as many ideas about my mother across to you as possible. My writer friends may see these statements as writing prompts, where you add on to continue the story. The story you come up with may even be close to the truth. Family and friends will recognize these prompts for what they are, true events in the life of Wanda Kay (Lightner) Moren. I know Mom would be fine with me sharing these, as she was never shy, nor did she have any regrets. Even the people on the receiving end of many of these events are still friends and considered family. Because to Mom, even if you wronged her you were always given a second chance. She did not like to hold onto anything or make judgements on people. To her, that was the job of a higher power than her. Like many writers I too get stuck occasionally. When that happens the technique of using a writing prompt often helps to get moving again. Here are a few of the situations I have had the privilege and honor to witness, be a part of, or be in the audience when hearing the Tale of Wanda.
Now don't get me wrong by some of these prompts, I'm not condoning any sort of violence. But no one can ever say that our mother didn't stand up for family and what was right. She had your back. I don't think I need to add that if you were in the wrong, she'd still have your back. But, when she got you alone, she'd let you know you were wrong. Wanda taught her children that life can be messy. That it is messy. Yet, it can be infinitely beautiful. That no one is an island and that it is our connection to one another that makes it meaningful. She taught us strength and resilience. Mom didn't have much in the material sense in this world, yet she was able to give us everything we needed. I would like to thank Liza’s Place of Valley Hospice Care for their great care and treatment of our mother and family members. Our family will be holding a Memorial Service on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Cornerstone Church of God from 5-7pm with Rev. Ron Wilfong officiating followed by food and fellowship. The official obituary can be read on the CARE Funeral and Cremation Services site. Memorial contributions may be made but in no way obligated to www.tmcfunding.com to help the family off-set any expenses accrued.
The latest reason why I may be condemned.
As a general rule I try not to mess with karma. But sometimes . . . Last week my wife (Angela) and I went on an eight-hour drive to southern West Virginia for a short weekend vacation. It was there that I did something that in hindsight may have been a mistake. Well, at the time I was fine with it, but in retrospect—and a belly full of steak—I felt a little bad. We had just arrived and finished checking in at the hotel when I heard a loud grumble. It was my stomach and it was complaining about not having been fed for the last six hours of our trip. I remembered that the clerk had mentioned that the Applebee’s was within spitting distance—or walking distance for the more delicate—of the hotel and honored a ten-percent discount for hotel patrons. Well, I thought, a ten-percent discount you say. That’s enough to cover the extra two-ounce steak upgrade on the “two for $ . . .” dinner option. If you don’t know about the two-ounce upgrade, don’t worry too much about it. The last few times that I opted for it I really couldn’t tell the difference from my wife’s six-ounce steak. This time in fact, my eight-ounce steak was indeed larger and unfortunately thinner than my wife’s. |
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