Buttercup Girls Mystery Stories

July 6, 2022 SuzanneLeave a comment

Three friends solve humourous tales of intrigue in fictional old west setting

Sophie, Bessie, and Nell are Daisyville’s youngest detectives. Thanks to their investigative know-how, the local Sheriff can put his feet up and enjoy his coffee.

And that’s a good thing, because this dusty old town has more than its share of hysterics and drama.

FYI… Girl detectives, in the late 1800s, had to be determined, ambitious, and fearless. A good sense of humour didn’t hurt either… ha-ha!

Sophie, and her friends, check all the boxes… they’re observant, have gut instinct, are super energetic, and possess topnotch communication skills.

But get this… In those days…girl didn’t have apps, social media, websites, or … phones?

Gulp!

A note to Parents and Teachers about Buttercup Girls Mystery Stories

Timeless, wholesome tales of intrigue
Appeals to a young girl’s natural curiosity
Humour woven into narrative throughout the story
Girls sense their involvement in solving the case by adding up the clues, evidence, and facts along with the story’s main characters
A fun, easy, and friendly read, enjoyed by girls 7 and up
Free of unacceptable language/content for this age group
Note: These stories do not have picture illustrations — keeping the child’s focus on the narrative, building upon their innate sense of adventure and imagination.

Buttercup Girls Mysteries available as paperback or ebook on Amazon

Avoid Processed Food · Lifestyle Changes · Nutritional Health · Taking Care of Ourselves

Our Very Own Micro-kingdoms

July 4, 2022 Suzanne2 Comments

Are we keeping them healthy? Or are we slowly destroying them?

The human body is made up of trillions of microorganisms; we literally house a myriad of busy places, throughout our bodies.

Each “place” (eyes, skin, kidneys, toe nails, etc.) is equipped with all the right microbes—to enable life… full life, vibrant life, thriving with an abundance of energy, and so forth.

Question…Do we recognize the following important fact?

Our personal micro-kingdoms require appropriate nutrients to be able to function and perform their daily duties. Do we give this important fact our undivided attention?

And—not meaning to sound condescending—but… our attention obviously refers to anyone who is interested in their own health and fitness.

Which brings our talking point to the forefront—anyone should include everyone, right? Vibrant, lively living? What’s not to like about that?

Sadly—it doesn’t include everyone.

Genuine interest in the health of our microbes, that literally make up our bodies, should be extremely high because—hey, these microscopic little guys keep us alive.

How can we make their lives better, so they make our lives complete in every way possible?

There’s no sense beating around the bush… The fact is that too many people are content with eating fake-foods or foods that are overly processed, lacking nutritional value, with too much added sugar, and potentially toxic to their bodies.

Thinking about what most people typically consume in today’s world.

Consider the fact that our physical bodies are literally made up of millions of micro-kingdoms, potentially billions of microbes that require appropriate nutrients to be able to function and perform their duties in daily life.

Hopefully, this brief article serves as a food-for-thought opportunity. We need to reflect on the choices we make on a daily basis—for ourselves and more importantly… for our children.

Would our microbes appreciate high-fructose-corn syrup found in sodas, for instance?

Would they choose trans fats off a menu?

Would they thank you for the ‘added sugar’?

Or… would they revolt and turn against you and not perform to their greatest potential? Would they quit functioning because—hello, they aren’t feeling very well, as they see themselves, and their relatives getting weaker, sicker every day?

Yet, we—the very ones, they (our personal microbes) depend on to have their interests at heart—are ignoring the signs and symptoms of their plight.

We expect them to do their jobs—fully, for us, yet we refuse to acknowledge what they require to sustain their own lives—which technically is our very own existence.

It’s time to wake up and start making better choices.

Let’s remove the clutter of indulgence and ignorance, and start making healthier choices. Then, with time, we will see the positive results of our efforts.

Your. Microbes. Will. Thank. You.

Thanks for the visit

Suzanne

Freedom of Expression · Society and Values

We are All Part of Life’s Rich Tapestry

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 SuzanneLeave a comment

Life’s RICH Tapestry – sounds nice doesn’t it?

The best part? It’s true!

We are part of this amazing tapestry.

But…

Not so fast.

Admit it… we’re drawn to that ‘rich’ part, right? But, to our credit, we readily acknowledge it’s not the materialistic aspect of it. (Well okay, maybe a little.)

Rather… we’d like to think that ‘life itself’ is so rich, so awesome, that our tapestry, (the part we are all part of), is rich in joy, rich in living to the fullest, joie-de-vivre, and all that. Sigh… You can almost hear the violins playing in the background of our collective minds.

However, there’s a life’s-rich-reality-check tapestry… Sadly our current tapestry includes Covid-19, vaccines, masks, and social distancing.

Bummer!

Globally, we’re resigned to this… uh… intrusion, it’s the part of life’s rich tapestry that makes us cringe. No violins! We certainly haven’t welcomed it with open arms, yet we’ve adjusted (sorta).

This phenomenon, we are all experiencing, is beyond our control. Collectively, we are struggling to not be discouraged, not sad or glum but let’s face it, this part of life’s rich tapestry – totally sucks.

We’d most certainly like to change it, but alas… we are, for all intents and purposes… powerless.

So, we make the best of it, we follow the rules, we encourage and support one another. And, ultimately… that’s the ‘rich’ part. The part of humanity that includes the resilience and care we have for others as well as ourselves.

The violins are back, a little off tune but.. oh well.

Thanks for your visit

abetterchat

I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out for a friend who does some pretty amazing art. It’s unique and the kind of tapestry we can still control.

If you have a little time, take a minute to visit Shannon’s Etsy store. This might be the physical aspect of life’s rich tapestry that you’d like to have in your home – to share with family and friends in the art décor form.

Opinions

Opinions – Got Any?

April 20, 2021April 23, 2021 SuzanneLeave a comment

Opinions, everyone has at least two. Right? Am I coining that old phrase correctly?

No matter.

People have had opinions, as in, forever. Opinions, having them or not having them, is a fundamental ‘feature’ of humanity. We could go so far as to call it a human trait or characteristic. Very. Bold. Statement.

Animals, on the other hand, don’t seem to have opinions. Now some pet owners may argue that point and I might be willing to concede to those who may voice their opinions on this subject.

I would gladly enter a discussion and appreciate the thoughts of pet lovers. I may or may not agree, I may or may not change my views. Whose to say? But in the end, I’m thinking I would benefit from such a discourse. And who knows, a few pet lovers out there, may actually appreciate my opinions.

Moving on…

Maybe you’ve heard the phrase ‘please, keep your opinions to yourself’ once or twice in your life time?

I know, I know – the reality is, you’ve heard it a lot.

“Keep your opinions to yourself, please!”

Maybe you’ve said it yourself—out loud. Gasp!
Maybe you’ve just thought it—an awful lot. Double Gasp!!

But here’s the thing—somehow, throughout your years spent on this earth, you’ve acquired a filter, out of necessity. Survival.

Whether you’ve held back a ‘keep your opinion to yourself’ in the quietness of your thoughts, it suffices to say, you’ve thought it, frequently. Let’s be honest here.

Did you hold it back out of politeness or fear of having your face punched in? Whatever the reason, you made the choice. Somehow, thankfully, you’ve acquired the skill set to discern the situation, and make the right choice, on the spot. We hope anyway.

Opinions – the upside

Because of ‘opinions’ you’ve…

Learned a lot about yourself and how you ‘fit in’
Learned a lot about the people you’ve encountered and how they ‘fit in’

Being able to voice your opinions and listening to others has been helpful on many levels.

If you voiced a strong belief and it was not well-received, you may have considered re-thinking your position or maybe their adverse reaction served you well and solidified your beliefs. Hearing “well, that’s your opinion” more or less confirmed the fact – this person, stubbornly, does not agree with you.

Furthermore, hearing the opinions of others have greatly contributed to your choice of close friends, trusted business associates, and even your soulmate – if you’ve been blessed to find this person.

Imagine what it would mean, if you could never trust your senses, your decisions, about yourself and others, because you, and they, were never permitted to voice opinions?

What if you, and the people you meet, never expressed thoughts and beliefs?
What if you could never have an open discussion?

Today, many people are saying they have their ‘freedom of speech’ infringed upon. I’m not debating that point one way or another. I choose to keep my opinion to myself.

What I am putting out there, as something to consider, is the possibility of a greater problem.

If we, as individuals, feel threatened by what might happen if we voice our opinions, will we…

Simply shut up and keep our values and beliefs to ourselves?
Sadly realize that our opinions do not matter anyway?
Change what we say in order to disguise our true thoughts/feelings
Ultimately, lose our ability to form lasting trust in our relationships?

Opinions have shaped our lives for centuries. If we are not careful, opinions will no longer provide us the necessary tools to assist in our perception/judgments of the world that surrounds us.

People will only say what they are expected to say – they will not voice their thoughts and feelings freely.
We won’t know who we are anymore.

Gasp! We might become like our pets—and have no opinions. Hey, hold on, all you pet-lovers, don’t get angry with me, after all, we haven’t had that particular discussion yet.

Thanks for visiting abetterchat today.