November 17^th

Life is going well. I hope the same is true for you and yours. Here is a cliché for folks who stay away from church because it’s filled with hypocrites. ”Church is a hospital for the sinners, NOT a museum for saints.”

Funny signs:

On a Taxidermist's window: "We really know our stuff."

On a Fence: "Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!"

At a Car Dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."

Outside a Muffler Shop: "No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."

The book fair went nicely. I sold six books that day and a number of others took information. I figure people come to the mall to shop. Seeing us selling books is interesting, but not what they came for, so I’m happy for the sales.

The next step is to ask others to tell their friends about the books. The people on my E-mail list received a two page overview of both books. Here is that notice:

Dear Family and Friends,

I’m proud to announce that I have two books self-published. This means all the promotion is up to me and anyone who will aid in the effort. I request your help and indulgence in asking you to forward this E-mail to people on your list. The rest of this mailing is an overview of both books.

God bless you for your help, Ed Reinagel

Eight PROVEN Ways to share Your History

By Edward Reinagel

If you considered preserving your history for future generations, you will find eight tested ways and the step-by-step directions to accomplish your goal.

WRITING POINTERS are at the beginning to help people with form and style.

WRITING AN ANECDOTAL HISTORY spells out how to share your history, story by story with ways to have fun gathering memories from other family members. Included are ideas for organizing to keep your history in logical progression, and dozens of questions to prod memories.

VIDEOS / CD’S / DVD’S This chapter covers how to edit, add your voice to existing recordings, and enliven already gathered histories.

AUDIO HISTORY Here I give ideas about gathering existing tapes, re-taping with added information giving more meaning to the listener.

PHOTO ALBUMS AND COMBINED PICTURES How many pictures and albums are stored in your house? Here are ways to share those pictures with younger generations so they remain as active memories for generations to come.

JOURNALS AND MEMORABILIA Beside already written journals, several specialty kinds of journals are explained in detail with examples to guide your work.

OLD MOVIES What good are they if you don’t have a movie projector? Here I spell out exact ways to get your movies on to video tape, edit it for your branch of the family, and name the people as they appear on the video. What good are pictures to future generations if they have no idea whom they are seeing?

CRAFTING A HISTORICAL NOVEL If this is the way you choose to share your history you will find helpful pointers to guide you in starting, gathering information and completing your project.

PROBLEM PREVENTING SUGGESTION This chapter is included to save you frustration. I share problems I overcame, so you don’t suffer the same frustrations.

GENEALOGY If you want to stay strictly with a genealogy you will find web information, lists of web sites to check, and various other places to garner historical facts about your ancestors.

These Starter Questions may help you write some of your memories.

Some will only be a few paragraphs long, but all together they will add up to sharing family history.

• First Home- where was it? What kind of neighborhood do you remember? Were there many kids for you to play with? What games did you play? Did you play in one another’s house, or did you play outdoors? Did you have your own room, or did you share a room?
• Picnics – Did you have family picnics? Is there a special park you love and remember?
• Fourth of July – How did you celebrate the 4^th as a child and when you celebrate now as an adult? What does the 4^th mean to you?
• W.W.II – How did your family handle rationing? Did you raise food and save recyclable materials?
• Television – Who was the first in your neighborhood to get a TV? What were your favorite programs when you did get one? Was it color or black and white?

This book can help you prepare and share your family history. Each method listed is treated with how to examples, and explanations. On my blog you will find pieces of my books, as well as humor, poetry and whatever. I post new material once a week. Google: http://www.ed-reinagel-writer.blogspot.com/

You will also see the following: Book order site. Highlight this address on my blog site and right click; open hyperlink. http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=2294204 Or you can just enter the web site.

Pump Up Your Prayer Life

Chapter titles:

Personalize Your Prayers.

Get the Prayer Habit. Books are great gifts ~ anytime.

Spiritual Insurance From me, each book is $10.

Take Forty, Practice Patience Plus $2.38 Mailing for 1 0r 2 books.

On line Pump Up is ~ $13.90

Get off Center and on Target On line Eight Ways is ~ $12.74

I See You.

Pray When? Who’s Got Time?

Bloom where you are planted.

Thankfulness

Sacrifice Why Bother.

Spiritual Speed Which of these subjects could help you draw closer to God?

Each chapter shares ideas, Bible passages, stories, personal experience and helpful pointers. The last chapter in the book repeats ideas from the other chapters for easy paging back to for a quick reminder. I am including some of them here for your consideration.

• Adding meditation to formal prayers is one way to personalize prayer.
• Simply talk to God as we do to friends.
• Say things like ~ thank You Lord for getting me to do the outside work yesterday before the rain returned. Help me patiently listen to this person; help me understand their need to be heard. I offer these acts of charity to You in reparation for all the times I injured You.
• Have you ever timed a traffic light? Most last about three Lords prayers. Pray instead of getting edgy or fuming when stopped for a light pray for someone.
• Thank you God for the gift of this day, may I use it in ways that are pleasing to You.”
• “Thanks for giving me an idea for dinner. Thank you for having my friend call today, I needed that.
• Lord, as I complain about the little thorn in my finger, I remember Your crown of thorns for me. Forgive me Lord, for my complaint about my little hurt. Your pain was infinitely worse.
• The gifts and talents You gave me are a great pleasure. Help me use them to please others.
• Forgive me for my selfish attitude about caring for the family You gave me. Help me remember we are all Your children and You give me the grace to be Your servant.
• End every day with counting your blessings and thanking God for each gift.
• We can get in the habit of offering every act to God. Start with a little prayer like, God I offer this to You, and then do cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, earning a living, and every other thing that keeps us busy.

See the other side for my blog page and ordering information.

God bless you; Ed Reinagel Call me at 530-241-5779

Until next time, God bless you, Ed

Well life is good as it always has been. The good Lord is still taking care of us, and so is our family. We had a great celebration cruise thanks to family. This weekend I will participate in a Book Fair in the Shasta mall. where once a year writers gather to tout their wares and hopefully sell some books. It's nice to say I finally published both books. Now my job will be to promote them. In case you don't already know, they are: "Pump up Your Prayer Life" Build a constant conversation with God. The other one is, "Eight Ways to Share Your Family History."
Until the next time, God bless you, Ed

October 25th

These Starter Questions may help you write some of your memories for your history.

Some will only be a few paragraphs long, but all together they will add up to sharing family history.

• First Home- where was it? What kind of neighborhood do you remember? Were there many kids for you to play with? What games did you play? Did you play in one another’s house, or did you play outdoors? Did you have your own room, or did you share a room?
• Picnics – Did you have family picnics? Is there a special park you love and remember?
• Fourth of July – How did you celebrate the 4^th as a child and when you celebrate now as an adult? What does the 4^th mean to you?
• W.W.II – How did your family handle rationing? Did you raise food and save recyclable materials?
• Television – Who was the first in your neighborhood to get a TV? What were your favorite programs when you did get one? Was it color or black and white?

This book can help you prepare and share your family history. Each method listed is treated with how to examples, and explanations. On my blog you will find pieces of my books, as well as humor, poetry and whatever. I post new material once a week. Google: http://www.ed-reinagel-writer.blogspot.com/

You will also see the following: Book order site. Highlight this address on my blog site and right click; open hyperlink. http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=2294204 Or you can just enter the web site.

We had a wonderful relaxing cruse. We are back and busy.

God bless you, Ed

For books contact: Book order site. Highlight this address and right click; open hyperlink. http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=2294204

This post is late because our children, who are no longer children, sent my newly retired wife and me on a cruse to Cabo San Lukas and Ensenada for 5 days of relaxed pleasure. Our daughter Carrie came to our home to care for Mary Grace, our special lady. Her brother and his wife came as well as another sister Dorothy. They also had a great time together.

Some funny signs:

In a Podiatrist's office: "Time wounds all heels."

On a Septic Tank Truck: Yesterday's Meals on Wheels

At a Proctologist's door: "To expedite your visit, please back in."

On a Plumber's truck: "We repair what your husband fixed."

On another Plumber's truck: "Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."

On a Church's Bill board: "7 days without God makes one weak."

Until next time, God bless.

Ed’s BLOG ENTRIES BY DATE October 5, 2009

We are going on a trip this week so there will be no new postings for two weeks after this post.

My wife just retired and our children are paying for a cruse to Mexico.

This past weekend I uploaded the two books I’ve been sharing note about. Pump Up Your Prayer Life and Eight Ways to Share Your Family History. You should be able to find them on my page in Lulu.com.

These Starter Questions may help you write some of YOUR HISTORY memories.

Some will only be a few paragraphs long, but all together they will add up to sharing family history.

· First Home- where was it? What kind of neighborhood do you remember? Were there many kids for you to play with? What games did you play? Did you play in one another’s house, or did you play outdoors? Did you have your own room, or did you share a room?

· Picnics – Did you have family picnics? Is there a special park you love and remember?

· Fourth of July – How did you celebrate the 4^th as a child and when you celebrate now as an adult? What does the 4^th mean to you?

· W.W.II – How did your family handle rationing? Did you raise food and save recyclable materials?

· Television – Who was the first in your neighborhood to get a TV? What were your favorite programs when you did get one? Was it color or black and white?

· How did you meet your spouse? Where did you go on your honeymoon?

· How did your mom and dad meet? Christmas –What is your best memory of Christmas at any age?

· How was your first Christmas after you married?

· Family Religious Rituals – What did you do in you parents’ home and in your own home after you married?

This should give you an idea of how the book can help you prepare and share your family history. Each method listed is treated with how to examples, and explanations.

FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.

PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons.

TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.

September 28^th 2009

Haiku

TECHNOLOGY BRINGS,

NOT A CHERRY BLOSSOM SPRING,

BUT COMPUTER THINGS.

Sharing Your History on Video

Most families have at least one video-phile. That’s the person who always has a video camera at family gatherings. My two oldest sons captured all our family outings. Their tapes were carefully stored on their closet shelves. Maybe their family members would see them. Would your family love to have these in a video history? Here is how I shared important parts of these videos.

I viewed all of them and copied all the segments containing their deceased mother speaking. In my storage, I had an old 8 mm silent film my dad took of our wedding, thirty-eight years before. I sent that film to a firm to get it transferred to video. Next, I spent hours repeatedly watching the wedding video. As I watched I recorded a tape for a voice-over. I identified people in each frame so future generations would know whom they were seeing and get a better understanding of their relationship. The movie included footage of their Mom preparing for our wedding. My book on sharing your family history has much more complete details on how to do the voice-over.

That's all floks for a couple of weeks. My wife Kathy retires Oct. 2nd, and our children bought a cruse to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, so hasta la vista.

God bless you, Ed

September 20-2009

This is an example of what I call humor, rather than a joke. I walked into a room where there were three teachers sitting. One teacher said: “How” to me. I responded with, “Scrambled.” A second teacher said, “Don’t egg me on.” The third said, “That’s a yolk!”

The joke that was in my mind when I said scrambled was one told to me over forty years ago. There was a traveling salesman from the East in Tucson, Arizona on a sales trip. He heard about an Indian who reportedly never forgot anything he ever said or did. The salesman looked him up and asked if it was true that he never forgot anything. The Indian responded, “Yes that’s true.” The salesman asked, “What did you have for breakfast January fourth 1983?” “The Indian said, “Eggs.” The salesman walked away saying to himself, “How can I tell if it’s true or not?”

A few years later the salesman was back in Tucson but had forgotten all about the Indian incident. He saw an Indian approaching him on the sidewalk. He thought it would be okay to greet him with, “How!” The Indian responded to his greeting by saying, “Scrambled.”

This is my al-time-favorite-joke.

ed-reinagel-writer

September 14, 2009

Poetry:

Choices

As we travel life’s road, by hour by day,

Each of us makes choices along the way,

Freedoms we lose as our bonds we take,

Increasingly tethered by choices we make,

Some choices are sweet - some are tart,

Bonds of the flesh, and bonds of the heart,

Joy we are paid for the freedom we give,

Life would be lonely if in total freedom we live,

Know you the hour - know you the day -

You choose to give your freedoms away,

The bonds are our loves, our wants, and our deeds,

And the way we chose to fulfill our needs,

Choose very carefully - to what you’ll be indebted,

You could live long enough to regret it.

Bind yourself to things that are noble,

The ripple effect will make your choice global.

The choices we make are the chains that bind us,

The light we look to can guide us or blind us.

So choose very carefully what you embrace,

For you will be living in that chosen space.

© By Ed Reinagel

History:

Write the way you speak. If you have letters from grandma use them as she wrote them. Do not correct grammar or edit her writing. Your readers should be able to see her writing and reminisce, “That’s the way she talked. That’s my grandma.”

Decide who your audience will be for your book. Do you plan to publish your work or is it for family and friends? In what voice will you present your story? “I” is the first person and more intimate. The third person creates some distance. It’s probably best if you write for yourself. Most likely when you are pleased with the results of your work, others will be pleased also.

The fear of not being good enough can kill your project before you start. Ask yourself, if I don’t put my history down, who will? If I don’t get the courage to write, how much family history will be lost to my children and grandchildren? Silence the fear of critique and just start. The fact you are even thinking about sharing your history is a pat on the back moment. Now pat yourself on the back. No one who reads your finished work will expect you to be a world famous author. You need to give yourself systematic goals such as several stories a week at the very least. If not writing, talk to family and get historical input, or do research into areas of your history you don’t remember. A self-set deadline will urge you forward.

God bless, Ed

Prayer Book, Thoughts

September 6^th

Thoughts: As I've Matured...
I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blankets.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others -
they are more screwed up than you think.

Pump Up Prayer Life: Here is the table of contents for my book.

I will share ideas presented in the book over the course of time, as well as ideas from the History sharing.

Personalize Your Prayers

Get the Prayer Habit, Triggers to Praying

Spiritual Insurance

Take Forty, Practice Patience

Get off Center and on Target

I See You

Pray When? Who’s Got Time?

Bloom Where Your are Planted

Thankfulness

Sacrifice Why Bother

Spiritual Speed

Here is a beautiful analogy about going to heaven and what our attitude should be.

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Until next time, God bless, Ed

Humor: "New Definitions"
Baloney \buh-lo'-nee' \ : Where some hemlines fall
Burglarize \bur'-gler-ize' \ : What a crook sees with
Counterfeiters \kown'-ter-fit'-ers\ : Workers who put together kitchen cabinets

History Writing: . pages 17 and 18

Getting started is the goal. Once your story is on paper you can make changes.

One successful author I know uses the Puzzle Method.

• Jot down ideas and remembrances as they occur to you.
• Spend a week just writing your thoughts.
• Make note of locations your want to include.
• Which point of view do you feel will best tell your story?
• You can use different points of view in different parts of the story.
• As you make these notes try to decide where they will fit in your finished story.
• Start ~ middle ~ end?
• Put a heading on these parts for easier identification and placement later.

Maybe you will recognize some of the following authors and learn from what they said about writing.

“Your writing is never as good as you hoped, but never as bad as you feared.” Bertrand Russell, philosopher.

“Writing is easy - all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” Gene Fowler, writer

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Saint Francis of Assisi

If you do write for publication, be aware the process is difficult, but not impossible. You need a strong resolve to forge ahead and keep sending your material to one publisher after the other until you succeed. Most famous, successful authors ran the same gauntlet. “Gone With the Wind” had to be rewritten ten times; and Bennet Surf, as an editor, rejected it and later regretted his decision. The book became a best seller and a movie grossing millions of dollars.

Another book rejected by fifteen publishers ended up having 30 million copies in print. Anne Frank’s “The Diary of a Young Girl.” Publishers couldn’t believe people wanted to read about a young girl hidden in a secret room in Nazi Germany.

Stephen King, whom most of us know as a horror writer had a giant stack of rejection letters. How many of his stories have become movies? His persistence paid off, and so will yours. “Only God gets it right the first time,” Stephen King said about rewriting.

“I would have made it shorter, but I didn’t have the time.” Winston Churchill

Share Your History

So you want to share your family history. I am here to help you get started and complete all or one of eight ways to share your history. My book of that name is a do-it-yourself guide.
"Eight Ways to Share Your Family History"
1. Combined pictures
2. CD or DVD
3. Photo Albums
4. Old movies
5. Audio Tape
6. Genealogy
7. Journals
8. Written history
These are all included in this one comprehensive guide to your family treasure.

Even if you have never written before You can share you history without touching pen to paper. The other ways share in my book give you choices from speaking to organizing old photos, to adding you voice to old family videos, as well at the other way listed above.

Look for me to share pages from the book to give you ideas for starting.

Sincerely, Ed