The LAST Word

Every summer when I was young until my parents sold the house, we would go to Cape May, N.J. The house was built by my great-grandmother. It had two three-bedroom apartments, a one-bedroom apartment over the garage and a studio under the garage apartment and next to the actual garage. My grandmother lived upstairs until she died. Then, my parents would rent the upstairs apartment and studio for summer rentals. The garage apartment was rented all year. On Memorial Day, we would go down for the long weekend to open the house for the summer and get it ready to rent. It was a lot of work, and it usually rained that weekend. We didn't get much time at the beach that weekend, but we did get some beach time. Just being there was more relaxing that being at home. The ocean was cold too. My mother's birthday is May 29, which meant it usually fell near Memorial Day weekend, so we usually celebrated it. Her favorite cake was a strawberry shortcake, which we usually made for ...

Every April, we celebrate Earth Day. We talk about climate change and greenhouse gases until we are sick of hearing about it. There are true dangers affecting our environment. There are true ways you as an individual can help save it. Planting more trees is one. Evertreen is an organization that can help you plant trees and give jobs to people in developing nations. But, before you take up your environmental stance, find out the truths versus myths on television and the Internet.  Throughout my journalism career , I studied, wrote and edited newsletters about the environment. I thought I would share some of the myths associated with saving the environment. While I am in favor of saving our natural resources , I save the environment with balance, prayer and patience . You might not agree with me. That is fine. This country was founded on the principle that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Here are some environmental myths. 1. Go Solar -- While it is a good idea to...

  In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some tips you will love to improve your marketing without too much cost. 1.  Blog Writing -- When you add a blog to your website, it adds fresh relevant content that keeps the search engines happy. A blog also gives your potential clients some valuable information that keeps them coming back to your site. It shows you are an expert. It often engages your potential clients. You also can use the blog on your social media accounts too. 2. Videos -- People watch videos. When you do videos, you can post on YouTube and have that show up on your website. Videos also rank higher than print and are ways to quickly tell your story or showcase your product or service. If you don't know how to make them look nice, there is software that can help you. Artificial intelligence also can help you with your videos. 3. E-mail Marketing  -- Just like I am doing, send information sheets to your mailing list. Make sure you build an e-mail...

  Writers are always looking for inspiration. They will use art, nature, family life and quotes. They even get inspired from other writers. Marketers also are looking for inspiration for blog ideas or places to sell your products or services. My favorite way to get inspired is through watching television or movies. Here are my favorites. Year Without a Santa Claus – This will inspire you to do whatever it takes to reach a goal. If you don't know the movie, Santa is sick and doesn't want to travel around the world to deliver the gifts. He thinks no one cares about him. Two elves, Jingle and Jangle, go to Southtown USA to find children who care about Santa. They have to get their reindeer from the pound, talk to the mayor and deal with the Miser brothers, but they are successful. The mayors declare a holiday for Santa and show him that children still care about him. They kept trying new ideas until they got what they needed. You can keep trying new things to be su...

    It's Labor Day weekend, the end of summer. When I was young, we didn't go back to school until the Tuesday after Labor Day. We did have to go into the second week in June, but summer still began on Memorial Day weekend. That was when all the shops opened in Cape May, N.J. My parents opened the house that weekend or the weekend before Memorial Day, so we officially started summer days then. The last two weeks of school were much in the learning department anyway.  On Labor Day weekend, we would go the beach one final time. Then, we would close up the house for the fall and winter. Although autumn in Cape May was nice, we had too many activities to do during the school year that we rarely went down there. We also had season tickets to the Eagles games, so weekends were booked. Having one last holiday weekend before the craziness of back to school was pleasant. It allowed us to get ready for the school year refreshed. We weren't thinking about how hot it was. Septembers ...

 Libraries, college alumni associations and book clubs offer summer reading programs. Here are some options for your summer reading program. The newest book, Coastal Voices and Visions , came out this year with an essay I wrote in it. The anthology includes stories of living in Florida or Carolina coastal waters. Common Sense by James E Razzino is a thought-provoking book to cut through the noise about issues affecting the United States. The government is chipping away at our rights. As authors and business owners, we should protect our freedoms and rights to say whatever we want. The book also will help you decide who to elect for Congress, president, governor, state legislatures and councils. Go to https://www.amazon.com/author/jameserazzino to get your copy. Are you having back pain? You should read this book before you agree to have surgery on your back. Michael Ahearn went through four back surgeries, and now his back doesn't align correctly. He has had issues stem...