Book Business
Having a book come off the press is exciting. My latest book, Drawing Out the Leader in Me: An Art Activity Book for Kids Ages 4-8, written with leadership expert Kathy Kasten, comes off the press any day now. I love children’s art and have a favor to ask of you. If you purchase the book, please scan a couple of pages your child or grandchild has completed and send them to me at harriethodgson@charter.net I would like to include the drawings in this newsletter.
“Better together” is a phrase often used in book marketing. Ready, Set, Lead! and Drawing Out the Leader in Me are stand-alone books, yet they may be better together. These books are a powerful duo. Since they aren’t off the press yet, I’m holding copies of the covers in this photo, taken by Kathy Meyer, RN. Ready, Set, Lead! is a hardcover book and Drawing out the Leader in Me is a paperback. To order the set please go to https://lioncrestleadership.mykajabi.com/ready-set-lead-book Thank you!
From Sad to Glad, my grief healing workbook for kids ages 5-9, has gone to press and will be available soon. Centering Corporation shared the gold and yellow cover with me. In the psychology of color, yellow symbolizes happiness and gold is associated with achievement and triumph—good reasons for choosing these colors. To order From Sad to Glad and companion workbook, From Darkness to Sunshine, log into www.centering.org and click on “children and teens.”
Reviews
People often ask me what I am reading. Most of my reading is research for work in progress. Not this time. I am currently reading 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything by Wharton School professor Mauro F. Guillen. Guillen shares some of his findings at the outset.
Due to a dropping birthrate, by 2030 there will be more grandparents than grandchildren.
The middle class in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa will outnumber the middle class in the US and Europe combined
For the first time in history, the global economy will be driven by non-Western consumers.
Women will own more global wealth than men.
The first chapters of this book shocked me. However, Guillen offers suggestions for coping with the changes he predicts. This book contains things you need to know. He ends the book with a postscript written during the COVID-19 pandemic. Things like the growth of online shopping, online education, and entertainment will continue, according to Guillen. If you only read one book a year, this may be the one to read—a wake-up call for all of us.
From My Window
Winter is here and Minnesotans have hunkered down. When the weather socks in, we wear decades-old storm coats and serious boots. Forget fashion. Minnesotans just want to be warm. Our apartment is on the 18th floor of a high-rise building. The snow we see from our floor may be a blizzard or may not even reach the ground. I know, all too well, that the sparkling scene below hides icy streets and treacherous driving conditions.
At this time of year, I am so grateful for my African violets. I love violets because there are many varieties and colors. This photo, taken by Kathy Meyer, shows me with a new violet, three different-colored plants in one pot. Though I am terrible gardener and call myself Mrs. Blackthumb, for some odd reason I can grow violets, and always have several plants blooming. Many people have asked for my growing tips and I am happy to share them.
Use African violet potting soil. This soil has special fertilizer in it and will prolong the life of your plant. Set the violet in a place that gets filtered light, never direct sunlight. Water your violet once a week. Make sure the pot has enough drainage. A violet that sits in water will become limp quickly. Once this happens, you may not be able to nurse it back to health. Remove dried blossoms and limp leaves regularly. Finally, if your violet dies, buy another!
Quote of the Month
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. Macus Tillius Cicero.
Cicero died in 43 B.C. Centuries later, his quote still rings true and it applies to me. My African violets are like a garden and I had a special case built for our many books.