Anita Birt's Note book

The pictures of the dreadful famine in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are heart rending. The women and children are suffering. Pity the women with a babies in slings at their backs and holding the hands of toddlers. These women did not make babies on their own, there were men involved. It's past time the men stopped impregnating the women and leaving them to fend for themselves and their sad little children.

There is never a word in the television coverage that the men should take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions. Where are they?
Can women refuse to have sex or is rape the order of the day? Is casual sex part of the culture?

I never see clusters of families with parents caring for the children and themselves. We can keep them from starving only to have more babies appearing. I can't see a way out of the mess. Too many people scratching a living from the poor soil; a desperate situation to add to the other desperate situations plaguing the world.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Anita Birt's Note book

Poor blog, neglected again. Here's a question. How far back can you remember? I have a memory of when I was four or five and vivid memories of living on the Caribbean Island, St.Vincent when I was six. After that certain memories stand out but to my mind, those early memories are much more interesting. I can conjure up exact scenes and what I was thinking at the time.

I remember getting a pair of black patent leather shoes with SHINY SILVER buckles. I think I was seven. About the same time I inherited a dress from one of my sister's friends. A pink silk dress with ruffles. Talk about glamour! I was IT in my young mind.

My St. Vincent memories may bore you (If there is a "you" out there) If you'd care to read them, please let me know.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Anita Birt's Note book

No comments about my book, The House at Bridal Veil. When my husband first met and became acquainted with the Franciscan Sisters of The Eucharist he thought they could run the world and make it a better place. Not to be. They already had more than enough work to keep them busy for years.

This blog is boring. With no comments I have to conclude there isn't much use in maintaining it. If I had a brilliant thought about aging and could toss my brilliant opinions to the wide world I might get a comment. The topic of aging is getting a lot of press. Seems we old folks are living too long and costing our health care system too much money. (Canadian health care!)I don't know how our nearest neighbour, The United States, copes with an aging population.

I become narky when I read yet another article about the burden we old folks cost the system. I'm still paying my taxes to keep it going and for eighty-seven years I had never been a hospital patient! Never had a serious illness. Never had surgery of any kind. It's payback time I reckon. That's my rant for this evening.

I'd drop this blog if a creative plot stirred my writing brain into action. Write about what? I fancy an old lady who solve crimes. Been done many times already. How about an elderly scam artist? That appeals to me. Must give it a thought. She'd be brazen without a shred of human kindness in her heart. Or would she?

I love the writing of Alexander McCall Smith. His gentle humanity shines though his writing. Even the few wicked characters in his books do not last long. A friend told me he had retired from writing. Must see if I can find out. He would never tolerate a character with a hard heart. So, my elderly scam artist must have some redeeming qualities.

Enough already. If you have purchased and read any of my books please let me know. If you hated them, please mute your comments so I won't feel the pain.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Anita Birt's Note book

I have returned! The weather on southern Vancouver Island has returned to cold spring weather. Summer has gone somewhere after tempting us with four days of sunny warmish weather. What to do but grin and try to bear it. In the meantime I decided to introduce you to my non-fiction book, The House at Bridal Veil. It was published in 1992 by Binford and Mort, Portland, Oregon.

How did I, a Canadian, come to write the story of the Villa at Bridal Veil? It's a longish story so I urge you to buy a copy of my book, used of course, from Amazon.com or ABEbooks. Four intrepid nuns belonging to The Franciscan Sisters of The Eucharist were looking for a large house to accommodate their small community with potential to grow.

By a small miracle they found a rundown, rat ridden, roof leaking old mansion overlooking the Columbia River at Bridal Veil, a tiny village about a half drive east of Portland.

Check my web site, www.anitabirt.com to read a short summary of my book, the cover and a map. It's a heart warming story of courage and plain hard work by a few determined women to restore the mansion to make it livable and to create a small farm with goats, chickens, ducks and peacocks.

While all that was going on Mother Francine Cardew and Mother Mary Michael founded The Franciscan Montessori Earth School in Portland. Nothing daunted these Sisters.

Mother Mary Michael passed away in early July this year missing a party to celebrate her ninety-fifth birthday. She loved a party. Mother Margaret, the kitchen guru, beloved by all who knew her, died several years ago. My grandchildren adored her during our many visits to Bridal Veil when they were young.

A second hand copy of The House at Bridal Veil should be easy o find. Enjoy it.

Anita

PS. Sales of my romance novels have picked up. I am pleased readers are enjoying my books.

Anita Birt's Note book

I have had visitors for the past few days and have been out and about doing this and that with my grandson and his girlfriend. They both live and work in London and Arundel, England. So to resume. What shall my topic be for this day. Aging? Again? A friend who lives in Market Rasen, Lincoln, sent me a book called, "Crazy Age," Thoughts on Being Old, by Jane Miller. It's also in e-book format for those of you with e-readers. I haven't had time to read it but shall dive in this evening unless I go to bed early.

I came across an interesting article in Report on Business in The Globe and Mail. It was about Maxwell House Coffee new advertising campaign "cultivating optimism." Some posters have been made and I'd love to have them to use in the in house-newsletter three friends and I are creating here in our retirement residence.

"RENEW SOMEONE'S FAITH IN MANKIND. SMILE AT THEM."

"HUG A STRANGER. WE'RE ALL RELATIVES IF WE GO BACK FAR ENOUGH."

"DON'T CARRY GRUDGES. THEY WEIGH A TON."

I shall try and track down the advertising company and beg for the posters to cheer us on our aging way.

Being happy, becoming happy, learning how to be happy, seems to be the favourite topic in books and articles I have been reading. So, are you happy? Were you a happy child? Are you an optimistic person? If so, how did you get that way?

Make me even happier by buying my books! They are all available at Amazon.com. Check my web site for titles and cover art.

www.anitabirt.com

A VERY DIFFICULT MAN, a historical romance set in 1854.
ISABELLE'S DIARY, a contemporary romance.
ISABELLE'S STORY, historical romance. set in 1895/1900
RING AROUND THE MOON, a time travel romance set in the present time
TOO YOUNG TO DIE, a murder/mystery set in the present time

I decided to push my books on my blog and see if my books sales increase. I am not writing fiction at the present time but am conjuring up a plot involving an innocent looking grandmotherly scam artist. Say no more.

Anita
I'd love to hear from you if you are out there and reading my blog.