sonja – Page 5 – Sonja Danielson

Happy Birthday, USCG!

The United States Coast Guard was founded on this day in 1790 with ten ships. They were initially tasked with the enforcement of tariffs, to prevent smuggling, and to protect the new nation.

While it was formed so long ago, it didn’t get it’s current name until 1915. That’s when the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service combined into one force.

The USCG is one of the armed forced branches that represent and protect the United States. Today, it’s mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the economy as they relate to the nation’s coastline. The Coast Guard also patrols the international waters and any maritime region that requires military intervention in the case of national security.

Happy birthday, USCG! Sonja

Love Space!

I’m sitting here trying to think of a topic for today, completely distracted by the landing of the Dragon spacecraft (I’m writing this on Sunday morning).

Then it hit me: how can I write about anything else?

With the NASA live feed and audio running, I’m following the closing of the nosecone and their landing in the Gulf of Mexico. All I can think of is: Please allow this groundbreaking mission end successfully.

I watched the blastoff in awe. I follow their return to Earth with the same awe.

Welcome home, Bob and Doug! Sonja

#NationalFriendshipDay

National Friendship Day is meant to be a day to connect with your friends. These days, that’s even more important than ever.

Remember running into a friend while out running errands? Or meeting for lunch? We can’t do that these days, but we can connect in other ways.

I’ve had Zoom meetings with friends, which was super fun. I’ve also begun handwriting letters and cards. I think handwritten cards and letters are special, especially in these days of email and texts. They can seem so impersonal. A handwritten letter tells someone you think they’re special.

Celebrate your friends today. Say hello. Send a letter. Arrange a video call.

We all need to connect, and stay connected. Sonja

Happy Avocado Day!

I hope you like avocados because this is your day! Whether you like them whole, chopped up and made into guacamole (yum!), or slathered on toast-avocados are a superfood.

They’re a good source of monounsaturated fat, which helps reduce your risk of heart disease. They also have a bunch of nutrients that you need. Although a lot of the calories from avocados come from fat, eat away! (Just don’t eat too many at one time because they are loaded with fiber.)

How do you know when these green gems are ripe?

They will give way to a gentle squeeze, but not feel mushy. Usually, the skin is greener, but going by color alone can yield disappointment.

Enjoy your day to eat the green fruit. Sonja

FREE BOOK!

(c) 2020 Guinness has his first therapy session at the library!

Guinness wants you to read about his adventures as a therapy dog. We are offering the ebook for FREE!

It’s available only for a limited time at this special just-for-you price.

Go to Amazon.com and search for my name to see all my books, or use the link in the left margin of this web site. There are direct links for each of my books.

This book is the second in the series, but does not rely on the first book to set it up. You can read them in any order (although I recommend starting at #1!).

This is an illustrated, easy-to-read book. More advanced than a picture book, but much less complicated than a middle-grade or chapter book intended for advanced readers.

Enjoy reading about Guinness the Therapy Dog! Sonja

The Internet is Your Friend-But

But you need to be careful about your source. Are there footnotes? Sources? Corroboration?

There is a lot of false information out there. You need to be careful with your research.

I was recently researching a location for a book and found a lot of conflicting information. Granted, it is a historical site and I was looked for the minutiae, but, still, it was frustrating. The thing was, the sites were the information came from were all vetted sites and operated by trustworthy sources.

Although several of the sites supported each other, I’m not sure if they’re correct. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? It’s so tempting to take the one that matches what you need and use it, but it may be dramatically incorrect.

What do you do?

I will likely modify things to suit my story and put in a disclaimer that I did this. I’ll write that I couldn’t find good corroboration in my research and to not take my information as fact. I certainly don’t want it used as a source. I pride myself on the accuracy of my research.

I’m sure each of the sites I researched insists that their version is based on truth. How can I know which is accurate?

All I’m saying is, be careful and admit when you aren’t sure about something. Sonja

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

The photo is of the U.S. National Korean War Memorial.

Today is the day we honor the men and women who fought in that war.

The Korean War was a fight against Communism-the first battle in the Cold War. Sometimes called the Forgotten War, the Korean War began in June 1950 and killed 36,000 Americans.

For three years America and its allies fought the North Korean forces.

Peace was attained by President Eisenhower’s government and on July 27, 1953 an armistice was signed. All fighting ended.

We honor those who fought in the Korean War.

You are not forgotten. Sonja

How Is A Cover Made?

(c) 2020 A non-fiction look at the search for religious freedom in the 1600s

The first photo is the published cover. The second photo is a trial mock-up. I like the final product. How about you?

I think the red of the cover is eye-catching, and the artwork on the front is a good example of what’s inside.

The cover is what draws the reader into looking at the first page. It’s a matter of reader preference.

I hope you have read, and enjoyed, The Voyage! Sonja