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EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
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Tel: 866-928-1240
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(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)
Collection of short stories share author’s awareness of God’s love in her life
Coletta Kewitt announces publication of ‘The PIE Letters’
CODY, Wyo. – P.I.E., standing for “patience in everything,” the new book “The PIE Letters: Thoughts and Reflections on Pie and Life” (published by WestBow Press) by Coletta Kewitt contains short essays that speak from the heart of the author and share her awareness of God’s love, saying “He has our backs as we give our hearts.”
The first “Pie Letter” was written because of the unexpected friendship with a man named Paul. The letter was then taped on the top of boxes of warm pie for the customers that were members of her pie of the month club. Many later called asking what the next letter would be, hence starting the collection of letters. The letters have contained snippets of Kewitt’s life, spanning from her childhood, to deaths in the family, and waiting for her son to return from deployment.
Kewitt wants her readers to “fill (their) pie with the fruit of the spirit and share it with others.”
“The PIE Letters”
By Coletta Kewitt
Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 132 pages | ISBN 9781973663768
E-Book | 132 pages | ISBN 9781973663775
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Coletta Kewitt was born to be a baker and carry on the tradition of at least three generations. She spent her childhood working alongside her parents and two sibling in her family’s bakery in Mount Vernon, Washington. In 1991, Kewitt and her husband Michael Maier moved to Cody, Wyoming and started Open Box M, a business making handcrafted pochade boxes (portable outdoor easels) for artists. After Maier’s death, Kewitt expanded the company with “Pie in the Sky Artist Workshops” led by some of America’s leading Plein Air painters. It was a holistic approach to creativity and inspiration, combining learning and delicious food. The joys of baking inspired Kewitt to formally study and earn her certificate in pastry at Bellingham Technical College in 2008. She returned to Wyoming excited to share her gifts and knowledge. She now works as a personal chef in Cody, Wyoming. When not at the oven, her time is spent with her husband, sharing their love of art and painting together outdoors, and treasured time with their grown children and grandchildren.
WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC — the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240. For WestBow Press news, click “Like” at www.facebook.com/WestBowPress and follow @westbowpress on Twitter.
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Hi Jim,
Put down the hammer and avoid getting a post-holiday headache. Homeowners don’t have to drill holes into their walls to deck the halls. One wrong move while hanging holiday lights can lead to thousands of dollars in damage to your home — not to mention the risk to your own safety! Do you want to end up like Clark Griswold?
You may not realize how easy it is to damage your home simply by hanging holiday decorations! Using nails or a staple gun on your roof or gutters can create small holes which lead to leaks. And new gutters can cost the average homeowner up to $2,400! Local experts with Window World, America’s largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, are helping local families decorate in style with Window World’s Damage-Free Holiday Decorations Guide!
Get the Griswold Look (Without the Grief):
The Heartfelt Holiday: Nine Ways to Show
Your Employees You Care This Holiday Season
Leaders, the holidays are a great time to infuse a little "WOW" into your employees'
lives and strengthen your company's culture. Deb Boelkes shares some festive ways
to thank your team for all their hard work and inspire them for the year ahead.
Jacksonville, FL (November 2019)—As the holiday season approaches, leaders are starting to look for ways to show their teams they care. Yes, that's what bonuses are for. But cash gifts aside, there are plenty of other ways to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work, creativity, and dedication during the season of giving. This sense of heartfelt gratitude and caring is a pivotal part of creating a workplace built on what Deb Boelkes calls the "WOW Factor."
"One of the greatest gifts you can give employees is building a culture so great that they can't imagine working any place else," says Boelkes, author of The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95). "It all comes down to offering them the support, encouragement, guidance, and compassion they need to flourish and thrive."
Creating a WOW workplace culture is a gift that keeps on giving all year long. When you show employees you care, they will be loyal to you in return. What's more, putting employees first inspires them to give their best efforts, which drives customer loyalty, which drives profit.
"The holidays are actually one of the easiest times to 'wow' your employees," says Boelkes. "Spirits are high, and you can take advantage of the festive mood to strengthen these relationships, which benefits everyone."
Here are just a few ways to show your workers you care this holiday season:
Do everything you can to make their holidays easier. WOW leaders care about their people and want to make their lives easier. No question: Life can get busy and stressful this time of year. Doing simple things to take some of the pressure off means more than you may realize. For instance, announce the holiday schedule in advance and communicate it several ways so they can plan. Also, keep the schedule flexible and light. Let people leave work a few hours early, or work from home, or close down the office a day or two in advance of the holiday.
"You're showing them you see them not just as cogs in a machine but as whole human beings with lives outside the office," says Boelkes. "This works best when you make an effort all year long to get to know what's going on in their lives and what matters to them."
WOW them with some grace. If an employee realizes at the last minute that she needs to leave in the middle of the day to attend her nephew's holiday play, let her. Tell her, "Oh, it's fine and no need to come back in. Enjoy your afternoon." These are the kinds of things that make a lasting impression and build loyalty in people.
Don't send a bland corporate holiday card. Instead, share a heartfelt (and customized) thank-you message. Successful leaders, especially heartfelt leaders, make sure the people working above, for, and with them know they and their contributions are appreciated. A simple "thank you" can have more power than you think. Give meaningful credit when credit is due.
"Make your 'thank you' meaningful by giving each employee a handwritten thank-you card along with any bonuses you distribute," says Boelkes. "Be specific in listing some of the reasons you value each employee and thank them for making each day a WOW experience."
Help employees connect to purpose and meaning. WOW workplaces are infused with meaning. People don't just go through the motions. They know that their work touches people's lives in real and often profound ways. Britt Berrett, former president of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, says purpose and meaning are crucial for creating employee engagement in all fields—not just the "obvious" industries like healthcare, education, or social work.
He says: We get to take care of people and touch their lives every day. That's a divine calling in life. Colleagues outside of health care, I think they, too, can find that purpose and that meaning. That's why Southwest Airlines is doing what they're doing. I think they consider it a great calling in life. I've heard them speak to that, on opening the airways, on opening travel for families and friends to connect. I think that's meaningful. But it does take courage, it really does. It's exhausting, too. It's not for the faint of heart. It's not for those who are "kind of," "sort of," "sometimes," or "maybe." It's for purposefully driven people.
The holidays are the perfect time to remind people of the larger "calling" behind their job. At the holiday party, share an example or two that illustrates this—maybe read a thank-you letter from a customer or even invite one to speak on how your company made their lives better.
Don't skimp on the holiday party. Workplace celebrations are deeply important. Not only does it give everyone a chance to relax and socialize, it's a way to say thank you to employees. Make it special. You don't have to spend a ton of money but give a lot of thought to what might be meaningful to people. (You might ask for their feedback first.) Whether your holiday celebration is as simple as a potluck where everyone brings a favorite dish, or an elegant catered affair, make sure it's well thought out, well planned, and fun.
Declare a moratorium on after-hours emails for the last half of December. Boelkes says when she conducted 360 reviews of CEOs, one of the biggest complaints she heard was from employees who resented getting emails from the boss on weekends or late at night. They felt they must respond immediately, even when the boss said it could wait until the next business day. Therefore, she recommends that for the last two weeks of the year—while most employees are juggling end-of-year workloads and holiday family visits—leaders declare email-free evenings and weekends for the entire two-week holiday period.
"If you feel compelled to write an email after normal business hours, simply save it as a draft until 8:00 a.m. on the next business day," she suggests. "This is a small way to give employees their personal time back, and yet it makes a HUGE difference."
Designate a volunteer day to spread goodwill. The holidays are about giving, so find a way for your organization to give back to the local community. Choose a non-profit organization and select a day or partial day to volunteer as a group. You might decide to walk dogs at a local shelter, or serve lunch at a soup kitchen, or play with children at an orphanage.
Challenge employees to make a holiday connection with customers. Ask them to come up with their own ideas for connecting with customers around the holidays. Then set them free to implement their plans. A customer service representative might send freshly baked cookies to the clients she normally assists, or a group of workers might decide to make a funny holiday thank-you video to send to their clients. When employees are able to engage customers, it makes them more engaged in their jobs. It's an all-around delightful experience for everyone.
Boelkes suggests you take a cue from Donald Stamets—general manager for Solage, an Auberge resort in Calistoga, CA—and don't make employees ask permission. As part of his Expected, Requested, and Delighted philosophy, Stamets encourages them to go above and beyond what the customer expects or requests and try to delight them at every turn. For instance, if a guest is sick, employees can bring them tissues and chicken soup without asking a manager.
"Likewise, tell your employees their goal is to delight customers this holiday season," says Boelkes. "Let them use their own judgment and tap into their creativity. Being allowed to do it 'their way' will encourage and inspire them to go in whole-heartedly."
Give the gift of (positive) year-end feedback. At the end of the year, you'll want to send employees off on the right foot to enjoy their holiday breaks. A great way to do that is by holding a year-end review in which you focus mainly on what employees are doing right and asking them to share their ideas for making next year even better.
"It's okay to give them some improvement goals as well but keep the majority of the feedback upbeat and encouraging, and let them know that you believe in them," says Boelkes. "With this approach you're likely to notice improvements in the new year."
"When employees feel supported and appreciated, they will give you their best time and time again," concludes Boelkes. "So be sure that you don't squelch the holiday spirit. Take advantage of the holiday cheer and infuse some festive joy and inspiration in your organization. It pays off for you, your workers, and your customers."
# # #
About the Author:
Deb Boelkes is not just a role model heartfelt leader; she's the ultimate authority on creating best places to work, with 25+ years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. Deb has delighted and inspired over 1,000 audiences across North America.
About the Book:
The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture (Business World Rising, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-734-07610-3, $19.95) will be available from major online booksellers.
========================
*For a review copy of NOISE or an interview with Joe McCormack, please contact Dottie DeHart, DeHart & Company Public Relations, at (828) 325-4966 or simply reply to this email.
15 "Magical Moments" You'll Be Glad You
Didn't Miss When You Ban the Phone from Your Holiday Gathering
Joe McCormack wants us to put the "noise" on hold this holiday season...and serves
up a festive sampling of the moments we'd otherwise miss.
Hoboken, NJ (November 2019)—Picture it: your living room, December 2019. The tree is all aglow, the eggnog poured (and spiked), the whole family gathered 'round—and you're only half-present. Your mind keeps wandering to what might be waiting for you just a click or a scroll away. Work emails. News updates. Candy Crush notifications. The latest scoop on Kim and Kanye.
This is crazy, says Joe McCormack.
"What the heck are we thinking?" says the author of the new book NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00). "Nothing on that phone—however outrageous or dire or seemingly urgent—can top the drama and dysfunction that's happening all around us at the average holiday gathering!"
"Noise" is McCormack's name for the relentless onslaught of information that robs us of our attention span and leaves us unable to focus, listen, do deep work—or appreciate the live entertainment that happens in our own living room each Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa.
As part of his "Just Say No to Noise" campaign, McCormack suggests you banish electronic devices from your holiday gathering. If you can stand to put down the phone for a hot minute, you might be amazed by what you hear and see:
"Some holiday moments are heartwarming," says McCormack. "Most of them are awkward, irritating, or even bat-sh*t crazy. But that's family. That's life. It's a shame to miss it because we think what's on our electronic devices is more interesting. I promise you, it can't compete."
# # #
About the Author:
Joseph McCormack is the author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus. He is passionate about helping people gain clarity when there is so much com¬peting for our attention. He is a success¬ful marketer, entrepreneur, and author. His first book, BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014), sets the standard for concise communication.
Joe is the founder and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedicated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select military units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast called "Just Saying" that helps people master the elusive skills of focus and brevity.
To learn more, visit www.thebrieflab.com/noise/.
About the Book:
NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page on www.wiley.com.
======================
For parents raising children with ADHD: Learning to scaffold your child's ADHD, holiday survival strategies, how to be a friendship coach, and more >
Providing the scaffolding kids with ADHD need >
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THE MEDICATION DECISION
What Is an ADHD Prosthetic?
“My concern is that, if we get him glasses, we send the message that it’s OK to not try to see. It feels like an excuse. I mean, he has to learn to see someday, right? He can’t go through life using his poor vision as an excuse.”
Said no parent ever.
So why do so many of hesitate to try medication or other supports that would level the playing field for our children? Keep reading →
An ADHD Friendship Guide for Kids (and Their Parents)
Social struggles often come hand-in-hand with ADHD. Help your child start forging lasting bonds by becoming their "friendship coach."
Learn how →
Before the Tinsel Hits the Fan
Nothing throws a healthy routine out of whack like the holidays. Dr. Hallowell explains how to prep for the season so everyone enjoys it.
Keep reading →
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"You Saw My Child"
"The server at the diner that morning didn’t know how frazzled we felt as we looked for answers, but she did seem to know our son — and our struggle — in a remarkable way."
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Q & A
Why Lie?
Q: "Sometimes, it feels like my child with ADHD lies about everything. Why? And when will this stop??"
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FREE WEBINAR ON DECEMBER 4
Time for a School-Year Reset
Learn practical tools for overcoming common obstacles, like the morning routine, homework, and more »
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Did your elf lose their balance? Did the dog spot them? Are they scouting on something you need to use? Get the scoop now on how parents can lend your family’s elf a helping hand in these tricky situations that require assistance!
According to the UNHCR report, “Stepping Up”, of 7.1 million refugee youngsters of school age, more than half do not attend lessons. The barriers that prevent them from accessing learning become harder to overcome as they get older, the report shows.
In a new interview with C M Rubin,Founder of CMRubinWorld, Polly Akhurst, Co-Founder of Sky School, says her school’s learning model supports displaced youth, enabling them to get back into learning. “We were inspired by the OECD’s Education 2030 project, which places agency at its center focal point to reach their long term goal regarding both societal and individual well-being,” says Akhurst.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has challenged education systems globally to rethink curriculum and develop new and improved learning models. “It’s really encouraging to see an increasing number of models that take a learner-centric approach which considers the challenges that young people face today,” adds Akhurst, who believes that while it will take a while for all systems to change, “we will eventually start to see more of a human-centered approach within education.”
Read the full article here
Polly Akhurst is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Sky School, a non-profit developed in 2016 that aims to resolve the gap in quality education for displaced youth. By partnering with local organizations, Akhurst has delivered a blended learning model that has helped over 100 refugee youth to be educated.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
For more information on CMRubinWorld
Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter
Contact Information:
David Wine
David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com
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Try These Strategies to Make Eating Joyous and Convivial this Season
Dear Friend,
Hello and Happy Thanksgiving from Baltimore!
As phone apps and websites make it easier than ever to order food to be delivered to your home, people are, sadly, becoming more likely to eat alone. Sometimes we don’t even notice when we have a working lunch at our desk, a quick breakfast before rushing out the door, a quiet reservation for one. But it’s becoming too common: Nearly half of all meals U.S. adults ate in 2014 were alone. Across Canada, between 2015 and 2017, solo restaurant reservations on the website OpenTable jumped 85 percent.
The antidote to this is conviviality — joyfully eating with good company — which reminds us to focus on honoring the food and the people who grew it, cooked it, and are enjoying it. As people share memories and meals together this holiday season, conviviality can help us be happier, healthier, and more grateful for those around us.
This season, Food Tank invites you to recommit to creating convivial experiences around food. We’re highlighting some strategies you can try in your own life:
Read more about how these tips can help you create more meaningful convivial food experiences for yourself, loved ones, neighbors, and people you don’t yet know by CLICKING HERE.
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Thanksgiving in spite of it all
by Leslie D. Gregory and Tom H. Hastings
548 words
Why, in the era of the Worst President Ever, with racism and violence erupting with special virulence for the past three years, should we offer thanks?
First, we empathize with those who cannot express gratitude. The litany of negative trends is painful to contemplate. The list is so long, and just a couple of lugubrious examples show a deep trend of disaster coming from the very top.
· Trump is attacking clean water, clean air, wholesome food, and the forests and animals we love--he's rolled back some 85 protection laws and regulations that will make some dirty profits for some corporations and make everyone less healthy as well as accelerating our climate emergency.
· Trump has taken corruption in the White House to new lows with his close associates in prison or on trial (38 of them), plus his "charity" shut down by the courts for his utterly immoral theft of , plus many other unindicted venal characters in his grotesquerie, such as Mike Pompeo and Bill Barr--two cabinet members now dedicated to gaslighting America on Trump's behalf, making the blatantly false claim that poor innocent Russia never interfered with our 2016 election. Do they think Americans are that credulously stupid? Yes they do.
· Racism is dramatically impacting health outcome disparities as we see from CDC's own stats even a few years ago, and fueling violence, as we saw so tragically with the shooting of Hispanic victims in Texas by a white nationalist.
· Another of Trump's picks for cabinet, Betsy DeVos, is so corrupt she egregiously and illegally ignored a judge's order to stop trying to collect on student debt for public school teachers who only agreed to borrow money from a for-profit Corinthian College Inc. for their degrees in education because the government promised them debt forgiveness if they satisfied certain public good conditions, which thousands of them did--now she's been fined $100,000 as a result and the federal magistrate is threatening to jail her.
· The Trump family collusion and corruption with autocratic and kleptocratic foreign leaders is now legendary in the worst way, from his incredibly transparent support for Putin over his own intelligence services and similar support for a murderous Saudi royal, Mohammed bin Salman and other dictators.
Keeping an attitude of gratitude is easier if we count our blessings.
· We have not seen a nuclear war on Earth since August 9, 1945, so we still have a chance to stop it.
· Obama left the economy so much better than when he started that Trump's economy is not tanking. Since Trump hasn't gotten us into more foreign wars yet, the economy has recovered even more and unemployment is at all time lows.
· Once we get Trump out of office the repairs to the environment, to nuclear treaties that make us safer, and to the preservation of a decent public school system can begin.
· So far our free speech is surviving, as Lt. Col. Vindman testified.
Taking simple actions can give the hope we need in order to step up and step forward. Show your thanks for being able to take these steps.
· Sign the petition to pressure the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to declare racism a threat to public health (this would trigger helpful federal protocols to address racism, including early childhood education measures). https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/racism-meets-criteria
· Volunteer for any number of campaigns that are working hard to make racism and violence decrease. They are active and need your help, from Right to Health to the Southern Poverty Law Center to the Extinction Rebellion and so many more.
· Campaign for, contribute to, and learn more about the 2020 candidates for US Senate who can help flip it from the McConnell legislative graveyard back to a body working for the American people.
Happy Thanksgiving to all peace and justice workers everywhere.
—30—
Leslie Gregory is a PA-Preventive Cardiology and is Executive Director, Right to Health. Dr. Tom H. Hastings is PeaceVoice Director and on occasion an expert witness for the defense in court.
It’s time for Scout Elves to make their way home! Scout Elf Return Week™ is happening now through Dec. 1. This special week marks the time when most elves return to their families. If your elf is plotting their arrival, inspire them with these exciting and easy ideas!
Tune in to NBC to watch the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® airing Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. Be on the lookout for The Elf on the Shelf® balloon and the Elf Pets® float!
