All posts by Joan Y Edwards

Joan Y. Edwards is author/illustrator of folktale Flip Flap Floodle, a happy little duck who never gives up on his song even in the Mr. Fox's belly. She is author of 4RV Publishing's Joan's Elder Care Guide. It is full of practical hints and resources to promote healing and make caregiving easier. She has published 80 Gospel-Based Crossword Puzzles for Year A, B, and C. She has a Master of Education. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Charlotte Writers Club. She enjoys watching humorous mysteries, like Columbo and Monk. Time at home, beach and mountain with family and friends energizes her..
Health, Spiritual

Duct Tape to the Rescue

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wikimediaimages - pic of duct tape gray color
Thank you, Mediaplayimages and Pixabay for letting me use this image of duct tape.

“Duct Tape to the Rescue” by Joan Y. Edwards

During the year before my late husband, Carl Edwards died, he alerted me of a special relationship he had with duct tape.
One day Carl fell in the garage, I heard him call me and went to see what had happened. I helped him up. He had a boo-boo on his arm. When we went to the bathroom to bandage it up, I reached for a bandaid to put on it. He said, “No, don’t put a bandaid on it. Bandaids come off. Use this duct tape on it.”
I looked at him. And I looked at the duct tape. I cringed and said, “But, Carl, won’t it hurt when you pull the duct tape off?” I had visions of the duct tape pulling his skin off with it when he went to remove it.
Carl looked at me and said, “Bandaids come off. Use the duct tape.”
So I used the duct tape. This time and other times. His same reply, “Use the duct tape.”
About a month after Carl died, (May God rest his soul), I went through his personal belongings including his wallets. He had one new wallet and one old wallet. When I opened the new wallet, his drivers license and credit cards and stuff didn’t draw my attention. However, when I opened his old wallet. It had an old driver’s license, a few business cards, positive thinking quotes, and above all else at the back, a  tattered compartment with duct tape to hold it together. I smiled. Even in his death, Carl could make me smile. Duct tape to his rescue! For Christmas gifts that year, I gave everyone in the family and our neighbors a roll of silver duct tape in memory of Carl.
Fast forward to a week before the third anniversary of Carl’s passing, August 31, 2023. I went through a few boxes finding things to share with his family and to decide which things to keep for me as a memory of Carl. Inside a box I found an old calculator and a new calculator. And ah, you guessed it. The old calculator was held together with duct tape. Duct tape to the rescue! Again, Carl had made me smile even though he was in heaven. It helped turn a moment of sadness into the joy of remembering how much he chose to make things last. Like love and fun!
I share this story with you in hopes of helping you to know it’s okay to cry when you miss a loved one who has passed away, but more importantly it is life-giving to you to smile when you remember them. Thank God for the time you got to spend with them. Use duct tape to paste the memories that make you smile at the top of your mind today.  Let duct tape come to your rescue!
Please share a memory of a deceased loved one that makes you smile.

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards

 Flip Flap Floodle Firebird Book Award Winner Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?

Joan’s Elder Care Guide Practical ways to help you and your elder survive.

Resources

Joan Y. Edwards. “How to Be a Good Listener and Stay Healthy”

Joan Y. Edwards. “The Many Faces of Grief”

Joan Y. Edwards. “Sadness Met Me at the Edge of Life and Death”

Writing

Often Misused or Misspelled Words

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Antiques misspelled as anitques with arrow pointing to the right
Thank you, Lance Grandahl and Unsplash.com for allowing me to use this image.

“Often Misused or Misspelled Words” by Joan Y. Edwards

It is frustrating to read an article and see words misused or misspelled. However, it does happen, even to the best of us. You find them when you are editing your work. Here are a couple of exercises and few links to help you discover a few words to look out for:
Here is a short paragraph with 10  misused and misspelled words. Can you find them?
Exercise 1 – Find the misused words and correct them.
  1. Betty ran down the street to the capital building.
  2. Ronald could go accept he didn’t have his running shoes on.
  3. Sarah emigrated into Italy.
  4. Finding the child alive was the climatic time of the movie.
  5. “Thank you for the complement, ” said Jeff.
Misused Words
  1. “10 Most Commonly Misused Words” https://www.mic.com/articles/31309/10-most-commonly-misused-words
  2. HitBullseye.com. “List of Confusing Words” https://www.hitbullseye.com/Vocab/List-Confusing-Words.php 
  3. Inc.com. “15 Misused Words That Make Smart People Look Silly:” https://www.inc.com/brian-de-haaff/15-misused-words-that-make-smart-people-look-silly.html
  4. Touro Education. “Commonly Misused Words”
    https://www.touro.edu/departments/writing-center/tutorials/commonly-misused-words/
Exercise 2: Find the misspelled words and spell them correctly.
  1. The zoo staff was excited to get a new giraff.
  2.  Mother made sourcrout for supper.
  3. The flood caused a delima.
  4. “Lier, lier, pants on fire,” is a children’s rhyme.
  5. The little chiwawa barked mightily.
Most Misspelled Words
  1. “100 Commonly Misspelled Words:” https://www.englishclub.com/spelling/misspellings.php
  2. “Misspelled Words in the U.S.” https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/misspelled-words-in-us/
I hope this post added a smile to your face. Please leave a comment sharing a word you have misused or misspelled. I have misused, it’s and its.
Enjoy your day being yourself. It’s much better than pretending to be someone else.

Resource:

Joan Y. Edwards. “Writing Errors – Commas, Misspellings, No Fatal Flaw Pet Words” https://joanyedwards.com/writing-errors-commas-misspellings-no-fatal-flaw-pet-words/

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards
 Flip Flap Floodle Firebird Book Award Winner Will this little duck’s song save him from Mr. Fox?
Joan’s Elder Care Guide Practical ways to help you and your elder survive