Laughter is the Best Medicine! by Hannah Howe

Contributions by Hannah Howe

by Keith D. Guernsey

Susan and I walked into the house on a balmy Saturday after a wonderful block party over at the clubhouse and then disaster struck. After a couple of adult beverages (no really ...I only two!), I ran smack dab into a chair with a very sharp wooden leg. My foot began bleeding and I rushed to the bathroom so as not to get any more blood on our new carpet.

I told Susan that I was just going to put a Band-Aid on my foot and go to bed. Her response was "look down at that pool of blood on the floor and say that again." Her caregiver instincts took over and she sprang into action. She wrapped my foot in an old towel, taped it in place and said get dressed we are going to the hospital (we were very fortunate that the very best hospital in the state of Georgia was only four miles away). I threw on my sweatshirt, a hat and off we went. She helped me to car and we drove to the ER in record time. We walked in (well she walked -I hobbled) to an almost empty emergency room. She sat me down and filled out the requisite paperwork.

Just then the attending physician rounded the corner and took the clipboard from her. As he looked at it a crowd of half dozen nurses and staff crowded around him ready to help this klutzy old codger. He then said with an entirely straight face, "I'm sorry Mr. Guernsey but I can't treat you"

He paused long enough that I started to consider my options. Am in the wrong place? Should I ask for another doctor? Should I go to another ER?

Just then a Cheshire cat grin broke out across his face. The entire staff behind him broke out in hysterics. He said you are a New England Patriots fan and we don't treat them here.

In my haste to get dressed, I had didn’t realize I had thrown on my Super Bowl championship sweatshirt and that the timing couldn’t have been worse as it was right after the Pats beat the Falcons in SB LI.

It was a particularly humiliating defeat for them since the Falcons had lost the biggest lead in Super Bowl history at home in their own stadium. I did my best to assure everyone that it was purely coincidental, and I wasn't trying to rub it in! (Ok well maybe just a little.)

He proceeded to stitch me up and send me on my way. I'm sure it was just my imagination, but, it sure felt like he was digging the stitching needle just a little deeper as a measure of revenge.

But in the end we shook hands and we parted as friendly rivals.

For more, please visit us on the web at:

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Keith D. Guernsey is retired and living on Lake Lanier with his lovely wife Susan and his fourfooted son Harley (who really is the king of this castle!)

thegurns2005@yahoo.com

Twitter=@thegurns

by Tony Whitt

The longer I sit at my desk having virtual meetings with colleagues, teaching virtual classes via Blackboard and Zoom, and having my food delivered by drivers I don’t dare have any interactions with for the time being, the more I think about Isaac Asimov. The late science fiction writer, who died in 1992, was a visionary when it came to depicting how humans would come to rely on technology (mostly robots, in his novels) and how it might contribute to our distancing ourselves from each other, by choice rather than by necessity.

I’m thinking specifically about The Naked Sun, the second book in a trilogy that began with The Caves of Steel, published in 1954. In that first book, Asimov introduces us to Elijah (Lije) Bailey, a detective living on an Earth where vast cities are protected from the open skies and surrounding wilderness by huge metal domes. Lije is paired with a robotic partner named R. Daneel Olivaw (the “R” standing for “robot”) in order to solve the murder of a Spacer Ambassador. The Spacers are human colonists who have moved to other planets and are trying to get the Earth to relax its strict laws on the use of robots, which the Spacers themselves use quite freely. Due to their living conditions, all the people in Lije’s world suffer from extreme agoraphobia, and they all distrust the Spacers, whom they see as having an unhealthy predilection for land, lots of land, and the starry skies above.

In the second book, published in 1957, Lije and Daneel asked to travel to one of these Spacer worlds, Solaria, to investigate another seemingly impossible murder. The reason murder appears impossible on Solaria is the carefully controlled population of the planet are conditioned from birth to avoid all personal contact, and all of them live by themselves or with a spouse (who usually has his or her own quarters as well). The

Solarians also live in vast estates separated from each other by miles of open land. They live in a virtually contactless society.

The only contact they ever have with each other is through a form of three-dimensional holography called “viewing,” which always them to view a virtual version of whomever they are talking to. They differentiate this from “seeing,” which is done in person and only in extreme circumstances, such as (gasp!) intercourse, which rarely happens anyway because of their long lives and strict population controls. Otherwise, they see “seeing” as a sometime necessary but always vulgar activity. Asimov at one point has one character describe Lije’s attitude towards “seeing” in person as “scatological.”

Given the Solarians’ lack of modesty when they are being “viewed,” as they have no problem being naked during these holographic sessions, it is heavily implied that some form of “phone sex” can and does go on. In fact, one character in the novel is pegged as “deviant” because she allows Lije to come to her home in person so

she can “see” him in the flesh. Scandalous! Otherwise, all of the needs of the Solarians are met by the thousands of barely humanoid robot servants they employ, robots that are programmed never to harm a human being. If people are unwilling to leave their homes, and their only contacts are robots, then how can a murder be committed? Obviously Asimov never assumed that we ourselves would be living in a contactless society –his point in creating Solaria was to posit a place where murder is not physically possible, then construct a detective story in which such a murder takes place. (The solution, as you might expect from Asimov, is sheer brilliance.) And yet the world of Solaria feels closer to what life is like in the far-flung world of 2020 than the far-fetched idea it might have seemed back in 1957.

I’m composing this at the makeshift table in my apartment which is now my desk, from which I conduct my online classes, teaching students that I will not get to see again this semester. I’m anticipating a movie night via Zoom with friends that I may not see in person again for several weeks or more. I tend not to get dressed now at home unless absolutely necessary –though I obviously don’t go on Zoom that way. just had a few supplies delivered from GoPuff by a delivery driver instructed to leave them at my door, a driver paid and tipped via online app rather than handing them the now dirty physical money they might normally have gotten. And please, don’t get me started on the hookup apps available –if this goes on for too much longer, I’m sure that apps like Growlr and Scruff will soon be exploding with invites to virtual sex parties. Porn sites are doing a brisk business during the pandemic, for obvious reasons.

Asimov is proving to be much more prescient than anyone gave him credit for at the time. We can only hope our move into this contactless world is not permanent, as it is, for better and for worse, for the people of Solaria.

Tony Whitt is an English instructor and author of the book CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS; as well as the host of the DOCTOR WHO TARGET BOOK CLUB PODCAST. He lives in Chicago.

https://www.facebook.com/DoctorWhoTargetBookClubPodcast/

by Stan Phillips

Somewhere, lost in the ruins of forgotten yesterdays, abandoned in the desolate debris of my used up days. There was, unknowingly, planted a seed. Don't ask me where. Don't ask me when. Don't ask me why. But I know that seed carelessly tossed into some unremembered night, lost amid all my vagrant days, is called "reason". Is called "purpose". And it rooted wherever it might, anonymously, lie. It is, warmed by my passions. Nurtured by my tears. Sustained by my obstinacy. Without me ever needing to know of its struggle to burst into being. And one day, that seed will become a flower, a rainbow coloured enhancement upon a brief morning I don't need to see.

Reason is like that. Purpose is like that. And we never have to question our existence. Just to realise that somehow, sometime, somewhere, we leave our music, our poetry, our art, etched onto the wavering walls of our world. So seek not to find your purpose for being. But rather, be the best you can. Try not to harm another soul. Laugh long, and often. Discover that life was never meant to be easy, but only a reflection of our reaction to events along our wavering way from birth to death.

And be the truth you seek. Aware always of that fallible child that dwells, half forgotten, within you.. Forgive yourself your failings, for they could well be the catalyst to your glory. Always remember the Golden Rule. And your purpose for life will find you in its own good time. Stan Phillips 2020(C)

Stan Phillips is an 80 year old poet, musical podcast maker, part-time wannabe male model, and occasional stand up comedian. “I used to be a psychotherapist/counsellor when I had an honest job. I was born into prewar London, and attended 17 schools (my father believed they couldn’t hit a moving target) and I eventually finished up here in Ireland. Still wondering what I will be when I grow up — but enjoying writing my quirky poetry as I do so.”

Discover more about Stan on Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/stan-phillips

by Val Tobin

Oracle cards are a wonderful way to receive guidance on issues that might trouble you. Even if nothing bothers you, oracle cards can help you focus your energy and receive messages from your guides, the angels, or your higher self. With some practice, you can build your skills and confidence to give highly accurate readings for yourself and others.

Oracle cards, sometimes called “angel” cards since many of them focus on working with the angelic realm, are like tarot cards but simpler to use. They’re a divination tool, much like crystal balls and pendulums. Oracle cards work by making use of the Law of Attraction, which means that where you are currently at energetically will attract the cards that have the messages appropriate to you and the question you are asking.

They always have loving messages, unlike the tarot, which contains cards such as the Death card that have negative associations, though the Death card does not usually mean impending death. When a tarot card displays upside down in a reading, the message is typically about a negative consequence. The same isn’t true for oracle cards. The messages in oracle cards focus on a positive solution rather than on the negative consequence.

To prepare the cards for a reading, select the deck of cards with which you would like to work and clear it, then program it for use. This means you remove unwanted energies that may cling to the deck and infuse it with the intended outcome you desire.

Clearing the deck is mandatory if someone else has handled your cards or if the accuracy of your readings deteriorates. I clear my cards after every reading I do for someone else whether or not the other person has handled the cards.

Most decks have instructions for clearing them, so you can follow those instructions, or use the following method, taught by Doreen Virtue in her books, card guidebooks, and courses: hold the cards in your non-dominant hand (for most people, that’s the left hand). With the dominant hand (the one with which you write), knock on the cards using your fist to shake off any unwanted energies that may cling to the deck.

Go through the deck and touch each card to put your energy on it. You needn’t touch the whole card—touching one corner will suffice. Next, fan out the cards and hold them to your heart with the message sides facing you. Say a prayer or set intent for the cards, asking that your readings be accurate and relevant to the person getting the reading. Ask that you be able to clearly receive messages from your guides and angels and that you can stay in integrity throughout the reading.

If you already work with the angels, you know you can call on Archangel Michael for protection, guidance, and to keep your ego out of the way while you read. Make sure you remember to put up psychic protection around you to ensure you connect only with high-vibrating energies during the reading.

To start the reading, connect to your guides, or, if you’re doing an angel reading, then connect to your guardian angels or the angel with whom you typically like to work. If you are reading for someone else, you can also connect with his or her guides and angels. I have found that connecting to the other person’s guides and angels, with permission, helps boost the accuracy of the reading and increases the number of messages that come through.

Once you have made the connection, ask a question. Most readings are about health, career, relationships, or finances. Sometimes, a person doesn’t know what to ask. In this case, it’s okay to simply ask the angels to give you a message they would like you to know. To do this, you can ask, “What would you like me to know today?” Avoid asking yes/no questions. You can answer those types of questions with a pendulum. The cards are better suited to answering open-ended questions.

Focus on the question as you shuffle the cards. When you are guided to stop shuffling—for me that always comes as an overwhelming urge to halt—lay out the cards in a format of your choosing. The most basic layout is the three-card spread, where you place three cards in front of you, faceup, and read them from left to right. The left-most card typically represents the recent past, the middle one represents the present, and the right-most card represents the near future.

a simple and quick reading, pull one card after asking your question. This gives you a starting point for resolving your issue or answering your question.

The layout of the cards determines the order you read the cards, but generally, you read the cards from left to right for a horizontal layout and top to bottom for a vertical one. While the cards come with guidebooks that provide meanings for each card, and it’s okay to consult the book when you start out, the idea is to rely on your own psychic abilities and intuition when you do a reading.

Study each card to see what symbols, colours, or lines jump out at you. As well, use all your psychic channels of clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance to receive additional messages from guides and angels. Your readings will improve with practice.

If you are reading for someone else, don’t interpret the messages you receive. Inform the person what you get. If you try to do more than describe, you’ll often get it wrong. For example, if you are shown a suitcase, let the person for whom you are reading know that you see a suitcase.

Unless the message also clarifies that the person has travel plans, you don’t know if the suitcase represents vacation travel, the person’s job as a flight attendant or pilot, or something else entirely. You can ask for further clarification from your guides and get the significance yourself psychically. Most people will verify the message for you, but if they don’t, that’s their prerogative.

Some people don’t want to share intimate details with you. That’s okay. Often, though, people get excited when you tell them something you couldn’t have guessed and willingly share the significance. Let the individual decide. Your ego wants validation, but you don’t need it to give good readings.

One other point that bears mentioning: whatever you get, say it, even if you think it’s nonsense you made up yourself. I once connected to someone’s departed friend and received the thought “I love having my small-plane pilot’s license.” I said nothing to the client because I thought it was a random thought my mind concocted. After the reading, my client said, “It’s funny you didn’t mention he had his small-plane pilot’s license.”

I could’ve screamed in frustration and regret—an example of the ego needing to feed but also a lost opportunity to verify I had the correct departed loved one on the line. Such specific and obscure details help your client know you’ve connected to the correct person. Sometimes, other departed relatives or friends can appear and the loudest ones will come through more strongly than the introverted ones.

It’s okay to practice with family and friends but much easier to read someone you don’t know very well. If you read family and friends when first learning, it’s too easy to doubt the messages you receive. Differentiating between information you already knew and information you received psychically is difficult.

However, you can’t possibly know everything about everyone, so ask your angels/guides to give you messages that will help the person and give them the information he or she needs. Virtue recommends that “if you get nervous, focus on service.” This was something she reiterated in the courses she taught that I attended and also in her books and in some of her Oracle card guidebooks and cards. When you focus on serving, you put the attention where it should be: on helping the person and not on your performance

Sometimes a person will have more than one question, and you can do as many spreads as you like within one reading. However, there will come a point when you know it’s time to stop the reading, whether because the agreed-upon time is up, or you just feel the energy change or leave.

I once received a reading from a talented psychic, and she did three or four card spreads for me. After a time, the energy abruptly changed, and I knew the reading was at an end. I no sooner had that thought than the woman giving the reading told me we had to stop because she’d lost the connection to her guides. I understood because I’d felt them leave even though I didn’t know until she told me what exactly had happened.

When you know it’s time to end the reading, thank all the guides and angels that helped you and disconnect from them. It’s also important to disconnect from the person you were reading if you are reading someone else.

If you don’t disconnect from the person for whom you’re reading, you may find that person intruding on your thoughts throughout the day, or you may feel distracted and unfocussed afterward. Disconnect by setting the intent to disconnect, and then physically chopping through the air between you with your hand. You can even do this on a phone or email reading. The intent to disconnect followed by the chopping motion will do the job well. Virtue taught the chopping method of disconnecting in her courses, and I find it to be the easiest one.

I once forgot to disconnect after giving a mediumship reading by phone, and not only was I distracted after the reading but we also experienced some paranormal activity in our home until I remembered to actively disconnect from both the person for whom I did the reading and the departed loved one to whom I’d connected. After that experience, I’ve never forgotten to disconnect from all other parties involved.

Oracle cards are a useful tool for accessing divine guidance from your spirit guides and guardian angels. If you are having difficulty with an issue and require such guidance, doing a card reading for yourself can help you gain clarity and insight. A card reading is also something that anyone can do. But it requires consistent practice, not only in reading the cards but also in recognizing how you receive your psychic messages.

In my Valiant Chronicles stories and my paranormal romances, I have characters who are psychic or do readings for others with or without the use of cards. When I created these characters, I drew on my experiences with giving readings, which may or may not reflect how others receive messages. It takes practice and focus to recognize how you receive messages from your guides, through telepathy, or from departed loved ones (if you practice mediumship).

Note: The information contained in this article is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide major decisions or treatment without the opinion of an appropriately trained professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health, career, relationships, or finances should contact a qualified expert for advice.

References Chasity e ijames, Image: Peaceful Prayer Virtue, Doreen. The Angel Therapy Handbook, California: Hay House, Inc., 2011. Virtue, Doreen. Angel Therapy Oracle Cards Guidebook, California: Hay House, Inc., 2008. Virtue, Doreen. How to Hear Your Angels, California: Hay House Inc., 2007.

Val Tobin writes speculative fiction and searches the world over for the perfect butter tart. Her home is in Newmarket, Ontario, where she enjoys writing, reading, and talking about writing and reading. Discover more about Val on Mom’s Favorite Reads website:

https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/val-tobin

The Connections eMagazine Reader's Choice Award is open to all independently published authors and their work. This is an annual award. The winners will be featured in the August issues of the magazine. Authors can be nominated by anyone who has read the novel. See our website for details.

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The 2nd Quarter issue of Connections eMagazine is dedicated to summer fun, easy reading and adventure. I hope you will take a minute to check it out. Be sure to come back in August for the 3rd Quarter edition and our Reader’s Choice winners.

Romance | Horror, Thriller, Mystery | Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural | Young Adult | Other Fiction | Non-Fiction | Children’s Books

https://melaniepsmith.com/emagazine/

Connections eMagazine is a FREE quarterly publication founded by authors Melanie P. Smith and Rhoda D’Ettore. It is currently produced entirely by Editor, Melanie P. Smith. Over the years, the magazine has evolved and it now features promos, freebies, blog articles, and short stories in every issue.

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by Ronesa Aveela

NOTE: The following information is not meant to be taken as a cure for any illnesses. If you’re sick, always contact your health-care professional. The information that follows is common folk medicine, which people have used from generation to generation.

In these times when people across the globe are stressed and anxious about the future, it’s important to maintain and strengthen our immune system. Look around your kitchen and you’re certain to find products that are beneficial to your health: fresh vegetables, fruits, spices. The kitchen, the garden, the meadows are gifts that are good for our health.

Every culture and every household have beliefs and recipes passed down from generation to generation. A number of herbs and products in Bulgarian folklore are believed to help us achieve this. Here are some of my favorites, plus a couple of tasty recipes with simple ingredients you can easily find. will produce even more honey. The rest of the consecrated honey is used as a remedy for mumps, measles, and other illnesses throughout the year.

Honey is a delicious immune-stimulator! It’s rich in many vitamins, including B and C, and has iron, calcium, zinc, and more. Honey acts as an antioxidant, much like fruits and vegetables. Using it regularly will stimulate your body’s organs, helping to improve your physical and mental state.

Bulgarians honor bees and in the summer, on July 8, pay tribute to their patron, Saint Procipius, or Prokopia the Beekeeper. On this day, early in the morning, people who raise bees go to the hives to remove the first honey of the year. They burn incense, allowing the smoke to enter the hives. The beekeepers bring two pitkas (ritual bread) to the hives –one for God and one for the saint. They take the honey and the bread to the church, where the priest consecrates them with a special prayer. The beekeepers then spread the honey on the bread and give them to neighbors to ensure the health of both the family and the bees, so the bees

The herb is native to the mountainous regions of Southern Europe, but you can buy it in the spring at Home Depot and other chains or local flower nurseries. The leaves of the lemon balm are well-known in Bulgaria and used in herbal teas. I have a few plants in my garden because its lemon smell keeps away mosquitoes and other insects.

Ever since ancient times, it’s been used to cure diseases resulting from the nervous system. The plant has a calming effect, it stimulates appetite and digestion, and suppresses nausea and vomiting. In folk medicine, the leaves are used to treat high blood pressure, dizziness, headache, vision problems, and tinnitus. Gargling with water infused with lemon balm also gets rid of bad breath.

Yogurt is an integral part of many Bulgarian meals. It’s served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I was a child, my grandmother used to make yogurt with jam and call it “ice cream.” It was a much healthier option than regular ice cream.

It’s good for the digestive system, bones, and teeth, but it also helps strengthen the immune system, fighting disease and helping the body resistant to infection.

Walnuts are rich in vitamin B, vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, iron, and mineral salts. They are also high in calories, so limit them to no more than 42 grams a day. Even walnut leaves are a natural remedy, often used in tea to help prevent atherosclerosis, goiter, and skin problems such as eczema.

Nettle is also a gift from nature that appears in the spring. If you pick it yourself, make sure to wear gloves, because nettle is not a friendly plant; it “bites.” My grandmother used to say that if you pick up nettle with your bare hands, it’ll prevent you from getting arthritis, but I never tried this. You don’t have to go and look for it in fields, though, because you can buy dried nettle online or in your local farmer’s market. You can drink it as a tea or add it to soup. I like to add fresh nettle to cream soup.

Combining walnuts with honey creates an elixir that boosts the immune system, and fights colds, exhaustion, and anemia. The elixir is suitable for children, because it naturally increases the body's defenses.

You’ll need medium-sized jar, about 24 oz. like the ones used to make jam. Cut a handful of nuts into small pieces. Then peel a medium-sized lemon and cut the fruit into small pieces. Add the nuts and lemon to a half jar of natural honey. Stir the mixture well.

Take 2 or 3 tablespoons once a day.

Tip: Don’tthrow away a used lemon after the juice has been squeezed out. You can use it to clean your cutting boards. If you add a little baking soda inside the peel, you can use it to clean pots. It works like magic. I even like to massage my hands with lemon peels and yogurt. It makes them soft and cleans the germs naturally.

Here is one of my favorite desserts using yogurt, walnuts, and honey. If you don’t like walnuts you can omit them.

400 g yogurt 4 Tablespoons honey 50 g walnuts (or other nuts)

Divide yogurt into individual bowls, one per person. Pour honey over it. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts.

Tip: You can bake the nuts for about 5 minutes in a preheated 220 degrees C (about 430 F) oven and then crush them and sprinkle them with milk. The dessert works well if you replace plain yogurt with strained yogurt. It’s best to look at the label and make sure it has Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria in it. You can substitute honey with liquid chocolate or your favorite sweet.

Ronesa Aveela is “the creative power of two.” Two authors that is. The main force behind the work, the creative genius, was born in Bulgaria and moved to the US in the 1990s. She grew up with stories of wild Samodivi, Kikimora, the dragons Zmey and Lamia, Baba Yaga, and much more. Her writing partner was born and raised in the New England area. She has a background in writing and editing, as well as having a love of all things from different cultures. She’s learned so much about Bulgarian culture, folklore, and rituals, and writes to share that knowledge with others.