13:36 May 21, 2024 California USA

08:24 May 23, 2024; published 17:08 May 23, 2024

Bonjour Everyone,

I wish you peace and joy.

So much sadness on this planet … a smile brings light to my heart … perhaps if we all smile with our hearts, this planet would smile back.

These books written In English (by the way … Maria Kawah Leung’s illustrated children’s book is in English and Chinese) and these French films inspired courage while I was in France and departing France.

AUTHORS

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Christopher K. Eng -  FINDING ALOHA IN GRIEF: Memoir of an American Pastor, Chaplain, and T’ai-Chi Sifu

https://www.amazon.com/FINDING-ALOHA-GRIEF-American-Chaplain/dp/B0CMMXK36Y

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Edward C. Hartshorn - Ghosts of the Big Sandy River

https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Sandy-River-Edward-Hartshorn/dp/1953198007/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WFQH3L0C519G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.P4yaS8mqImgUnEM3bhFDc4KmFh_24mc3b99kwPk2kg_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.WAcgNxL8okHAq-KjZUFPf_6iIhzLxmDNY6a7bXj1lb4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Edward+C.+Hartshorn&qid=1716330340&s=books&sprefix=edward+c.+hartshorn%2Cstripbooks%2C136&sr=1-1

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Geneva Dinwiddie -  Sister Hold My Hand: Together We Stand

https://www.amazon.com/Sister-Hold-My-Hand-Together/dp/0990491536/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FW8AFNI2ZS0R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9SswpnbgX1AYqHSKWpwYCw.mwlYaHwtXfoheCmuo3F891X-fZyOd952kLfYNE0KF0M&dib_tag=se&keywords=Geneva+Dinwiddie&qid=1716330446&s=books&sprefix=geneva+dinwiddie+%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-1

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Maria Kawah Leung – Little Heroes of Bay Street: And How They Stay Strong in an Unhappy Home (English and Chinese Edition – Simplified Characters)

https://mariakawah.com/

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET available in 3 formats – hardcover; paperback; e-book

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Simplified-ebook/dp/B08L6224B1/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zDIlOfdDzUkroUm4hqmM3g.sTq-RTuzsN25umBsRZM2-K4PlR7PocBmfDj_pJpGaK0&dib_tag=se&qid=1716329589&refinements=p_27%3AMaria+Kawah+Leung&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Maria+Kawah+Leung

Interview with Dr. Kim McMillon https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q

Maria Kawah Leung’s singing  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB0s2phx3Xg

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Scott James’s latest book -  Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-year Search for Truth

https://www.scottjameswriter.com/

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 French movies

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Clémentine Chérie (1964) Pierre Doris, Adrienne Servantie, France Anglade | French Comedy; directed by Pierre Chevalier

– a story about how female youth and perceived physical beauty is a convenience in this particular society, and, the invention of a stretchy fabric for bathing suits which turns out to be invisible on photographs and live television. I wonder how many bathing suits will be in the garbage when women realize that while the fabric “shapes and contains” their body, photographs of their body fat and skin compressed and redistributed might be perceived as the opposite of beauty.  A fun and clever script.

Merci beaucoup, Youtube.com channel CultCinemaClassics, pour https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=x8z18_yP_yw

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056938/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

Writing Credits

Adaptation et dialogues de

Michel Fermaud

Jean-José Richer

Jean Bellus

Pierre Chevalier

The first scene is inside the ornate department store Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann. Even though the movie is a black-and-white film, one can see the grandeur of this place.

https://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/en/culture-and-heritage/ states:

 Here’s my photo (of a section of the stained glass dome of Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann) taken on August 30, 2017

image taken by photo historian Teresa Jade LeYung August 30, 2017 - Margie and Anna are in original image; Sasa led Part II of our Paris pilgrimage

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LAST DANCE – widower Germain (François Berléand) finds a way to fulfill an agreement with his beloved wife.

Merci beaucoup, Youtube.com channel ScreenInternational, pour

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 Nouveau Départ (2023) / New Beginnings (2023)

A husband takes action in an attempt to reignite his wife’s passion for him.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22397870/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_wr_sm

Directed by

Writing Credits

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SECOND TOUR

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Île-de-France

My pal Sabine and I wondered what”Île-de-France” includes.  https://www.britannica.com/place/Ile-de-France-region-France explains …

Île-de-France, région of France encompassing the north-central départements of Val-d’Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Ville-de-Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, and Yvelines. Île-de-France is bounded by the régions of Hauts-de-France to the north, Grand Est to the east, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté to the southeast, Centre to the south, and Normandy to the northwest. The capital is Paris. Area 4,637 square miles (12,011 square km). Pop. (1999) 10,952,011; (2014 est.) 12,027,565.

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Thank you for reading my blog post “Books Written In English and French Films that Inspired Courage while I was In France and Departing France”.

I wish you peace in every way.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Love Made Of Heart ®

2022 March 10, 20:01 California USA

Amended 2022 March 12, 19:14; amended 2022 March 19, 13:09

A thousand bows to Dr. Amy Grace Lam for the two statements that contain words to awaken a new healing path in me:

“My body gets attention when it is sick.” “My body gets ignored when it is well.”

That behavioral pattern (giving/receiving care; NOT giving/receiving care) was the norm in our family – my father would turn off his rage and my mother would turn off her anguish when one of us kids got sick – getting sick meant receiving quiet and caring attention.

Ever since the outbreak of Shingles* virus on my body in 2020 … my Brain has been “overprotecting” body tissue by sending pain (in the initial months) and then other unpleasant sensations (since 2021) as a way of getting my attention, thus, reinforcing the pattern “my body gets attention when it is sick”.

I have created a new pattern to practice: “My body gets my attention in health and in sickness”

(Interesting … my Body deserves the vows spoken on one’s wedding day:  ” … from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part ….”)

[ * Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near the spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. https://www.mayoclinic.org ]

The word “pray” used to turn on my skepticism. So did other words.

Then I learned how to listen. And to ask questions. And to listen some more….

Now I use some of those words myself – to wish for wellness.

My reaction to words had prolonged illness, again and again. I would get on a healing path, then would fall off the road. It’s only these recent years that I’ve learned to listen to my own Body and the symptoms, and, speak words that inspire radiant health.

The tools came from my dear housemate, friends, sister, certain relatives, mentors, writers, artists, musicians, and, from these extraordinary healers – Dr. Amy Grace Lam (vibrational energy coach); Marie-Christine Cornet (now in France – Chi Nei Tsang and Somatic Experience practitioner); Gilles Marin (master practitioner and teacher, author, director of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute, California) – I am honored to be Gilles’s manuscript consultant for his fourth book; Stephanie Doucette, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. OM (California Licensed Acupuncturist and Clinical Herbalist); and all the other healers referenced in my blog posts.

Here are some words spoken by healers Dr. Amy Grace Lam, Gilles Marin, Stephanie Doucette that I’ve learned to decipher in my quest for wellness.  I first heard some of these words  from poet / playwright / Black Arts Movement Historian Kim McMillon, Ph.D. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmcmillon more than 35 years ago:

* Five Elements – Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Wood

* Longevity, Vitality, Balance, Harmony

* Radiant Health

* Organs, Organ System – Liver, Kidney, Spleen

* What is Damp Heat, Slippery Pulse, Stagnation

* Chi (Qi), Meridians, Channels

* Yin, Yang, Deficiency, Wind

* Meditation,  Chakras, Inhale, Exhale, Breathing

A thousand bows to Dr. Amy Grace Lam for the two statements that contain words to awaken a new healing path in me:

“My body gets attention when it is sick.”

“My body gets ignored when it is well.”

There is much suffering on our planet – COVID pandemic; everyone in and near the Ukraine.

The vibrant wellness I want for myself is what I wish and what I pray for everyone, near and far.

For Everyone – Total Healing, Radiant Health, Balance and Harmony, Joy and Loving Kindness

Thanks to Dr. Amy Grace Lam … here’s Steve Nobel’s

MEDITATION Golden-Citrine Angelic Light Transmission: Clearing and Uplifting the Solar Plexus Chakra

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i4K0mfgnhV0

AND

AFFIRMATIONS: Radiant Health https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=weiNscvmKCA

And, thank you to all benevolent Angels!

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains, Pain, and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you scroll to top of page, look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Story Theme Consultant / Photo Historian / Author / Public Library and Public School Advocate

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog

Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

“MIT new study – Time spent indoors increases risk of COVID at 6 feet or 60 feet…”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/mit-researchers-say-youre-no-safer-from-covid-indoors-at-6-feet-or-60-feet-in-new-study.html

Dear Reader,

I wish you total wellness.

If not for shingles and postherpetic neuralgia which led to the past 12 months of reading and rereading books and listening to lectures about pain and our brains … I wouldn’t have learned why I experience pain and other unpleasant signals when there is no new injury to a body part.

After receiving COVID-19 vaccine … I experienced occasional pain signals in my right knee and in my right shoulder blade, then, dull headaches, and, my two front teeth felt weak.  The knowledge I have gain about pain signals helped me understand what could be happening and how I could help myself feel better.

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I have learned from webinars and the workbook

TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION 

written by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO  http://neuroplastix.com that …

“We only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.”

“This is why general anesthetics work – by separating the thinking conscious brain from the automatic survival brain. During anesthesia, the survival part of the brain stays active, but, the perceptive part of the brain is turned off.”

“The brain doesn’t just receive information from the body, but sends directions back out to tell the body what to do.” (page 4 in workbook)

“The brain ‘reads’ everything going on in the body 30 times a second for an entire life.”

“Acute pain is an alarm going off in the brain that signifies danger and/or damage to the body…. ” (page 10)

“Persistent pain … signals sets up an endless loop between body and brain, inflammatory processes become chronic, anti-inflammatory processes are overwhelmed and the nerve cells dedicated to pain increase up to five-fold.” (page 10)

“Acute pain helps with survival, while persistent pain transforms danger into misery.” (page 10)

I have learned … from Clinical Scientist / Professor Lorimer Moseley  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc that…

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

“The term ‘neuroplasticity‘ refers to the adaptability of our nervous system. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called ‘the dark side’.”

“You can experience SEVERE pain but have NO damage.”

“You can experience NO pain but have severe damage.”

“Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.”

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As I was saying … after receiving COVID-19 vaccine … I experienced occasional pain signals in my right knee and in my right shoulder blade, then, dull headaches, and, my two front teeth felt weak.

According to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html Updated Oct. 18, 2021

mRNA Vaccines 

According to  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/viralvector.html  Updated Oct. 18, 2021

Viral Vector Vaccines

[....]

In Step 2. Next, the cells display the spike protein on their surface, and our immune system recognizes that the protein doesn’t belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This response is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.

mRNA Vaccines and Viral Vector Vaccines have this in common  – “… activate other immune cells to fight off what it ‘thinks’ is an infection.”

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I know that my brain records my experiences throughout my lifetime … and that pain depends on how much danger my brain THINKS I am in, not how much danger I am really in.

Also, I understand why my brain would send me “danger signals” (my knee, shoulder blade)  after vaccination if my immune system “thinks” there is an infection in my body.

Why my two front teeth?   I’ve never sustained injury there.  Have I experienced pain there?  Yes I have!  For three years during my teenage years, my teeth were tortured once a week when the orthodontist tightened the wires. The front teeth needed the most “straightening” (they did sustain “injury”).  Even though that was 45 years ago, my brain remembers the pain!

To communicate to my teeth, my knee, my shoulder blade, and my temples …  that I have not sustained new injuries …  I put my hand on each body part and also tell my Brain “I have not injured myself.”  Voila!  Pain signals go away.  Beautiful Brain (I call “BB”) wants to protect Body, therefore BB occasionally sends signals, and, it’s up to me to “talk back” (communicate).

Today (October 31, 2021), while enjoying my walk, I felt an itchy stinging pain on left elbow, then the signals flowed down my arm. I applied firm comforting squeezes on those areas with my right hand. The pain went away.

Then today (November 3, 2021, 13:44) I felt a sharp pain on LEFT upper arm where vaccine would have entered BUT I had received the vaccine on my RIGHT arm.

Beautiful Brain sending me  “false alarms”.

In no way am I saying that retraining my brain is easy work.  I am still a newbie.  I am happy to report that I’ve developed a new attitude — I look forward to each new day. For me, this is BIG

I am forever grateful to everyone who cares about me and encourages me to continue helping myself heal.

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My “Get to Wellness Kit” is growing

Norman Doidge: Brain’s Healing Energies on YouTube  https://youtu.be/ifYcE4-eI_s  Dr. Doidge talks about our brains, pain, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Moshe Feldenkrais (Physicist, Black Belt, Healer),  electrical circuits, chemistry, light, sound, vibration, brain-body connection.

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Continue using  Feldenkrais techniques that Naomi Schaeffer Draper, M.S. Physical Therapist had taught me.

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Continue using the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION  by

Michael H. Moskowitz, MD and Marla D. Golden, DO

Refer to the 10-page guide from Dr. Danielle Rosenman who coached me.

My job is to interrupt pain and other unpleasant signals by using any of the seven modalities or a combination of them.

Dr. Rosenman adds: “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your Brain.”

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Continue practicing techniques I learned from Dr. Amy Grace Lam  http://amygracelam.com 

Recently Dr. Lam  gave me links to demonstrations of “tapping” to rid pain and other unpleasant symptoms.

Professor Lorimer Moseley says: “Brain is the most trainable we’ve got!”  https://people.unisa.edu.au/lorimer.moseley

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(Addendum November 4, 2021)

Continue using the 2 books written by Norman Doidge, M.D. for inspiration (Thank you, dear Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, MFT, for having Dr. Doidge’s book on your shelf many years ago)

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (translated into 26 languages)

Dr. Doidge’s second book – The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (translated into 19 languages so far)

https://www.normandoidge.com/

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About shingles and postherpetic neuralgia

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postherpetic-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20376588  says:

“Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common complication of shingles. The condition affects nerve fibers and skin, causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear.

The chickenpox (herpes zoster) virus causes shingles. The risk of postherpetic neuralgia increases with age, primarily affecting people older than 60. There’s no cure, but treatments can ease symptoms. For most people, postherpetic neuralgia improves over time.”

I am forever grateful to the excellent care that “Country Doctor LaH” and her precious Gracie gave me during my illness.

I am forever grateful to everyone who cares about me and encourages me to continue helping myself heal.

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As I write … I am running the movie ONLY WHEN I LAUGH (screenplay by Neil Simon; starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett; continuity by Joan Samson).  I love stories about the protagonist’s taking control of her/his own life, in spite of . . . .  The mother-daughter storyline – Wow!

ONLY WHEN I LAUGH is based on the play THE GINGERBREAD LADY by Neil Simon.

Taking control of one’s own life!  Taking control of one’s own body!  Taking control of one’s own thoughts!

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Taking control of my own life!  Taking control of my own body!  Taking control of my own thoughts!

Thank you for reading this blog post: “Beautiful Brain remembers old pain experiences, relays signals after shingles, after vaccination,” says author Teresa Jade LeYung.

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains, Pain, and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

I wish you total wellness!

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung in Paris 2018, photo by Sasa and Nan

Story Consultant and Photo Historian Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

Dear Reader,

I hope you are well.

Several people I care about are struggling with illnesses and side effects of medications. This blog post is to share what Dr. Danielle Rosenman has taught me – to retrain Beautiful Brain to wellness.

Dr. Rosenman herself needs our prayers and well wishes right now.  She needs her “bag of tricks”.  I hope Dr. Rosenman’s family members have photos of her in every room, in her field of vision, so that her Beautiful Brain can “register” her own vibrancy. “Seeing” one’s vitality helps Beautiful Brain relearn wellness.  May Dr. Rosenman enjoy complete wellness soon.

[When we don't have photos or when we have weak or no eyesight  or when no one is around to help us - we send our thoughts to memories of our vibrant selves. ]

During neuroplasticity coaching, Dr. Danielle Rosenman instructs:  “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your brain. When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.”

A thousand thanks to Dr. Rosenman for the coaching sessions, and to Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden for their magnificent workbook and webinars, to Professor Lorimer Moseley for his wonderful presentations (find him on YouTube), to Dr. Victoria Sweet for instilling appreciation of “slow medicine”, to Dr. Norman Doidge for his books (find him on YouTube), Dr. Amy Grace Lam for extraordinary healing, and, of course to all the dear hearts who care about my well-being.

Thank you, Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, for leading me to Dr. Doidge’s books. Thank you, Linda Harris, for remembering that Dr. Rosenman uses Dr. Moskowitz’s techniques.

Prior to August 2020 . . .  “Shingles”  “chickenpox reactivated”  “postherpetic neuralgia”  “persistent pain”  “neurological disorder” “keloid scars”   were just words to me.

When Shingles rash broke out, and the pain, oh the acute pain  (thank you dear Linda Harris and GH for your loving care) . . . my primary care physician prescribed Gabapentin, in addition to Tylenol and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.  After the rash began to heal … but the pain would not go away  (persistent pain) and depression set in …. I was in bigger trouble.

In his engaging talks, Professor Lorimer Moseley explains:

“If you have a brain, you will experience pain. If you don’t have a brain, you won’t experience pain.

“We feel pain in our body, and, we feel it in a particular location, but, it is impossible to feel pain without a brain, and, it is completely possible to feel pain without the body part.

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

“The term ‘neuroplasticity‘ refers to the adaptability of our nervous system. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called ‘the dark side’.

“The mechanisms that cause us to change in a good way can also cause us to change in a way that makes our lives more difficult and more unpleasant.”

Unpleasant sensations?  Pain. Depression. Anxiety. Dizziness. And, what I call “Ick”

 Truths help me persevere in retraining “Beautiful Brain” (“BB”)

From Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s workbook, from Dr. Rosenman’s guide, from Professor Moseley’s talks, from (Teresa Jade LeYung) my own experiences:

• The brain doesn’t just receive information from the body, but sends directions back out to tell the body what to do.

• The brain “reads” everything going on in the body 30 times a second for an entire life.

• The adult brain changes throughout our lives based upon the information it receives from our bodies

• The brain changes whenever we learn to do something new or when we stop doing something

• The brain stores not only all my experiences, but also, everything I’ve watched and heard, in addition to genetic information

• The adaptable nervous system – adaptability which scientists call neuroplasticity.
  

• Without the thinking conscious brain, I wouldn’t feel any sensation – pleasant ones or unpleasant ones.

• What is the antidote for pain, depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant symptoms?  PLEASURE.

• Beautiful Brains (doing their jobs to protect Body Tissue) can make mistakes, mistakes that deplete vitality.

• Thank goodness BBs (even when stubborn) can be retrained!

• The simple act of smiling for myself  helps BB’s natural production of chemicals that include GABA, Anandamide, Endorphins, Oxytocin.

• My BB is THE expert of my experiences; however the expert can and does make mistakes; I can retrain BB to gain wellness

I was successful retraining Beautiful Brain (“BB”) to stop sending pain signals.  My troubles were over . . . so I thought.

Gradually, pain morphed into another unpleasant symptoms / awful sensation. It even spread to parts of the body that never had Shingles rash.

[2021 August 15, 12:03pm Addendum –

Also, Beautiful Brain reactivates pain signals from past injuries (in my hand and in my knee). BB’s wanting to protect body tissue, so BB sends signals to grab my attention, except grabbing my attention this way saps my energy.  It’s like an alarm clock’s “snooze” setting in malfunction, going off at random.]

Remembering what Professor Moseley said -  that “Pain is our most sophisticated protective device” – and what my mentor (author Margaret Davis) said to me: “Teresa, can’t you apply the very same techniques you used to retrain your brain on pain to rid this undesirable sensation?”

YES, I can.

Through their workbook, Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden instruct: ” … harness the power of our brains.”   On the last page of their workbook, they leave us with plenty of hope: “Neuroplastic Transformation opens a new approach to treating people living with persistent pain ….   The overarching message is that persistent pain can be challenged and defeated  by using the same principles that have created it.”

Interrupt unpleasant signals with pleasurable …

- THOUGHTS

- IMAGES

- SENSATIONS

- MEMORIES

- SOOTHING EMOTIONS

- MOVEMENT

- BELIEFS

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://neuroplastix.com/

My February 11, 2021 blog post “Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand Dark Side of Pain” is at:

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/brain-pain-scientist-professor-lorimer-moseley-uses-humor-to-help-us-understand-dark-side-of-pain/

which highlights  “Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

I am convinced that one safe place is my own thoughts. However the same place could be my enemy, so, it’s up to my will power to go to safe thoughts, beautiful thoughts, healing thoughts. The words in my thoughts hold much power.

I am one of the fortunate ones – to live with housemates who care about me, in a pleasant environment, and in a position to shelter-in-place during this pandemic.

Other folks are not so fortunate – their external world could be chaotic, even traumatic …  The only safe place could be their beautiful thoughts.

I remember Dr. Danielle Rosenman telling me during neuroplasticity coaching:  “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your brain. When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.”

Also I remember how she taught me to create my unique “bag of tricks” to retrain Beautiful Brain (small items to look at, to smell, to touch…to recall pleasure, vibrancy, peace).  But, what about when there is no physical “bag of tricks”?   I have my thoughts! Thoughts of Beauty!  No no can take that away from me.

This blog post has taken many hours over many days – this is what it’s like to work while retraining Beautiful Brain with a neurological disorder

2021 August 4, 02:02-02:38; 15:54; August 5, 18:48; August 6, 14:55, 23:56; August 7, 00:10; 21:57; August 8, 13:56; August 10, 12:58pm; August 11, 17:17, August 12, 13:44; August 13, 17:14; August 14, 20:45  California

Thank you for reading this blog post  “Retraining Beautiful Brain By Rewriting My Personal Truths With Wordplay” by  Teresa Jade LeYung

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

I wish you and your Beautiful Brain safety, kindness, excellent health.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung in Paris by Nan and Sasa October 2018

*****

Thank you, MT et MYW, for masks; Starry Starry Night mask by Dahlynn & Ken of WoodstockAndYarn at Etsy

A dear friend’s 40-something year old niece got infected last year; this young woman is now suffering  “long haul” symptoms – heart issue and lung issue.

What COVID vaccine side effects can and can’t tell you about your body’s immune response

May 30, 2021 addendum

I wish everyone kindness, safety, excellent health.

A dear friend’s friend (a woman in her early 50s, who was asymptomatic) died this month  – May 2021; she collapsed at a bus platform (on surveillance camera record); autopsy performed; Coroner determined cause of death: COVID 19

Related articles:

“About 80% of Asymptomatic People With COVID-19 Develop Symptoms”

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/938195 Damian McNamara, September 28, 2020

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“Fatal pulmonary arterial thrombosis in a COVID-19 patient, with asymptomatic history, occurred after swab negativization”    Italy case report https://thrombosisjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12959-020-00255-6.pdf  by Franca Del Nonno, Daniele Colombo, Roberta Nardacci, Laura Falasca

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2021 May 9, 21:56 Pacific Time; May 15, 15:18;  May 25, 21:29;  May 27, 22:55

Hello, Everyone,

I send you smiles, and, I hope you are well…wherever you are…

Once again I am reminded that Nature and Biology are not to be messed with… as this global pandemic exists. Here in the USA we are more fortunate than many other countries.

In times of calamity, the more facts that are presented to us, the more we can do, individually and collectively, to help ourselves and also others less fortunate.

My mother (who grew up in an orphanage during World War II) understood how diseases spread and that the simple act of opening windows to “let the bad air out and the good air in”  is common sense smarts.   If she were alive, she would be nodding her head . . . after reading this article published by CNBC Health and Science . . .

“MIT researchers say time spent indoors increases risk of COVID at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study challenging social distancing policies”

by Rich Mendez @richmendezcnbc   CNBC Health and Science -  published Friday, April 23, 2021, 12:15 PM EDT; updated Tuesday, April 27 2021, 3:34 PM EDT

For full article  https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/mit-researchers-say-youre-no-safer-from-covid-indoors-at-6-feet-or-60-feet-in-new-study.html

( The paragraphs that grabbed my attention are as follow: )

The risk of being exposed to COVID-19 indoors can be as great at 60 feet as it is at 6 feet in a room where the air is mixed — even when wearing a mask, according to a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers who challenge social distancing guidelines adopted across the world.

MIT professors Martin Z. Bazant, who teaches chemical engineering and applied mathematics, and John W.M. Bush, who teaches applied mathematics, developed a method of calculating exposure risk to COVID-19 in an indoor setting that factors in a variety of issues that could affect transmission, including the amount of time spent inside, air filtration and circulation, immunization, variant strains, mask use, and even respiratory activity such as breathing, eating, speaking or singing.

Opening windows or installing new fans to keep the air moving could also be just as effective or more effective than spending large amounts of money on a new filtration system, he said.

Bazant also says that guidelines enforcing indoor occupancy caps are flawed. He said 20 people gathered inside for one minute is probably fine, but not over the course of several hours, he said.

Small, poorly ventilated spaces where a lot of people spend a lot of time together places people at the most risk, he said.

“Unfortunately, the nursing home is one of those cases. If COVID patients are living together 24/7, in some cases even in the same room, that is the absolute worst-case scenario, especially given the vulnerability of that population,” Bazant added.

Those droplets from a person’s warm exhalation mix with body heat and air currents in the area to rise and travel throughout the entire room and put everyone in a well-mixed room at risk of airborne transmission.

People seem to be more exposed to that “background” air than they are by droplets from a distance, like secondhand smoke, according to the study.

For example, if someone infected with COVID-19 is wearing a mask and singing loudly in an enclosed room, a person who is sitting at the other side of the room is not more protected than someone who is sitting just 6 feet away from the infected person.

This is why time spent in the enclosed area is more important than how far you are from the infected person.

Masks work in general to prevent transmission by blocking larger droplets, therefore larger droplets aren’t making up the majority of COVID infections when most people are wearing masks.

“The majority of people who are transmitting COVID aren’t coughing and sneezing, they’re asymptomatic,” Bazant said.

For full article  https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/mit-researchers-say-youre-no-safer-from-covid-indoors-at-6-feet-or-60-feet-in-new-study.html

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excerpts from the New York Times article

Updated  May 15, 2021, 2:35 p.m. ET

The new advice — . . . . Even vaccinated individuals must cover their faces and physically distance when going to doctors, hospitals or long-term care facilities like nursing homes; when traveling by bus, plane, train or other modes of public transportation, or while in transportation hubs like airports and bus stations; and in congregate settings such as homeless shelters, as well as prisons or jails.

[....]

Some fully vaccinated people have been infected with the coronavirus. Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that any who develop symptoms should still use masks and get tested, she said. Asked how the new guidance might apply to businesses and schools, she said that the C.D.C. was working to rapidly issue new recommendations soon for specific settings, including for summer camps and travel.

The move could raise alarms among more cautious Americans, who may be more reluctant to engage in public activities when more people are unmasked. There is no way to know who is vaccinated and who is not, and a majority of the population is not yet fully vaccinated. Dr. Walensky added that immunocompromised people who have been fully vaccinated should consult their physicians before relinquishing a face mask.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/health/coronavirus-vaccine-immune-system.html

Many cannot produce enough infection-fighting cells to fend off the coronavirus. But researchers are testing one therapy that may help: monoclonal antibodies.

Dr. Andrew Wollowitz, an emergency physician at Montefiore Hospital and a cancer survivor, didn’t produce antibodies when he received the vaccine, as treatments have wiped out his immune system.Credit…Desiree Rios for The New York Times

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I send extra prayers for folks whose work situations or living accommodations force them to be indoors for long periods of time, with other people (hope your windows can be opened and there are fans to keep the air moving)… 

And the heroes/heroines who work in restaurants where the customers are eating (can’t wear masks when eating)… eaters leave after dining but other eaters arrive…. while the employees are subjected to the stream of customers (eating, talking, not wearing masks) during their 7 or 8-hour shifts.  And the residents in nursing homes – usually 3 residents in a room, and, the folks who work at these environments. Thank you to all Heroes/Heroines (You are everywhere) and all benevolent Angels!

Thank you for reading this blog post “MIT researchers say time spent indoors increases risk of COVID at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study – article by Rich Mendez, CNBC Health and Science”

I am wishing you excellent health and sweet moments with these two songs:

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” sung by Andrea Bocelli  (written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the musical CAROUSEL)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP1_JQ1VPnw

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Mr. Jim Henson’s Kermit the Frog Sing Along | Rainbow Connection | The Muppets

“Rainbow Connection” sung by Kermit the Frog (written by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for THE MUPPET MOVIE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS5fTzMP_mg

and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awhyiBv-oQc

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Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Story Consultant / Platform-Building Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication.  Reach out, not stress out.”

Coach Teresa’s workbook -
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW  — print edition and ebook

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com   Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung’s blog - resources regarding our beautiful  brains  / persistent pain / depression  / wellness

Love Made Of Heart ®

Your-Writing-Mentor Mary E. Knippel is also the author of The Secret Artist: Give Yourself Permission to Let Your Creativity Shine, is also The Unleashed Homemaker !

The UnleashedHomemaker^tm says: “Please join us for our upcoming events in 2012…

Redwood Writers winning playwrights with directors and actors invite YOU to 10-minute plays June 29, 30, July 1, 2012 -- photo by Jonathan Hayden

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actress Stacey Marie Kerr and director Lennie Dean review lines in 10-minute monologue Answer Me Now (middle-aged woman asks her dead mother a question) written by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

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Lennie Dean directs Stacey Marie Kerr in Answer Me Now by Teresa LeYung-Ryan as Jonathan Hayden sets up shot

Coach Teresa here.  I witnessed the readings of the nine 10-minute plays being produced by Redwood Writers & 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California.

Nine plays  – all winners – you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh some more.  Please tell a friend or two and order tickets to support 6th Street Playhouse and enjoy the show.  Go to: http://www.6thstreetplayhouse.com/online-ticketing/show-availability/?show=328  or call 24- hour voice mail:  (707) 523-4185 ext 1

playwright Teresa LeYung-Ryan (Answer Me Now), actress Stacey Marie Kerr, festival director (and director for Answer Me Now) Lennie Dean and fellow directors, playwrights, actors invite you to the Redwood Writers 10-Minute Plays at 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa, CA June 29, 30 and July 1, 2012

The winning plays and playwrights include . . . .

Running order will be:

Act I

Gravediggers by Gene Griffith

Answer Me Now by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Special Delivery by Malena Eljumaily

BFF by Jean Wong

Turn The Other by Amanda McTigue

Act 2

Dream Girl by Elizabeth VanPatten

GPS by Harry Reid

There There, Now by Nancy Lockard Gallop

The Play’s the Thang by Elaine Maikovska, J.D.

2012 Performance Dates:

• June 29 – 8:00 PM
• June 30 – 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
• July 1  – 2:00 PM

6th Street Playhouse – Studio Theater – Santa Rosa, CA
All Tickets: $16.00 – purchase online or by phone

Go to: http://www.6thstreetplayhouse.com/online-ticketing/show-availability/?show=328  or call 24- hour voice mail:  (707) 523-4185 ext 1

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Processing Playwriting: Q&A with the nine winning playwrights
Join the playwrights for a Q&A about their plays, their process, and their experience with having a first production of their works.

• July 1, 4:30 PM – (following matinee of plays)

6th Street Playhouse - Studio Theater
This event is FREE to the public

actors with playwright Elaine Maikovska and director at reading of The Play's the Thang

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photographer Jonathan Haydens shows director Linda Loveland Reid publicity shots of actors

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July 1, 2012  10:00 AM-12:30 PM

Workshop with GARRET JON GROENVELD

6th Street Playhouse – GK Hardt Theatre – Santa Rosa, CA
Tuition: $10.00 – purchase by phone (707) 523-4185 ext 1

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playwrights Amanda McTigue and Teresa LeYung-Ryan love their director Lennie Dean (center)

actress Stacey Marie Kerr, festival director Lennie Dean, playwright Teresa LeYung-Ryan with The Linda Loveland Reid

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playwrights Elaine Maikovska, Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Jean Wong invite you to June 29, 30 and July 1, 2012 performances at 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa, CA

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actors in Grave Diggers by Gene Griffith at reading of play

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playwright Malena Eljumaily--Special Delivery--with actors Eyan Dean & Monica McKey and director Linda Loveland Reid

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Playwrights, directors, actors at readings of nine fabulous 10-minute plays

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Processing Playwriting: Q&A with the nine winning playwrights
Join the playwrights for a Q&A about their plays, their process, and their experience with having a first production of their works.

• July 1, 2012  4:30-5:00pm – (following matinee of plays)

6th Street Playhouse - Studio Theater
This event is FREE to the public

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Teresa LeYung-Ryan -- Playwright; Author; Editor; Story Consultant; Writers Platform-Building Coach

Maria, Vicki, and other darlings who will not be able to attend–I will get DVDs for you.

Other dear friends, I hope you can make it.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan helps clients identify themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story. As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she says: “Make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.” Teresa has built her own platform happily; her novel Love Made of Heart and her short play Answer Me Now carry the theme closest to her heart: mother-daughter relationship. Teresa created the annual “Immigrant Experience Writing Contest” and cheers for all contestants.  http://writingcoachteresa.com  for her Blog, events, and other resources.

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here.  Who do I coach?  Writers.  I help clients polish their manuscripts and map out their publishing journeys.

Teaching at San Francisco Writers Conference every year gives me the joy of seeing colleagues and meeting other fascinating writers, one of whom being Greg Marcus.  He hooked my attention with his mission statement: “I am a modern-day Abraham who smashes corporate idols and help the chronically overworked find a more fulfilling life.”

I checked out Greg’s http://idolbuster.com  and his May 25, 2012 post “Why Work More Than 50 Hours Per week?” got me thinking about . . .

I was delighted when Greg asked me to guest-blog.

Read more  . . .  about:

Unraveling the Mystery Of Platform

First Step – Understand Your Values and Who You Are

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Editor, Story Consultant, Platform-Building Coach

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”

# # # # # # # # # # #

Greg Marcus says:

Thank you Coach Teresa for a great post. I’ve found that advice for writers is often applicable in business and life. Your post is no exception. Writers are a one-person business, and can’t separate the product from the platform.

Greg,

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to guest-blog.  You are so right — the business of being a writer does require the balancing act of writing (producing) and platform-building (hooking attention).  Why get stressed out?  Instead, reach out.

Bethany Lee comments:

Thank you Greg for bringing Teresa to guest post here. This was a very informative post, and as a writer/blogger, I found myself soaking this up because I’m starting to think more about services I can sell via my blog. This idea about having a platform–making your name stand for something–is something I’ve been thinking about lately, and I’m trying to focus in on that. I think I’m close, but I also think there’s more to it than just discovering it yourself–that once you discover it, you have to promote the idea and get people to believe it too–right? Also, I was wondering about these two exercises. How do they help you to discover your platform? In other words, how do I take the stuff I come up with here and apply it to make it a tagline?

Hi, Bethany,

Greg is right-on — your honest responses to the 2 exercises from Day 1 of my 22-day workbook are eye-openers.

Your question:  ” . . . how do I take the stuff I come up with here and apply it to make it a tagline?
My questions to you:
What themes/subject matters compel you to write?
What themes/subject matters hook your attention when you’re the reader?

As my colleague Elisa Sasa Southard (the talking-tagline guru) would say: “Start with I CAN . . . ”
And I say: Speak your name; add the action-verb; complete the statement with how your work helps people.

From now on, introduce yourself with your full name. When someone asks you: “What do you do?”  . . . you answer with a sentence that includes an action verb.

Examples:

(as a novelist) Through my book Love Made of Heart, I can help mothers and daughters speak from the heart.
(as a narrative nonfiction writer)  Through my essays and speeches, I speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.
(as a prescriptive nonfiction aka “how to” writer) Through my coaching and workbook, I show writers how to gain fans before and after publication.

Also, you may be asking: “Why 22 days?”
Because . . . when we stick to something for 21 consecutive days, we develop a new habit. Why not gain the wonderful habit of building our platform/name?  On the 22nd day, we celebrate. Everyday is a good day to build your name / fanbase / platform!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
Editor, Story Consultant, Platform-Building Coach
http://writingcoachteresa.com

Bethany commented again:

Teresa and Greg, thank you for your responses here. This is excellent. Here’s my answer to the who are you question: I’m Bethany Jo Lee and I can encourage you to keep moving forward in your endeavors. That’s a start, maybe not perfect, but I like the lesson here. I need your 22 day book!

I just bought her book and tweeted it! I’m very excited to read it. Thanks Greg.

Bethany Jo Lee,
Your tagline: “I can encourage you to keep moving forward in your endeavors” is wonderful !
You’ll see how your tagline and the 5 secret keys in my workbook will lead you to bigger and bigger connections.
I’m cheering for you!
Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”
http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here. My being a writing and platform-building coach is a dream job.  One email or one conversation (resource) flows into another resource and into another resource. Helpful experts lead us to other helpful experts.  I just received an email from Michele Caprario, colleague through Women’s National Book Association.

RE:IMAGE Film Festival 3 Delivers Inspiring Stories in Splash Magazine

by M. D. Caprario

The 3^rd Annual RE:IMAGE Film Festival took place at the historic Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan, New Jersey this year. The event featured some 20 original film shorts vying for titles in three experience levels, and included film maker panels, guest speakers, and a special presentation of the inspiring Emilio Estevez / Martin Sheen collaboration “The Way.” The mission of RE:IMAGE is to support and encourage the next generation of visual storytellers to explore the glory of God and His creation, to persevere for justice and truth, and to uphold and defend the dignity of the human person.  Read more . . .

M. D. Caprario is a journalist, editor, and author, covering for the media books, film, television and the stage- and good people and things that make our World a better place. Reach her at   aol.com  Her User I.D. is APen2Paper

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Receiving the email from Michele Caprario and reading her article about RE:IMAGE‘s mission [ to uphold and defend the dignity of the human person] made me think of Winifred McCaffrey, author of Gule Wamkulu-The Big Dance.

The Title, Gule Wamkulu is taken from the name of a traditional dance–as a way of gaining favor with the spirit world–of the Chewa Tribe, located in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Critics comments…

An intoxicating insight into the minds of the gifted and the culture of the Zambian people, Gule Wamkulu-The Big Dance is an influential piece of creative non-fiction written in a fresh, alluring style.

The author explores Zambia with Zambians…wanders Lusaka to feel and tell their story and that of their host Country with warmth and sensitivity.

A romantic, creative memoir, it reads like a novel.

Gule Wamkulu-The Big Dance is available through Author House.com, Amazon.com or by e-mailing your request to the author. Reach her at   aol.com  Her User I.D. is oonawin

http://winifredmccaffrey.com

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Thinking about Winifred, reading her blog and the mission [to persevere for justice and truth] got me thinking about the remarkable story I’m reading.

Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest by Mary Jo McConahay

Mary Jo McConahay’s GlobeWatch

http://mcconahayglobewatch.blogspot.com

http://www.mayaroads.com

My being a writing and platform-building coach is a dream job.  One email or one conversation (resource) flows into another resource and into another resource. Helpful experts lead us to other helpful experts.

This week we lost a generous and helpful expert.  She helped folks in the literary world connect with each other and have fun at the same time — that’s what Kathi Kamen Goldmark did. This post is dedicated to her.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Editor, Story Consultant, Platform-Building Coach

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”

Filmed by author Margie Yee Webb

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SP-CmB0OUJ0

2012 May 13 Blog Post

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan asks:

“If your protagonist doesn’t want anything, then what is the story?”

Happy Mother’s Day to mother-archetypes all over the world! To honor my MaMah today, I’m watching the movie Garbo Talks (written by Larry Grusin; directed by Sidney Lumit; music by Cy Coleman)  about a son who takes action to get the one thing his dying mother really wants–to meet the movie star Greta Garbo.

One of my favorite scenes in this movie is the conversation (at the beach) between Gilbert Rolfe (the son, portrayed by Ron Silver) and the gay man/kind stranger Bernie Whitlock (portrayed by Harvey Fierstein).  The dialogue shows not only what Gilbert wants but also what Bernie wants.  What Gilbert wants is specific; what Bernie wants is universal.

A photographer who has spied on Garbo before tells Gilbert “. . . she’ll disappear if she sees you . . . ”

When Gilbert finally finds the movie star (after 3 months of doing), he knows that he must make every word count to hook her attention before she runs away.

Then, the monologue by the mom (Estelle Rolfe, portrayed by Anne Bancroft) in the hospital bed as she speaks to Garbo . . . oh my goodness.

Lines are beautifully written, directed, delivered, and edited.  What a story! And the music! I will study the script again.

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Speaking of what a protagonist wants, mothers, meetings, monologues . . . I’ve written a 10-minute play (Answer Me Now–a monologue) about a middle-aged woman asking her dead mom a question.

My play and eight colleagues’ plays will be performed on June 29, 30 and July 1st, 2012 at the Redwood Writers & 6th Street Playhouse Play Festival in Santa Rosa, CA.   I’d love to see my friends there.

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Writers, go through your manuscript and look for the “want” on every page. Who wants what in this scene, in this conversation, or passage? How does each character go after (or not) what she/he wants?

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa

Editor, Story Consultant, Platform-Building Coach

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/about/

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

“Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”