Posts Tagged ‘author’

2024 August 5

Dear Readers / Writers

I am visiting brilliant Olga Malyj in Oregon… enjoying her beautiful energy, her sweet home and garden.

Two evenings ago, I had a delightful conversation with Kristiane McKee Maas whom I met through author / teacher / The Plot Whisper Martha Alderson https://marthaalderson.com/ close to 19 years ago at a writers’ conference hosted by the South Bay Branch of the California Writers Club https://southbaywriters.com/.

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Kristiane McKee Maas is a writer, artist, and the owner of Bar 46 Ranch and breeder of Longhorn cattle.

She says:

“My paternal grandmother homesteaded Bar 46 Ranch in 1899 and is a continuing source of inspiration for me.”

https://bar46ranchlonghorns.com/about-bar-46-ranch-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF6pLi8kAWE

Kristiane McKee Maas is author of Table Affairs, contributing author of Seasons of our Lives: Spring

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Through Kristiane, I met  Matilda Butler – Author/Memoir Coach/Social Psychologist

Matilda Butler  is the award-winning author of Rosie’s Daughters: The “First Woman To” Generation Tells Its Story, Writing Alchemy: How to Write Fast and Deep, and a collection of award-winning anthologies: Tales of our Lives.

https://womensmemoirs.com/contact/about-the-two-women/

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Also through Kristiane, I met  artist and author Gale Henshel

Gale’s beautiful book:  Dyslexia, My Gift, My Story

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145870337197

https://www.abebooks.com/9781611702392/Dyslexia-Gift-Story-Henshel-Gale-1611702399/plp

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Teresa Jade LeYung thanks Olga Malyj, Martha Alderson, Kristiane McKee Maas, Matilda Butler, and Gale Henshel.

Sincerely,

Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung wishes Everyone – Beauty, Total Wellness, Peace and Joy!

—   photo by Nan and MEK

Published author, blogger, lover of Paris, FRANCE, photo historian, 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.”
https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

Love Made Of Heart ®

2024 June 4, 12:54pm; June 5, 10:43am; June 6, 19:46 California (Mille merci, chere Sabine!)

Claudine's balcony garden, Paris

Dear Readers

I wish you a good day and night, always.

Thank you, Mr. Roald Dahl, for having written ESIO TROT (  esiotrot is “tortoise” spelled backward)

Thank you, screenwriters Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, for the movie ROALD DAHL’S ESIO TROT

When depression robs my creative energy to write, I look for “happy movies” to lift me which then inspires me to write about the themes in the movie which then leads me to resume working on my own projects.

Yesterday (June 3), the names (“tags”) of these two actors helped me find the movie ROALD DAHL’S ESIO TROT

Judi Dench (as Mrs. Silver) and Dustin Hoffman (as Mr. Hoppy) and James Corden (as Narrator)

Soundtrack includes Louis Armstrong’s singing “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” composed by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II.

https://genius.com/Louis-armstrong-a-kiss-to-build-a-dream-on-lyrics

This is a movie I want to watch again and again… it’s like re-living a joyful day.

In the movie… Narrator tells us:

“Mr. Hoppy, the hero of our story, lived in a nice flat in an apartment block in London. There are three things you should know about Mr. Hoppy.  He’s kind, he’s shy, and, most importantly, he’s not that guy in the hat.”

(Mr. Hoppy is the man holding the elevator door for  Mr. Mavrokoukoudopolous the old man with the hat and cane. By the way, since the setting is London. Elevator is called a “lift”)

At the fourth viewing of this movie … I see just how wonderfully the story is crafted.

At  two minutes into the movie – first foreshadowing of Mr. Hoppy’s door which is crucial for the “climax” scene.

He turns on his CD player – Louis Armstrong’s singing “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”

Mr. Hoppy reaches into his satchel and places into his fruit bowl – one apple, one orange, one banana.  He opens his refrigerator, we see one tomato.

Narrator tells us “It’s [This story is] going to be full of passion, surprises… as indeed is our Mr. Hoppy.”

As the volume of the musical instrumental increases, we see Mr. Hoppy affectionately tending to his balcony-garden; his irrigation system drips water onto the colorful plants.

Narrator says:

“The truth is, there were two loves in Mr. Hoppy’s life. One was his flowers. The other was his secret love that he kept all to himself. Like so many secrets, it was the most important thing of all about him. Because Mr. Hoppy was in love… with the girl downstairs.”

(“the girl” is the vibrant Mrs. Silver, a widow,, probably in her seventies. Mrs. Silver’s balcony is on the floor below Mr. Hoppy’s.  We hear her at around four minutes and thirty-three seconds into the movie when she says “Good morning, Mr. Hoppy.”  Then we see her.    Her main love is her tortoise named Alfie.)

By the end of the first five minutes, I am pulled into the story world.

By the end of the first seven minutes, I am completely hooked with these two characters.

At 13:36 when Mr. Hoppy has the courage to say something personal to Mrs. Silver, he can’t see from his balcony that Mrs. Silver (in her wide-brimmed straw hat) has just inserted earbuds and couldn’t possibly hear him.

At 28:57 we see the second foreshadowing with Mr. Hoppy’s door.

At 54:38 we see the third foreshadowing with that door.

LAUGHING LIFTS DEPRESSION

In the scene where Mr. Hoppy is approaching the lift in the lobby with THE gadget, Mrs. Silver (wearing happy colors) is coming out of the lift. She tells him that she’s going to a dance marathon to raise money for charity and that they need sponsors. Mr. Hoppy says he would like to be a sponsor, would donate a pound. When Mrs. Silver reminds him that this is for charity, he says:
“A pound a minute”

(I laughed out loud; laughing shifts energy, lifts depression. So does smiling for one’s self.  For me, laughing is a stronger elixir.)

I learned these British phrases:

“very good news”  -  In the lift (elevator), Mrs. Silver says:  “What a quiet lift. It’s very good news.”

She calls herself “a silly sausage”

“a good old knees-up” means “to dance”

The little boy’s mother says to her son: “I’m doing dinner.”

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In the children’s book, Mrs. Silver never finds out about Mr. Hoppy’s using deception to win her affections; in the movie, her finding out that he used trickery serves as the climax of the story.

In the children’s book, there is no Mr. Pringle;  in the movie, this character serves as archetypes Herald and Trickster and is the person who creates complications for protagonist Mr. Hoppy.

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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3205394/

Directed by Dearbhla Walsh

Writing Credits:

Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer

Based on the novel by Roald Dahl

Stars (in order of appearance in the movie)

• James Corden
• Salo Gardner
• Dustin Hoffman
• Richard Cordery
• Judi Dench

• Awards
  • 1 win & 1 nomination

In the movie, Mrs. Silver tells Mr. Hoppy and Mr. Springer that her favorite book is THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, children’s book written by E. (Edith) Nesbit

Sasa's vibrant garden 2024.05.22 photo by Jade

Thank you for reading my blog post: “Roald Dahl’s story ESIO TROT, Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman, Balcony Garden, Love, Kindness Themes…Lift Depression”

Wishing you all the happiness that a vibrant garden would bring.

Sincerely,

 Teresa Jade LeYung

My short short movies of Paris 2024
https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videos

Love Made Of Heart ®

Love Made Of Heart ®

2022 July 31 California                  

Dear Readers,

I wish you and everyone around you – wellness, kindness, happiness.

I celebrate these two women -

Ms. Maria Kawah Leung and Ms. Goldie Hawn

Maria Kawah Leung is the author of a delightfully illustrated children’s book about a serious subject matter – domestic violence.   https://mariakawah.com/

LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET:  And How They Stay Strong In An Unhappy Home

(illustrators:  Maria Kawah Leung, Sandra Elyse Chavez, Maren Sleire Aasgaard)

This book is endorsed by Hannah Yeoh who is a Member of Parliament in Malaysia.

The main characters in LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET are Mia (a little girl) and her Happy Dog (who is much much more than a stuffed animal). Happy Dog is Mia’s best friend and confidant.

Maria Kawah Leung - photo by TL

Maria Kawah Leung says:

“I was born in Hong Kong but my family moved to San Francisco when I was almost two years old. I have happily been a teacher of young children for over 25 years and have taught in the USA (California and Massachusetts), China and Malaysia.

“My most rewarding experiences in life were working with children in pediatric wards, studying Chinese in Beijing, China and studying Spanish in Bogota, Colombia.

“I have also traveled to about 30 countries and all the continents except Antarctica. I have always enjoyed writing. Creating this book to help children feel they are not alone has been a life-long goal.

“Empowering children to overcome obstacles is my passion. This is why I wrote the children’s book Little Heroes of Bay Street and How They Stay Strong in an Unhappy Home.”

Ms. Leung adds: “I’m hoping that through my book… that every teacher would get a copy… and school counselors… nurses… so that they can be aware, and, look out for signs, and reach out to these children.”

Maria’s book is available in English, Chinese, Spanish and Bahasa Malaysia

To watch Maria Kawah Leung interviewed by Kim McMillon, PhD    https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q   39 minutes

https://mariakawah.com/

Teresa Jade LeYung here …

As I watch Ms. Goldie Hawn’s keynote speech at Teachers College, Columbia University …  I think about Ms. Maria Kawah Leung as teacher, author,  children’s advocate.

Teachers College – Columbia University – Academic Festival Opening Ceremony Keynote Address: Goldie Hawn on Why Mindfulness in School Matters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh5-Pwj9T8E  39 minutes

Ms. Hawn’s foundation is MindUP  https://mindup.org/

Sincerely,

Teresa_Jade_LeYung_wishes_everyone_peace_and_wellness__photo_by_Nan_and_MEK

Teresa Jade LeYung

Proud sister of Maria Kawah Leung and proud auntie of Happy Dog

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

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com goes to Teresa’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 ®

2021 December 12, 13:37

Addendum:  The techniques in Dr. Michael Moskowitz’s and Dr. Marla Golden’s workbook helps me “outgrow” persistent unpleasant sensations  including  pain. 

2021 December 9,  15:18 – 16:18;  December 10, 18:00 – 19:58 California

Dear Reader,

I have been watching episodes of The Jack Benny Program (TV series 1950-1965) and laughing out loud; thank you to the folks who post them on YouTube.

Laughing out loud is good medicine – a mighty elixir – for me.

The world continues to be impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. How can I think about laughing?

I am still dealing with a neurological disorder. How can I think about laughing?

Smiling for one’s self; laughing for one’s self; walking; imagining walking; moving to soothing thoughts – are some of the activities which help our beautiful brains produce beneficial chemicals. What I have learned as an advocate for my papa since 2015 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease … and what I’ve learned and continue to learn – as a patient of persistent unpleasant sensations including pain -  is that there are things I can do for myself to feel better.  Even if the sensation of wellness seems ephemeral… I’ll take wellness moments. Thank you very much!

I remember sitting with Vicki Weiland https://vickiweiland.wordpress.com …knowing that it took our dear friend many days (oftentimes many weeks, even months) to prepare herself for visitors. Awful persistent pain was the symptoms.

On two occasions, I witnessed how laughter was a mighty elixir for Vicki.  Someone in the room said something funny; or Vicki herself said something funny and we all laughed … at that moment Vicki’s entire body expressed wellness.

How we all wished that our pal would have millions of wellness moments.

Angel Vicki,

I’ve been watching my favorite episodes of The Jack Benny Program again and again.  Interestingly, several of them feature James Stewart and his wife Gloria. More about that … at the end of my blog post.

This afternoon – Thursday, December 9, 2021 – while organizing my inventory of greeting cards, I found a note I had written to myself. You had called me on October 8, 2012 at 19:00 from your new home. You said “The trees and mountain are glorious. But my pain is not going away….”

Even though you were ill, you gave your time to call and to ask about Sasa Southard  https://sasasouthard.com and other friends at Women’s National Book Association and San Francisco Writers Conference. How I wish a physician with Dr. Michael Moskowitz’s insight about persistent pain was your physician. The workbook that Dr. Michael Moskowitz co-wrote with Dr. Marla Golden was published only three months after your phone call (in January 2013), however, I didn’t know about it until last year (2020) when I was battling persistent pain myself.

I wish you Bliss, mon amie, and humbly ask you to help more people find Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION

With deep gratitude,

Teresa Jade

TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION 

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

http://neuroplastix.com

Your Brain On Pain

Why doesn’t the pain stop?

Listen to your body talk.

Use your brain to stop your pain.

Below are chapter / section titles of the workbook:

Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s Instructions for Using this Workbook

“This worbook has been designed to be helpful for practitioners and people experiencing persistent pain. It is a practical, visual guide to neuroplastic treatment approaches for treating persistent pain.”

“Neuroplastic Transformation provides a model that approaches persistent pain where it transforms from a symptom to disease. It also gives the person experiencing  pain’s relentless persistence, a chance to treat it with the same neuroplastic phenomena that created it, restoring balance to pain processing.”

At the end of each section is “Reining in the Runaway Brain” (patients share techniques they use)

http://neuroplastix.com

Sections in the workbook:

pages 4 – 16  Section 1 – Introduction

Brain Facts (page 4);  Brain Change (page 5);

Neuroplasticity Definition

• New Learning Changes the Brain

• The Brain Changes the Body

• The Body Changes the Brain

Neuroplasticity Rules
Workbook page 5

• What Gets Fired Gets Wired

• Use It or Lose It

• When You Break ‘Em You Make ‘Em; When You Make ‘Em You Break ‘Em

• Fight Fire With Fire

• Reverse the Forces That Have Caused Pain to Persist

• Restore Normal Pain Responses

R.A.F.T. (page 9)

–  Rescue

–  Adjustment

–  Functional

–  Transformation

Persistent vs Acute Pain
Workbook pages 10, 11

Counter-Stimulating Pain
Worbook page 11, 12, 13

• Pain Reassigns Brain Cells

• Take Back Brain Cells

• Use Graphics to Counter-Stimulate Pain

• Become Active in Your Own Care

• Counter-Stimulate Your Brain

Shrink the Pain Map by Flooding the Brain (page 13)

• Push Back Against Pain Spikes and Intrusions

• Get Inside Your Own Head

• Always Counter-Stimulate Your Pain

Active vs. Passive Treatment

Practice Makes Perfect

M.I.R.R.O.R. (page 14) MIRROR is:

– Motivation

– Intention

– Relentlessness

– Reliability

– Opportunity

– Restoration

N.O.R.M.A.L  (page 14) NORMAL is:

Neuroplastic Optimization and Reduction of Medication for Adaptive Living

• Rebalance Pain Processing Circuits

• Body and Brain Act Together

• Persistent Pain is a Learned Activity

 People Taking Back Control of Their Pain (page 16)

pages 18 – 24  Section 2 – Touch

Mom the Neuroscientist – It Takes a Mother’s Touch (page 18)

Hands That See (page 21)

Healing Touch (page 22)

pages 26 – 33  Section 3 -  Neuroplastic Brain and Body

NO BRAIN, NO PAIN.   Nociception.  (page 26)

The Brain Learns Pain; Too Smart for It’s Own Good (page 27)

Brain and Body (page 28)

Fire and Wire … Or Not

Cause and Cure for Pain Persistence (page 29)

pages 35 – 41   Section 4 – Pain Gone Wild

Limbic Activation (page 35)

Pain Makes Pain; Making a Bad Thing Worse (page 36)

Unpleasantness – As if the Pain Wasn’t Enough (page 37)

BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE – Over the Edge – Amygdala and Hippocampus (page 38)

IN THE AMYGDALA – Where the Wild Things Are (page 39)

Pages 43 – 52  Section 5 -  Soothing

Oh That Smell; The Nose Knows  (pages 47, 48)

BELIEF IS RELIEF (page 49)

Pages 54 – 64  Section 6 -  Mood and Pain

Pain and Mood Circuit (page 54)

Relax, Calm, Soothe – GABA to the Rescue (page 55)

Limbic Deactivation – Emotional Calm (page 57)

Access the Brain with  THOUGHTS  IMAGES   SENSATIONS  MEMORIES  SOOTHING EMOTIONS  MOVEMENT  BELIEFS  (page 58)

[ This wonderful workbook helps me understand just how awesome the beautiful brain is, however, my initial success was due to the coaching I received from Dr. Danielle Rosenman who was trained by Dr. Michael Moskowitz. The techniques helped me "outgrow" persistent pain. ]

Pages  66 – 74  Section 7  -  Pleasure – the Antidote for Pain

BLISS – Anandamide (page 69)

WELL BEING – Endorphins (page 71)

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE – Oxytocin (page 72)

Page  75  Section 8 – Conclusion – A New Beginning

Below are names of the writers who were credited for these particular episodes of

The Jack Benny Program which brought healing laughter

Written by Sam Perrin, George Balzer, Al Gordon, Hal Goldman -

James and Gloria Stewart are celebrating their wedding anniversary at a restaurant; Jack has invited himself and has brought girlfriend Mildred who sings (loudly) to Mr. Stewart when the band plays the French song “La Vie En Rose” (according to https://frenchmoments.eu/je-vois-la-vie-en-rose-the-story-of-the-song/ the music was composed by Marguerite Monnot and Louis Guglielmi aka Louiguy,  lyrics and also sung by Édith Piaf)

 ”Jack In Paris” (guests: Mary Livingstone, Maurice Chevalier) – according to https://www.imdb.com this show is Season 7, Episode 14  – Oh to see Arc de Triomphe  et la Tour Eiffel!

Written by  Sam Perrin, George Balzer, Hal Goldman, Al Gordon -

“The Income Tax Show” is hilarious! -  Season 15, Episode 4; October 16, 1964

“Jack Directs Film”  Season 14, Episode 6; Oct. 29, 1963  Jack finds out that Gloria Stewart is in James Stewart’s new movie and wants to congratulate her on the set.

Written by Sam Perrin, George Balzer, Milt Josefsberg, John Tackaberry

Jack Benny Program “The Jackie Gleason Show” is hilarious!  Wanting to impress Jackie Gleason, Jack and Rochester are staying in the penthouse suite in the Saint Regis Hotel. Yes, Jack is staying there (at no cost)

Again, thank you to the folks who post them on YouTube.

Thank you for reading Teresa Jade LeYung’s  blog post: “Wellness, Laughter, Writers, Jack Benny Program, Dr. Michael H. Moskowitz, Dr. Marla D. Golden, TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN Workbook”

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.

I wish you new vitality, total wellness!

Sincerely,

Teresa_Jade_LeYung__photo_by_Nan_Nooanan_and_Mary E. Knippel

Teresa Jade LeYung

(formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan)

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

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

To read Chi Nei Tsang Master Healer and Master Teacher Gilles Marin’s tried and true methods to attack viruses and neutralize them
https://www.chineitsang.com/post/prevent-getting-the-flu-and-help-eradicate-covid-19-contagion?mc_cid=186e80f0ec&mc_eid=ad8adb3075

2021 November 12, 13, 14, 20; Nov 21, 07:00-07:30 (wild winds), 13:00-13:40 — Berkeley, California – Blog post #610

What was screenwriter / screenwriting teacher Terrel Seltzer’s mantra? Her simple and powerful question at the beginning of class: 

“What makes a story?” 

The answer:  “Someone we care about wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it.”

Someone we care about (the protagonist or another character) wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it.

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As I compose this blog post …  I am thinking about the precious people and  the 4-legged kids in my life, past and present. What do I want in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic?  I want resources to wellness for everyone in this world.  Two books have helped millions of people, including me and the people in my life.

Dr. Norman Doidge’s first book

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

Chapter titles in both books are in this blog post – below.

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I am thinking about Vicki Weiland  (developmental editor). Women’s National Book Association had brought this vibrant spirit into our lives when we were board members at the San Francisco chapter.

Vicki’s life became severely difficult when illness appeared; diagnosis was not immediate. Guillain-Barre syndrome.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362793 says:

“Guillain-Barre (gee-YAH-buh-RAY) syndrome is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms.”  ….   “Although most people recover from Guillain-Barre syndrome, the mortality rate is 4% to 7%.”

What did  dear Vicki want the last ten years of her life? What did we, who loved her, want for her? Restored health!

Victoria C. Weiland - photo by Teresa Jade LeYung

Vicki wanted the pain to go away (often 10 on the scale)… to go away through organic paths. She wanted NOT to suffer other symptoms caused by side effects of prescribed drugs. By the time Vicki tried the healing modalities described in Dr. Norman Doidge’s books (including laser light treatments which alleviated pain in parts of her body) … her system had  already been overwhelmed by the years of prescriptions that only “tricked” her Beautiful Brain (“BB”) for short periods of time while pain pathways hijacked other brain functions -  impacting emotions, problem-solving, memory, creativity ….

Our precious friend died in June this year 2021.

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Brain map below is from the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION 

written by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO

Who is Dr. Michael Moskowitz? He is “Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself: Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned” which is Chapter 1 in Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book.

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I am thinking about Dr. Danielle Rosenman who opened a new world to me when she coached me to retrain beautiful brain last year and led me to the workbook written by Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden. Thank you, Steven Falk (Dr. Rosenman’s husband), for sharing wonderful news that Dr. Rosenman’s own health is improving. May Dr. Rosenman continue to get stronger and stronger, on her way to complete wellness soon!

I am thinking about my mentor author Lynn Scott (author of A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me) who taught me the meaning of courage and compassion. Lynn says she is experiencing more symptoms in her illness.  I’m thinking about Lynn’s housemate Bob who had a heart attack and is in the hospital; I’m thinking about Lynn’s friend Diana who has cancer.

I am thinking about Maxine Hong Kingston – the author who taught me self-forgiveness through her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts  and also inspired me to use the written word to speak up (through the birth of my novel Love Made of Heart ).  Maxine’s words have been godsend every since Dr. Susan Thackrey (San Francisco) advised me to read  THE WOMAN WARRIORaround  1985.

I want for everyone new vitality! That’s what I want!

I am thinking about Kristiane McKee Maas (longhorn cattle rancher and creator of beautiful events),  artist, curator, and founder of A Place of Her Own Cynthia Tom, artist and author Gale Henshel (her book is Dyslexia, My Gift, My Story), Lakshmi Hannah Kerner, author Mahyar A. Amouzegar  (his novels - A Dark Sunny Afternoon; Dinner at 10:32; Pisgah Road), author Geneva “Neva” Dinwiddie (Sister Hold My Hand: Together We Stand) who is primary caregiver to her spouse, and LaH who is grieving loss of precious kittie Gracie.

I am thinking about these dear folks and other friends and other mentors and mentees … who are dealing with loss of health or loss of relationships.

Addendum:

November 22 morning – I just read email from dear Madame Hamou in France. I must tell Madame Hamou about Dr. Doidge’s books – translated into French and other languages. May Madame Hamou continue to get stronger and stronger, on her way to complete wellness soon.

Chi Nei Tsang practitioner Marie-Christine Cornet is now in France http://www.mariechristinecornet.com/

I want for everyone new vitality! That’s what I want!

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November 12 and 13, 2021 , I am running the movie THE SIXTH SENSE(written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan).  And to think I didn’t want to watch this movie when brilliant screenwriter / teacher Terrel Seltzer polled the class. The mother character Lynn Sear (portrayed by Toni Collette) is the most memorable element for me. What did Lynn want for her 9-year-old son Cole?  What did Cole (portrayed by Haley Joel Osment) want, actually, what didn’t he want? What did Dr. Malcolm Crowe (portrayed by Bruce Willis) want? What did  his wife Anna (portrayed by Olivia Williams) want? What did the other characters (whom only Cole could see) want?

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I want wellness.  For myself.  For everyone.

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So many great books on wellness.  The two that continue to show me how our beautiful brains are awesome conductors working the orchestras we call “Bodies” are the two books written by Norman Doidge, M.D. https://www.normandoidge.com

Below are chapter titles of both books.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page of Dr Doidge’s website: https://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1052

Dr. Norman Doidge’s first book

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

Chapter titles -

1.  A Woman Perpetually Falling – Rescued by the Man Who Discovered the Plasticity of Our Senses 2.  Building Herself a Better Brain -  A Woman Labeled “Retarded” Discovers How to Heal Herself 3.  Redesigning the Brain – A Scientist Changes Brains to Sharpen Perception and Memory, Increase Speed of Thought and Heal Learning Problems 4.  Acquiring Tastes and Loves – What Neuroplasticity Teaches Us About Sexual Attraction and Love 5.  Midnight Resurrections – Stroke Victims Learn to Move and Speak Again 6.  Brain Lock Unlocked – Using Plasticity to stop Worries, Obsessions, Compulsions and Bad Habits 7.  Pain – The Dark Side of Plasticity 8.  Imagination – How Thinking Makes It So 9.  Turning Our Ghosts into Ancestors – Psychoanalysis as Neuroplastic Therapy 10.  Rejuvenation – The Discovery of the Neuronal Stem Cell and Lessons for Preserving Our Brains 11.  More than the Sum of Her Parts – A Woman Shows Us How Radically Plastic the Brain Can Be Appendix 1 – The Culturally Modified Brain Appendix 2 – Plasticity and the Idea of Progress

Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

Chapter titles -

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned Chapter 2 A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia

(Teresa here to say that this chapter – about Mr. John Pepper -inspired me to be a smart advocate for my papa. Mr. Pepper’s website https://www.reverseparkinsons.net/ )

  Chapter 3 The Stages of Neuroplastic Healing How and Why It Works Chapter 4 Rewiring a Brain with Light Using Light to Reawaken Dormant Neural Circuits Chapter 5 Moshe Feldenkrais: Physicist, Black Belt, and Healer Healing Serious Brain Problems Through Mental Awareness of Movement Chapter 6 A Blind Man Learns to See Using Feldenkrais, Buddhist, and Other Neuroplastic Methods Chapter 7 A Device That Resets the Brain Stimulating Neuromodulation to Reverse Symptoms I. A Cane Against the Wall II. Three Resets: Parkinson’s, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis III. The Cracked Potters IV. How the Brain Balances Itself—with a Little Help Chapter 8 A Bridge of Sound The Special Connection Between Music and the BrainI. A Dyslexic Boy Reverses His Misfortune II. A Mother’s Voice III. Rebuilding the Brain from the Bottom Up: Autism, Attention Deficits, and Sensory Processing Disorder IV. Solving the Mystery at the Abbey: How Music Raises Our Spirits and Energy Afterword to the Paperback Edition Appendix 1 – A General Approach to TBI and Brain Problems Appendix 2 – Matrix Repatterning for TBI Appendix 3 – Neurofeedback for ADD, ADHD, Epilepsy, Anxiety, and TBI

https://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1042  says:

Available, so far, in 22 languages. The Brain’s Way of Healing is now available in over 100 countries, and 22 languages including translations from English into  Bulgarian, Chinese Traditional Characters, Chinese Simplified Characters, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Polish,  Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil,  Romanian, Russian,  Spanish,  Turkish and Ukrainian. English Editions: North American Editions, (Viking Penguin U.S.A.) UK Edition, (Penguin U.K.) Australian & New Zealand Edition (Scribe) Kindle Edition, Amazon. Audio books by Brilliance Audio in North America, and Bolinda in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand

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Thank you, dear Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, MFT,  http://www.duskyswondersite.com/ for displaying Dr. Doidge’s first book on your shelf many years ago.

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Norman Doidge: Brain’s Healing Energies on YouTube  https://youtu.be/ifYcE4-eI_s  Dr. Doidgetalks 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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Thank you for reading my blog post: “Want Wellness; Norman Doidge, M.D.’s books -The Brain That Changes Itself, Neuroplasticity”

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.

I wish you new vitality, total wellness!

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Story Consultant and Photo Historian

Teresa Jade LeYung shares croissants - in Paris 2019 - photo by plant healer Nan Noonan and author / writing coach Mary E. Knippel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Story Consultant and Photo Historian Teresa Jade LeYung  (formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan) 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 ® is Teresa’s trademark

2021 August 19, 16:38;   October 19, 22:22;  October 20, 16:23-21:23 California

Dear Reader,

I send you wishes of wellness, lasting wellness of deep peace.  Over the decades, I have been fortunate to gain knowledge and skills from generous folks who shared secrets to the “good” life.

If you are a friend reading this blog post … I thank you for your emails, physical mail, text messages, voicemails, well wishes, lovely thoughts and prayers.

So many books have enriched my life … 3 books have been especially healing for me these past months as I continue to learn how to move away from persistent unpleasant sensations (including pain signals) that began last year after an episode of Shingles.

Therefore, as a fellow sojourner during this world pandemic …  I am dreaming of Paris, retraining Beautiful Brain, understanding this neurological disorder, reading and getting inspired by Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s snail, Diane LeBow’s dancing, and Gilles Marin’s Taoist approach to healing.

Book by Gilles Marin

Five Elements, Six Conditions – a Taoist Approach to Emotional Healing, Psychology, and Internal Alchemy

Gilles Marin is the Founder and Director of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute and School of Taoist Healing Energetics, California, USA https://www.chineitsang.com

Co-directeur de  l’institut de Chi Nei Tsang, Nice, FRANCE   chineitsang.marin.free.fr

TaoTouch: The art to help people heal, get rid of pain, and bring back vibrant health by reconciling self, soul and spirit while triggering emotional processing.  This is done through a traditional Taoist monastic healing practice called Chi Nei Tsang, which works with deep and gentle abdominal touch to enhance health and vitality to the internal organs.

Gilles Marin was born in France on Bastille Day, July 14th, and is a Fire Monkey in Chinese Astrology.

Thank you, dear Fire Rooster and Goddess of Happiness Linda A. Harris and dear healer Marie-Christine Cornet https://www.mariechristinecornet.com , for introducing me to the wonderful world of Gilles Marin.

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Book by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

ELISABETH TOVA BAILEY’s natural history/memoir, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, recounts her year-long observations of a wild Maine woodland snail. The true story of her interspecies relationship is reaching a general international audience of both genders and all ages and is finding special homes in the fields of literature, natural history, medical humanities, and education.

https://www.elisabethtovabailey.net  Elisabeth Tova Bailey tells the inspiring and intimate story of her year-long encounter with a Neohelix albolabris—a common forest snail. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches as the snail takes up residence on her nightstand. Intrigued by its molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making ability, hydraulic locomotion, and mysterious courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world illuminates our own human existence.

Thank you, dear Luisa Adams, author of  the exquisite memoir Woven of Water https://www.rp-author.com/Adams/, for gifting me Ms. Bailey’s book.

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Book by Diane LeBow

Dancing on the Wine-Dark Sea: Memoir of a Trailblazing Woman’s Travels, Adventures, and Romance 

https://dianelebow.com

Diane LeBow is an award-winning writer and photojournalist. She is the recipient of Gold and Silver Solas Awards for “Best Women’s Travel Writing,” and she is President emerita of Bay Area Travel Writers.

DianeLeBow has traveled to more than 90 countries. She has spent time with Afghan women, the Hopi, Amazon people, Tuvans, Mongolians, Corsicans, and Parisians. She has scuba dived with sharks in the Red Sea and trained champion Morgan horses.

A pioneer of college women’s studies programs, Diane LeBow received her Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness from the University of California. She is also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Douglass College at Rutgers University. Diane began her teaching career in the Netherlands and was a college professor in Paris, New York City, and California.

Thank you, global traveler / certified tour director / author Sasa Southard  https://sasasouthard.com/ , for introducing me to the wonderful world of Diane LeBow!

Thank you, author / photographer Margie Yee Webb https://www.amazon.com/Books-Margie-Yee-Webb/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AMargie+Yee+Webb , for having invited Ms. LeBow to speak at the June 16, 2021 meeting of Gold Country Writers and broadcasting Ms. LeBow’s memorable stories!

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Thank you for reading my blog post “Paris, Brain, Neurological Disorders, Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s Snail, Diane LeBow’s Dancing, Gilles Marin’s Taoist Approach to Healing”

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 by Mary E. Knippel, author, speaker, writing coach https://yourwritingmentor.com

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.”

Teresa Jade LeYung, American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a manuscript-theme consultant, author of Love Made Of Heart (daughter-mother story – archived at the San Francisco History Center), Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days (workbook), and Talking To My Dead Mom monologues, and, an advocate for public libraries and public schools.

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung by Global Adventurer Sasa Southard https://sasasouthard.com

the workbook – Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Kindle ebook edition https://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase-ebook/dp/B005J9ZEIA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1634787032&sr=1-1

Print edition  https://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase/dp/0983010005/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1634787032&sr=1-1

Love Made Of Heart ®

June 22, 2021 addendum

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 ®

NARRATIVE PATHS JOURNAL   July 10, 2020  Guest Column:

Wake-Up America!  Part II

Healing Racism

by Dr. Kim McMillon, Professor & Author

https://www.narrativepathsjournal.com/guest-column-wake-up-america-part-ii-healing-racism-by-dr-kim-mcmillon-professor-author/

Dr. Kim McMillon, author, historian, activist, over twenty years of experience producing theatre

The Conversation 

1. How do you become an ally to those experiencing racial oppression?
2.  The public has not protested the atrocities that have been taking place in our country, but yet during a pandemic, people are taking to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, why?
3.   How do you believe we can change the world for the better?
4.   As a poet, how would you like to be remembered?
5.   What line or stanza of poetry best describes you?

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Author Teresa Jade LeYung says:  The tagline in Dr. Kim McMillon’s poetathon is: “If not NOW, WHEN?” I believe that that mantra plus the ability to document incidents with our personal electronic devices (especially cellphones) plus the speed in which to broadcast content through social media add up to a World Town Crier galvanizing people to protest the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other victims. Here we are, fighting a global enemy named Coronavirus – people old and young risking their lives to save lives – folks making sacrifices by staying home to reduce the spread of infection – friends and neighbors sharing resources . . . yet, all the while, the hideous monster named racial injustice looms across our past and present. What can I do after protesters have gone home? How do I confront apathy and denial? I pledge to get more training from www.ihollaback.org: “We’re on a mission to end harassment—in all its forms.”  The folks at Hollaback! (in 16 countries) have developed new programs, including “Bystander Intervention to Stop Police-Sponsored Violence and Anti-Black Racist Harassment” and “Stand Up Against Street Harassment.” I pledge to not wait to read voting material right before elections but to routinely visit websites of my legislators to communicate to them what laws I want changed, so that I stand with fellow Americans to fully exercise our rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” http://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration

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Author Teresa Jade LeYung says:  How can we change the world for the better?  While I have no answers, questions weigh on me as a U.S. citizen.

• Education – “Why do zip codes influence how much money a child receives in public schools?  Do ballot measures show this inequality?” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tale-two-zip-codes-covid-19-exposes-deep-disparities-u-n1227646
  
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• When the media brag about lowest unemployment rate, I want to know: “How many of these jobs actually pay a living wage?” “Who are selling and buying ‘cheap labor’ and where are the human beings toiling?”https://livingwage.mit.edu/articles  and https://livingwage.mit.edu/articles/61-new-living-wage-data-for-now-available-on-the-tool and https://www.worldhunger.org/  and  https://www.worldhunger.org/hunger-news/united-states/
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• When groups blame immigrants and migrant workers (all tax payers by the way) for “taking away” jobs, I ask  “Why are we denying the fact that U.S. companies send millions of jobs overseas?”  and “What happened to the companies who had urged us to be patriotic by buying products made in the U.S.A.?”  https://www.thebalance.com/how-outsourcing-jobs-affects-the-u-s-economy-3306279
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• Why are we afraid to look at “ugly”?
• Abject Poverty https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/poverty/
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• Hate and Bigotry https://www.splcenter.org/what-we-do
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• Modern day Slavery also known as Human Trafficking https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/partnerships/look-beneath-the-surface
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Do we have a chance of becoming our better selves? Yes! We can wake up! Perhaps if we continue asking lawmakers these and other questions, our united voices shall change the world for the better.

https://www.ihollaback.org  Hollaback!  in 20 cities globally!

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https://www.standup-international.com/fr/fr  Agissons ensemble contre le harcèlement de rue.

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 https://www.standagainsthatred.org/   Stand Against Hate

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https://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/  Stop AAPI Hate

I wish you and everyone around you safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious foods, and sweet laughter!

Bonne journée!

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung, mask by Emily O, July 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung

“To help prevent spread of COVID-19, I wear face-covering AND keep at least 6-foot distance with people who don’t live with me.  No blaming No shaming; I protect myself and everyone else.”

Teresa Jade LeYung, American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a manuscript-theme consultant, author of Love Made Of Heart (archived at the San Francisco History Center), Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days, and Talking To My Dead Mom monologues, and, advocate for public libraries and public schools. Teresa speaks out and offers resources through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Dear Readers of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

I wish you all wellness and joy.

This post is to acknowledge the dear folks who have encouraged and inspired me as I made my debut as a Found-Object Artist.  Whether or not they were there in person, I humbly thank everyone as I go forward with a new perspective!

Year 2018 began with receiving acceptance of my application to be in A PLACE OF HER OWN residency program (created by Cynthia Tom) – an art-based healing and transformation series of workshops culminating in an art exhibition for women. http://www.aplaceofherown.org

A PLACE OF HER OWN is dedicated to fostering the long-term mental health and well-being of women.

Featuring 24 San Francisco Bay Area Women Artists answering the question:

“If you had a place of your own, what would it be?”

Curated by Cynthia Tom and Maggie Yee

Artists:  Nancy Arvold, *Julie Andersen, Angela Bau, *Frances Cachapero, *Norma Carrera, *Kristi Chan, Catherine Ceniza Choy, *Angie Dumagsa, *Elizabeth Esqueda, Reiko Fujii, *Ashleigh Heinichen, *Tomo Hirai, *Ahran Lee, *Grace Hwang Lynch, Lisa Rodondi, *Teresa Jade LeYung-Ryan, Natalie Sacramento, Cynthia Tom, Sue Tom, Dechen Tsering, Manon Bogerd Wada, Irene Wibawa, Maggie Yee, *Patricia Zamora

* 2018 residency program

May 12, 2018 A PLACE OF HER OWN opening reception at J-SEI, Emeryville, CA - photo by Cris Matos

What was my art?  “Four Desks For the Four Femmes In Me”

Teresa Jade LeYung speaks openly through her writing and advocacy, her immigrant experience, and her knowing beauty.  As an author, a story consultant, and a found-object artist, she empowers women to transform their own stories and is often quoted as saying: “I think beauty. I am beauty.” Please visit  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Margie Yee Webb, Teresa Jade LeYung, Sasa Southard at J-SEI on May 12, 2018 opening reception of A PLACE OF HER OWN art exhibition - photo by

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Artist Diana Lew, found-object artist Teresa Jade LeYung, artist/curator Cynthia Tom, and Jennifer Heminger, founder and owner of Zen Lot - photo by

Professor Sheryl Fairchild, found-object artist Teresa Jade LeYung, music teacher/composer Chris Elise Keller - photo by

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More photos to be added . . .

Please also take a look at my May 7, 2018 blog post:

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-theme-consultant-teresa-leyung-ryan-aka-found-object-artist-teresa-jade-leyung/

If you have facebook, please:

“Like” this PAGE:  https://www.facebook.com/aplaceofherown/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/APLACE/  when you have time, please look at photos and like as many as you care to click on 

Thank you, everyone! You are helping Cynthia Tom help more and more women heal and transform.

I wish you all wellness and joy.

Story Theme Consultant Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Living Beauty-full Life

as Found-Object Artist Teresa Jade LeYung

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blogIf you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

We’ll always have Paris, my darling friends. And themes.

Blog post by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

The date that Elisa Sasa Southard had written on the first page of the notebook (with drawing of Eiffel Tower on the cover) that she had given me is 20 April 2015. The words she penned in purple ink included pieces from my mental wish list:

“Must See – Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Rodin’s, Sainte-Chapelle, Shakespeare and Company

Must Do – Museum pass, Walking tour

Movies to Watch – Midnight In Paris, French Kiss, Irma La Douce, Populaire, The Closet ”

Aah I had seen Woody Allen’s movie Midnight In Paris in a theater, and, later, rented it several times just to see the first four minutes (shots of arrondissements “neighborhoods”) with 3 minutes and 20 seconds of composer Sidney Bechet’s saxophone magic  “Si Tu Vois Ma Mere”

Then Margie Yee Webb gifted me 3 books – The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter; Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso, and More by Christina Henry de Tessan; The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious – and Perplexing – City by David Lebovitz

Even if I cannot go...reading David Lebovitz's most beautifully written book THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS made me smile happy tears.

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The plan was to go to gay Paris (pronounced “Paree”) in 2016.  In May 2015, my papa received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease – that explains his leg weakness, tremors, and freezing, as well as the “shuffling”. As my darling friends were talking dates and flights, I heard myself saying “I can’t go…What if I am in Paris…and Papa falls…” My friends were sympathetic. Trip planning was terminated.

I created a blog series “Parkinson’s Disease, My Chinese Papa, and My practicing The Four Agreements” (you know, the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz)

One day, after Papa had assembled a pedal-exerciser (I was so happy for him), he got up too fast…plop.  He fell, right in front of me. His recliner broke his fall. What a lucky fellow! I was in shock for two whole seconds. Gosh, a lot of worrisome thoughts raced through my brain as he popped up to standing position, with a look that said “That did not happen, you did not see that.”

Later that week, I had my epiphany – I could hear my mom telling me “You cannot worry about what might or might not happen.”  She’s been my muse every since she showed up in a mighty healing dream – a dream that inspired my “Talking to My Mom Monologues”.

Here she was again, being the muse.  I started a new monologue “Papa Fell Down, I’m Going to Paris”

I called my darling friends. “Let’s look at calendars. How’s September 2016?”

Teresa LeYung-Ryan here, inspired by the arrondissments we walked in and everyone who have made my 8-day trip to Paris a most remarkable experience. The “everyone” includes my papa, sister, friends (including Margie, Sasa et Will, Linda, Vicki, Lynn, Luisa, Martha, Olga, Kristiane, Cousin Howard, JB, my darling mom of course), colleagues, vendors, and strangers who have given me their well wishes or assistance or greetings of “bonjour” or all the above. Traveling with Elisa “Sasa” Southard (certified tour director and travel writer) who speaks Français and is such a fun and  thoughtful leader and Margie Yee Webb (author, photographer, documentary film producer) who pays attention to details and is also so thoughtful =  joy and delight for me (whose knowledge of magical Paris had been from watching Hollywood, English and French movies…until now).

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Aah, we (Elisa Sasa Southard, yours truly Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Margie Yee Webb) did go. Thank you, lovely AirFrance flight attendant, for taking photo minutes before landing at Charles de Gaulle airport.

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Oui! La Tour Eiffel ("tour" is French word for "tower") is really that beautiful - by day, by night, in sun, in rain! Oui! that is Sasa with Chronicle Books bag (that Margie gifted us) over her right shoulder.

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Parisian architecture, sandstone buildings, trees trees trees, Eiffel Tower!

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The most yummy-looking and truly delicious quiche we enjoyed in Paris was at Café de Flore

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The themes that I got from being in “The City of Light” are:

* sandstone buildings, why maximum height is eight-stories

* what to eat at a boulangerie, pâtisserie, bistrot, traiteur, brasserie, or a restaurant

* art is beauty for all the senses

Forthcoming:

Part 2 What I learned about the Eiffel Tower and the architect

Part 3 Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre, Musée Rodin, museum passes

Part 4 Croissants in Paris and my being wheat gluten intolerant

Part 5 Walked, Walking, Will Walk

Part 6 Airplane, Batobus (ferries), Metro (subway), buses, train, elevators

Part 7 I want to look at everything at the U Express supermarket s’il vous plaît

Part 8 “Make Your Name Stand for Something,” says Writers’ Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Part 9 “I’ll always cherish my time in Paris,” says Teresa LeYung-Ryan

For the slideshow  “We’ll always have Paris, my darling friends,” says author Teresa LeYung-Ryan on Teresa’s Youtube channel, please click on https://youtu.be/LbX50ojbc84

à bientôt!

Teresa LeYung-Ryan uses her fiction and nonfiction to advocate speaking openly about the stigmas associated with mental illness and the repercussions from family violence.

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She is the author of:

• the mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart (used as required reading in colleges)
• the workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days
• Coach Teresa’s Blog at http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/
• her monologue series “Talking to My Dead Mom” (her monologue “Answer Me Now” received an award from CWC Redwood Writers)

Creator of:

• the “Immigrant Experience” Writing Contest
• workshops including:
  • “For Theme’s Sake: Edit Your Own Manuscript Before Pitching to Agents or Self-Publishing”
  • “Heroes, Tricksters, Villains – Know Your Archetypes”
  • “Where Are You on Your Writer’s Journey?”
  • Build/Retrofit Your Writer’s Platform
  • her trademark Love Made of Heart

Affiliated with:

• Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter (member and past board member and officer)
• California Lawyers for the Arts (member)
• California Writers Club (member, San Francisco Peninsula Branch and Redwood Branch; a past president of the San Francisco Peninsula Branch); a recipient of the Jack London Award for outstanding service to California Writers Club

Advocate for:

• public schools and public libraries!

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.