Daddy’s Legacy

summer 2010 (p&s) 104

Today is the 100th anniversary of Elmer Loyd Robinson’s birth. In honor of the occasion, I’m reposting the first blog post I wrote on July 20, 2011.

Daddy was a simple man. I don’t mean that he wasn’t smart. Quite the opposite. He was valedictorian of his high school graduating class, and he was great at helping me with my homework. He could figure out how to fix or build anything. When he worked for the Post Office, he could quote the manual verbatim and knew where every Texas town was located, no matter how small. But his needs and wants were simple, and he sometimes didn’t understand the complexities of the modern world. He didn’t leave behind a collection of awards and trophies or a big estate, but he left behind a legacy of peace and love that will live for a long time.

Daddy was hard to buy for because he didn’t need much to be happy. If he had a pair of shoes for work and another for Sunday, he didn’t see the need of another pair for his birthday. He didn’t understand why Givenchy for Men was better than Aqua Velva or Old Spice, and the stylish shirts and sweaters he received for Christmas or Father’s Day hung in the back of his closet while he wore his favorite button-up plaid shirts. He played golf with a set of used clubs, and he docked his used fishing boat at a dock he built with his own hands. The most excited I ever saw him about a gift was Christmas of 1957. We had a brand new Plymouth, maybe the first new car he ever owned. In those days, outside rear-view mirrors were an accessory, and one on each side was a real luxury. That year Jim and I pooled our money and bought Daddy a matching pair of chrome rear-view mirrors. He opened the present with a half-smile that said, Oh, goody, another pair of shoes, but when he saw the glitter of chrome, he broke into a real smile. When he saw the second mirror, he absolutely beamed.

Kitty’s tolerance is growing | by Linda Brendle

Published by the Rains County Leader on May 1, 2018:

One of the author groups I belong to on Facebook asked us to share a brief “getting to know you” post. Here’s what I wrote:

I retired from the business world ten years ago, but it didn’t last. I work part-time at my church, do some on-line accounting for my son’s publishing company, and write for our local weekly newspaper. I have one son, two beautiful grandchildren, and an almost domesticated feral cat who loves my husband and tolerates me.

Kitty and I were making great strides in our relationship until my extended bout with allergies and a sinus infection accompanied by a very persistent and irritating cough. The first issue was that I was miserable and didn’t feel like currying the favor of Her Royal Snottiness, so I basically ignored her. I did, however, still offer treats at bedtime, but for some reason, she refused to follow the rules. Instead of lying on my stomach as I required, she insisted on sitting beside me. She didn’t even want to get close enough to take the treats out of my lap but instead wanted me to put them in front of her on the bed.

FREE – This week only – A Long and Winding Road by Linda Brendle

Free! Monday thru Friday this week!

Alzheimer’s is a family disease, and A Long and Winding Road is a love story—not a boy-meets-girl love story, but a family love story:

The story of the love of a daughter for her parents and her willingness to take them into her home when they could no longer care for themselves;

The story of a mother and father who loved their daughter but no longer remembered exactly where they were or why;

The story of a husband who loved his wife so much that he stood beside her as they fought to survive the ravages of the brain-wasting disease that was stealing her loved ones away a piece at a time.

It’s also the story of a seven-week trip for four across sixteen U.S. states in a forty-foot motor home—a trip that involved stopped up toilets, wet jeans, laughter, and headaches that were far from the easygoing retirement the Brendles had imagined for themselves.

Linda Brendle takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotional and spiritual challenges that many families are facing right now. Co-dependency, mental breakdowns, and finding love after divorce are just a few of the issues weaved into this journey of caregiving.

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is the story of the chaos that happens when four people, two of whom have Alzheimer’s, spend fifty-three days in a 400-square-foot box on wheels.

Free! This week only!

Blessings,

Linda

Book Review of A Long and Winding Road

If you love bargains, the digital edition of A Long and Winding Road: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is on sale for just $.99!

A review by Mary Beth Magee of Reviews and Opinions and the Writing World: 

A book every caregiver should read by a woman who has been there

What do you do when the world you thought you knew starts shifting out from under you? 

That’s the dilemma that confronted author Linda Brendle. She faced a husband in career turmoil, a mother in the throes of Alzheimer’s and a father suffering from vascular dementia. As a potential cross-country move loomed, she and her husband made a decision to take an extended trip in an RV with her parents.

The result of that trip became “The Long and Winding Road.” Brendle moves back and forth between the trip and memories of past activities to show the way personal history influences personal present and perceptions. Her extraordinary memoir should be on every caregiver’s “must read” list.

As someone who has cared for a mother with Alzheimer’s, I identified immediately with Brendle’s situation. She doesn’t sugarcoat the problems, but she shows a path through them. Her poignant and heartfelt story can offer a glimmer of hope to anyone in the situation.

If you face a caregiving role, look for “The Long and Winding Road: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love and Chaos” by Linda Brendle. The book will provide an understanding shoulder, a cheerleader and a frequent “I know how that feels” chuckle. Her deep faith perspective will encourage you in your own faith walk. I wish I had this book when my mother was still with me.

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is the story of the chaos that happens when four people, two of whom have Alzheimer’s, spend fifty-three days in a 400-square-foot box on wheels.

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos

Available at:

B&N // Kobo // iTunes // Amazon // Smashwords

Blessings,

Linda

 

$.99 for the Ebook edition of “A Long and Winding Road” by Linda Brendle

If you love bargains, the digital edition of A Long and Winding Road: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is on sale for just $.99!

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is the story of the chaos that happens when four people, two of whom have Alzheimer’s, spend fifty-three days in a 400-square-foot box on wheels.

A review from Talynn of Ink in the Book: 

If you want to read a great book, one that is heart felt, sincere, bittersweet, and yet inspiring and uplifting, A Long and Winding Road is the perfect choice.

The author is such a sweet lady, you can’t help but fall in love with her and her story. You’ll be crying as she cries, laughing at loud while you know she must have felt as she wrote. Not to mention, you’ll feel her pain as she discovers a whole new life and way of living.

I give it 4 of 5 stars!!

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver’s Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos

Available at:

B&N // Kobo // iTunes // Amazon // Smashwords

Blessings,

Linda

 

Author Interview with Anaiah Press

Today has been a busy one and it’s barely past breakfast! Here is a link to an interview I did with Anaiah Press. Click it and see if you learn anything about me and my writing you didn’t already know.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Blessings,

Linda

 

Check out the Anniversary Edition!

Tatia’s Tattoo Quote – Arrested | by Linda Brendle

Human trafficking is one of the three largest illegal industries in the world  – experts disagree on whether it is second or third. Over a million children each year fall victim to traffickers.

Tatia’s Tattoo is a novel about human sex trafficking in small-town America. To help share her story, click over to my book page at Crowdscribed and pre-order an ebook for just $10 or a signed paperbook for $20. Be a part of the solution!

Tatia’s Tattoo is a novel about human sex trafficking in small-town America. Human trafficking is one of the three largest illegal industries in the world  – experts disagree on whether it is second or third. Over a million children each year fall victim to traffickers.

Have you pre-ordered your copy of Tatia’s Tattoo? You can visit my book page at Crowdscribed  and order an ebook for $10 or an autographed paperback for $20. Be a part of the solution!

Blessings,

Linda

Tatia’s Tattoo Quote – Broken Glass | by Linda Brendle

Human trafficking is one of the three largest illegal industries in the world  – experts disagree on whether it is second or third. Over a million children each year fall victim to traffickers.

Tatia’s Tattoo is a novel about human sex trafficking in small-town America. To help share her story, click over to my book page at Crowdscribed and pre-order an ebook for just $10 or a signed paperbook for $20. Be a part of the solution!

Blessings,

Linda

Tatia’s Tattoo Author Video | by Linda Brendle

In this video, I talk about the inspiration that led to the creation of Tatia’s Tattoo, a novel about sex trafficking in small-town America.

To access the book page mentioned in the video, CLICK HERE.

Blessings,

Linda

Book Club Levels – Tatia’s Tattoo Crowdfunding | by Linda Brendle

Human trafficking is one of the three largest illegal industries in the world – experts disagree on whether it is second or third. Over a million children each year fall victim to traffickers.

Tatia’s Tattoo is a Christian novel that tells the story of sex trafficking in small-town America. Raising awareness of this issue could be the first step in solving it. It is my belief that Tatia’s story can play a large part of taking that first step.

You can be involved in Tatia’s story by pledging financial support to help cover the costs of development and copy editing, typesetting, proof reading, and cover design. Proceeds will also cover the miscellaneous costs involved in setting up the ebook, acquiring the ISBN and Library of Congress numbers, and so forth, as well as the printing costs for the books supporters will receive as rewards. None of the funds from the campaign are released to the author at any time.

There are six different levels of support, each with a minimum dollar amount and a corresponding reward. My last two posts have explained the details of the first four levels. This post is about Levels 5 and 6 – the Book Club Levels.

Silver Book Club – Level 5: Silver Book Clubs are small groups of book lovers who love to meet to discuss books they have read. The reward for this level includes five autographed paperback copies of Tatia’s Tattoo with 5 custom bookmarks, 5 custom tote bags, 5 chances to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate, and the names of your book club and club members on a list of supporters in the book. The minimum contribution for this level is $125.

Gold Book Club – Level 6: Gold Book Clubs are larger groups of Bibliophiles who love to meet to discuss books they have read. Contributors at this level will receive ten autographed paperback copies of Tatia’s Tattoo, 10 custom bookmarks, 10 custom tote bags, a personal or video appearance by the author (depending on location), 10 chances to win a $30 Amazon gift certificate, and the names of your book club and club members on a list of supporters in the book. The minimum contribution for all of this is $275.

Here are several easy ways to see what all the excitement is about:

1. To read a sample of Tatia’s Tattoo, CLICK HERE.
2. For an overview of the crowdfunding process, CLICK HERE.
3. For details of Levels 1 and 2, CLICK HERE.
4. For details of Levels 3 and 4, CLICK HERE.
5. To go to the “Contribute” page, CLICK HERE.

The contribution amounts listed are minimums. To contribute an amount not listed, go to the bottom of the “Contribute” page and fill in the space labeled “Choose your amount.”
Several people have joined me in this project. Who will be next? Together I believe we can make a difference.

Blessings,

Linda