Download or read book Daddy Needs a Drink written by Robert Wilder and published by Delta. This book was released on 2007-05-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of Dave Barry, an irreverent look at fatherhood from a dad who truly loves his kids—even when they’re driving him nuts. “Robert Wilder’s hilarious and boldly candid essays about the realities of parenting go down like gin and tonic on a hot summer afternoon.”—People A Santa Fe dad shares heartwarming, comic, often ludicrous tales of raising a family in this laugh-out-loud book perfect for anyone who enjoys the edgy humor of David Sedaris or the whimsical commentary of Dave Barry. Waxing both profound and profane on issues close to a father’s heart—from exploding diapers to toddler tantrums, from the horrors of dressing up as Frosty the Snowman to the moments that make a father proud—Robert Wilder brilliantly captures the joys and absurdities of being a parent today. With an artist wife and two kids—a daughter, Poppy, and a son, London—Robert Wilder considers himself as open-minded as the next man. Yet even he finds himself parentally challenged when his toddler son, London, careens around the house in the buff or asks the kind of outrageous, embarrassing questions only a kid can ask. A high school teacher who sometimes refers to himself jokingly as Mister Mom (when his wife, Lala, is busy in her studio), Wilder shares warmly funny stories on everything from sleep deprivation to why school-sponsored charities can turn otherwise sane adults into blithering and begging idiots. Whether trying to conjure up the perfect baby name (“Poppy” came to his wife’s mother in a dream) or hiring a Baby Whisperer to get some much-needed sleep, Wilder offers priceless life lessons on discipline, potty training, even phallic fiddling (courtesy of young London). He describes the perils of learning to live monodextrously (doing everything with one hand while carrying your child around with the other) and the joys of watching his daughter morph into a graceful, wise, unique little person right before his eyes. By turns tender, irreverent, and hysterically funny, Daddy Needs a Drink is a hilarious and poignant tribute to his family by a man who truly loves being a father.

Download or read book The Compression Planning Advantage written by Patrick McNellis and published by . This book was released on 2009-04-22 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Compression Planning System is a visual group process designed to bring out a group's bestthinking and energy to resolve a complex issue in an environment of fair play and equal participation led by a skilled facilitator.Compression Planning gets everybody heading in the same direction and compresses the planning time for major projects to enable your organization to achieve the results you need.

Download or read book Dancing with Max written by Emily Colson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of a single mother's love and perseverance, her son's autism diagnosis with its challenges and gifts, and their triumph together over life's toughest obstacles. Journey with Emily Colson--daughter of former White House Special Counsel Chuck Colson--as she takes you from her darkest days of pain to her adventure through life. With candor and wit, she shares about her personal battles and heartbreak when, as a suddenly single mother, she discovered that her only child has autism. Emily illuminates the page with vivid imagery--making you laugh, making you cry, and inspiring you to face your own challenges. This is the story that will inspire you to break free of the barriers that threaten to constrict your life, and Max is the young man who will capture--and even change--your heart. As you learn more about Max and his journey, you'll learn about: The incredible power of community Facing each day with grace and faith Turning your challenges into blessings In a special prologue and epilogue from Chuck Colson--his most personal writing since Born Again--he details how Max's resilient spirit unraveled his thinking and brought out his tender side as a grandfather. Along the way, you'll discover that Max's disability does not so much define who he is, but reveals who we are. Dancing with Max is not a fairy tale with a magical ending. It's a real-life story of grace, second chances, and fresh starts in spite of life's hardest problems. And Max? Max will make you fall in love with life all over again, leaving you dancing with joy. Praise for Dancing with Max: "Emily shares her moving story, of life's struggles but of its even greater victories, in her own words. This is a story of triumph, in spite of the suffering and pain. It is most of all a love story, and a story about changed lives--Emily's, Max's, and also mine." --Chuck Colson, former White House Special Counsel

Download or read book Songprints written by Judith Vander and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Songprints, the first book-length exploration of the musical lives of Native American women, describes a century of cultural change and constancy among the Shoshone of Wyoming's Wind River Reservation. Through her conversations with Emily, Angelina, Alberta, Helene, and Lenore, Judith Vander captures the distinct personalities of five generations of Shoshone women as they tell their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes toward their music. These women, who range in age from seventy to twenty, provide a unique historical perspective on many aspects of twentieth-century Wind River Shoshone life. In addition to documenting these oral histories, Vander transcribes and analyzes seventy-five songs that the women sing--a microcosm of Northern Plains Indian music. She shows how each woman possesses her own songprint--a song repertoire distinctive to her culture, age, and personality, as unique in its configuration as a fingerprint or footprint. Vander places the five song repertoires in the context of Shoshone social and religious ceremonies to offer insights into the rise of the Native American Church, the emergence and popularity of the contemporary powwow, and the changing, enlarging role of women. Songprints also offers important new material on Ghost Dance songs and performances. Because the Ghost Dance was abandoned by the Wind River Shoshones in the 1930s, only Emily and Angelina saw it performed. Vander engages the two women--now in their sixties and seventies--in a discussion of the function and meaning of the Ghost Dance among the Wind River Shoshones. Thirteen Shoshone Ghost Dance song transcriptions accompany their accounts of past performances. The distinctive voices of these five women will captivate those interested in music, women's studies, ethnohistory, and ethnography, as well as ethnomusicologists, Native American scholars, anthropologists, and historians.

Download or read book THREE MEN DANCING written by David Windmon and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THREE MEN DANCING By DAVID LYNN WINDMON In everything humans do in life the family is the basis for true individual success. Strong family ties, and as is the case in this family a strong and steady maternal presence is the way to family social power. Regardless to sameness of togetherness, the lives of this family are also unfortunately paved with the bones of chance and error. Through the true love and respect of one another, and the togetherness unconditional that love brings, the power manifests itself in the lives of Paul and Amy Jackson. It is also wrung from the source, for the enrichment of the lives of their children, grandchildren, and extended community family. It is said often that it takes a village to raise a child, and in the village the Jackson family lived in (San Francisco, Ca.) many wonderful children stand up to be counted. This is the story of an American Family. Not the average family, but not far from it. It is not my family for sure, maybe not yours either. But in every way this is a family, all the good things and tragic ones along the way included. One familiar, like lots of others, with stratospheric highs, coupled with the sting of harsh, bitter lowness. The four men in the first few lines of the story between them represent the fullness of the life for and within the family Jackson. The story begins on the unforgiving streets of New Orleans Louisiana, with two children who meet inadvertently, quite by accident. They are both in separate children’s orphanages as such, and it is just because of the willingness of Paul to work for little money one day that makes that meeting happen. Through the years his willingness to work, both above and below the law makes lots of things come their way. Through his willingness to bend the rules she is spared the last few years of unfulfilled wait kids have in an orphanage. Paul and Amy, both are grandchildren of freed slaves from homes broken by tragedy or tragedy of circumstance. They decide together early on they want to rear a large, loving family. They would for the rest of their lives hold on to the things they used for survival and that made those early years in children’s homes feel safe for them. Paul learns fast that a steady willingness to bend the rules holds gallant if risky reward. Amy spends little time with her prostitute mother. But in that time she gets indoctrinated to a voodoo priestess, learning that things unexplained drives forever her life and choices. Moving to San Francisco in 1932 deep depression era America proves a godsend, as they are able to forge a positive, productive life. Eventually they groom ten children to take on all the world has to offer, some with a level of worldly success matched by few. That steady flow of children and with that the bond only a family has gives those children the space within themselves to be the very best they can be. Unfortunately though, space also allows those that want to be, at times far less than their best, through lapses or intent, be that as it may. There is tragedy born flush of such lapses of mind and body; that delicate ballet of the two that separates one’s best from one’s worst. There is in the lives of the Jackson family tragedy, based on the randomness of another delicate ballet, that of time, space, and opportunity. One of the bright lights of the loins of Paul and Amy didn’t make it to the completeness of life that comes with age and wisdom. He was struck down as just a child, and that tragedy only bonded the family, and fused them to the community. That made them all into the massive family so many of them if unknowingly, needed. Another beloved sibling chose the destructive path and abject loneliness of drug abuse, and never made it out of the turbulent 1960’s. The children of Paul and Amy also scale the heights of career fields that include Law, Medicine, Music, and professional sports. Subsequent generations have also achieved those and show

Download or read book The Dance For Those Who Dare to Dream written by Kara Finkelstein and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-12-24 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For everyone, parent and child that has a dream and wants to accomplish that dream. Go with Jade on her journey with her dance team, and her family as they navigate the highs and lows of Jades summer as she achieves her individual and team goals while overcoming her fears.

Download or read book THE SHEEP SHED written by Ed Havens and published by Covenant Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-03-22 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life on the farm as a son of an extremely legalistic preacher presented a challenge for a young boy whose main goal was to keep from spending an eternity in hell. The relationship he had with his angry father was one of crime and punishment, and that's how he believed God operated as well. As one of five adventure-seeking country preacher's sons who feared nothing, their antics reveal the trials and triumphs of a lifelong search for truth. The seemingly never-ending task of dismantling the sheep shed parallels the author's struggles with finding truth in organized religion.

Download or read book Tears Fall written by King Hashim and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2022-03-09 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of two people. One knows who They are and the other is torn between living his own life or the life society imagined. Making the ultimate sacrifice would he choose to follow society or make his own path?

Download or read book Love People written by Andy Siege and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2023-07-07 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charlie and Dmitry are as different as can be. But when they meet in the mental hospital, it is their differences that make them fall in love. What role does the mysterious Eternal Boxer play in their fateful connection? LOVE PEOPLE is a brilliant carousel ride about love, gender and mental illness. It is at the same time legend and myth, strength and weakness, birth and death. It is told in microscopic detail following all the rules of art and breaking them at the same time. It begins like a soft breeze and reads like a tsunami and ends like a twister.

Download or read book Encore Performance with embedded videos written by Vicki G. Riordan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-04-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To enhance your reading experience, this edition of Encore Performance contains embedded videos of the Tap Pups performing. The inspiring true story of a woman who learned that it’s never too late to live the life you want As a young girl growing up in the 1950s in central Pennsylvania, Vicki Grubic Riordan idolized stars like Shirley Temple and Gene Kelly. She soon found her calling as a dance instructor, but like many baby boomers, she put her passion on hold to focus on starting a family. Only when her marriage ended and she was left with little means of support for herself and her two young sons did Vicki return to her first true love: teaching dance. In doing so, she found much more than a way to make a living: she found a way to make a difference. With her exuberant personality, infectious enthusiasm, and unwavering belief in the magic of movement to make even the darkest times better, Vicki has inspired thousands of women to do things they never dreamed possible. At the age of sixty-two, when her peers were thinking about retirement, Vicki opened the doors to what has become America’s largest adult tap dancing studio. She has gone from teaching fifty students a year to teaching more than five hundred, and thanks to Vicki, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has become the unofficial tap capital of the world and the home of her celebrated “Tap Pups.” The majority of the women (and a handful of men) in her classes are in their fifties and sixties, but instead of yielding to the expectation that they’d be slowing down at this stage of life, tap has helped them to get in touch with their own natural rhythm. Tap helped Anni, 56, get through a difficult divorce with grace. It gave Betsy a newfound self-confidence, and at 57 she was inspired to wear eye makeup for the first time in thirty years. And when Jeanne, 62, was diagnosed with cancer, the Tap Pups rallied to offer their full support. Vicki’s students come from all walks of life: teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, insurance agents, therapists, CPAs, retirees—married, divorced, single, and widowed—but through dancing together, no matter their innate talent or years of experience, Vicki’s Tap Pups have found a potent source of friendship, vitality, and fulfillment. After years of putting everyone else first, these women know that now it’s their time to shine. In Encore Performance, Vicki inspires readers of all ages to listen to the beat of their own hearts and dance through life as they were born to do.

Download or read book Grace For All Times written by Karen Parlor and published by Randy Parlor. This book was released on 2015-05-07 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories of a young girl living in the hood handling temptations and difficult situations in an exemplary fashion

Download or read book The Only Girl in School written by Natalie Standiford and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She's the only one who knows what it's like to be the only one. When Claire's best friend, Bess, moves away, she becomes the only girl left in her entire school. At first, she thinks she'll be able to deal with this -- after all, the girls' bathroom is now completely hers, so she can turn it into her own private headquarters and draw on the walls. When it comes to soccer games or sailing races, she can face off against any boy. The problem is that her other best friend, Henry, has begun to ignore her. And Webby, a super-annoying bully, won't leave her alone. And Yucky Gilbert, the boy who has a crush on her, also won't leave her alone.It's never easy being the only one -- and over the course of a wacky school year, Claire is going to have to make it through challenges big and small. The boys may think they rule the school, but when it comes to thinking on your feet, Claire's got them outnumbered.

Download or read book Life s a Pitch written by Andrew Akal and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2024-06-28 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Geoff has a habit of getting himself into sticky situations. His dream of owning his own motorhome creeps closer with early retirement and he persuades his long-suffering wife Janice to seek out their new ‘home from home’ at a local motorhome exhibition. Geoff’s dream soon becomes Janice’s nightmare and when he decides to explore the most expensive motorhome on show, he could never have imagined what would happen next. He escapes the scene, but will anyone link him to the disaster that unfolded? When Woody, their brand-new addition to the family, eventually arrives on the driveway, Geoff can’t contain his excitement. With teenage daughter Gail and cocker spaniel Mabel in tow, they embark on their first adventure. But things do not go according to plan as Geoff struggles to blend into the camping way of life. A bouncer, campsite wardens, an angler and a pair of emus are just some of the adversaries Geoff finds himself up against but with Janice by his side, will he survive to fight another day and will the disaster at the exhibition come back to haunt him…?

Download or read book Notes on a Cowardly Lion written by John Lahr and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2013-01-22 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Lahr’s stunning and complex biography of his father, the legendary actor and comedian Bert Lahr Notes on a Cowardly Lion is John Lahr’s masterwork: an all-encompassing biography of his father, the comedian and performer Bert Lahr. Best known as the Cowardly Lion in MGM’s classic The Wizard of Oz, Lahr was a consummate artist whose career spanned burlesque, vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood. While he could be equally raucous and polished in public, Lahr was painfully insecure and self-absorbed in private, keeping his family at arm’s length as he quietly battled his inner demons. Told with an impressive objectivity and keen understanding of the construction—and destruction—of the performer, Notes on a Cowardly Lion is more than one man’s quest to understand his father; it is an extraordinary examination of a life in American show business.

Download or read book Dancing with Myself written by Billy Idol and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-09-29 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A candid memoir by the multiplatinum recording artist chronicles his life from his childhood in England and rise to fame at the height of the punk-pop revolution to his popular hits and his collaborations with fellow artists.

Download or read book Just a Guy written by Bill Engvall and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2007-05-29 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does it mean to be JUST A GUY? --A guy doesn't think before he speaks. --Eating and sleeping always come first. Always. --A guy may get married, but he doesn't have to like it. --It's tough to admit, but all guys are exactly the same. Blue Collar Comedy Star Bill Engvall is JUST A GUY. He's been one his whole life. He can't help it. He was born that way. And that makes him an expert on the subject. For the record, here's the official definition of a guy: A person who doesn't think before he speaks. He can't. He's not that deep. Because a guy has only three basic needs: eating, sleeping, and sex. That's it. JUST A GUY chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs. In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, beginning with his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona, becoming a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior trying to impress girls or torture his sisters; to high school in Dallas where he dabbled in an array of truly odd jobs, learned the trombone, and came of age, all strangely connected; to college and his tenure as his fraternity's social chairman, where he masterminded a series of legendary parties and attempted to rescue his pet bird while the house was burning down (not his fault, honest); to following his dream as a standup comic and, gulp, singer; to his brief stint in children's theater while sharing the stage and the back of a van with the director's dog, and as a movie extra with forked tongue and cloth claws; to his bumbling and riotous courtship, then marriage to Gail, the love of his life; and, finally, fatherhood, where he remains, to this day, a well-meaning, but flawed parent. Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a façade of confidence and control. Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal. The result is JUST A GUY who is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving. JUST A GUY will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart. Hopefully, not at the same time.

Download or read book Dancing Upon the Shore written by Scott Gallagher and published by Scott Gallagher. This book was released on 2010-08-29 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dancing Upon the Shore is an unflinchingly intimate and painfully beautiful chronicle of the mystery of love. While spending a gorgeous summer day on the beach in Southern California, Sean, an introspective, charming, yet lonely thirty-year old writer meets, by happenstance, Geneva, a mercurial Bostonian woman of startling beauty and unpracticed sensuality. From this random encounter, an impassioned love affair ensues. Narrated through Sean "s eyes, the reader becomes immersed in the beguiling and unsettling byways of their turbulent relationship: from infatuation, to romance, to love, to marriage, to the birth of their son, to harrowing jealousy, anger, recrimination; and, finally, to Geneva "s mental breakdown, a Scrack-up which leads to a bitter divorce.Woven throughout the course of this expansive novel is the tenderness, contempt, passion, and pathos that circumscribe the affairs of the human heart. Written in nimble and lyrical prose, and with an unyielding and oftentimes humorous frankness, Dancing Upon the Shore is a deeply moving portrait of a tragic romance.