Why Is Book Formatting Important?

The new word in book publishing is “formatting”. If you are a writer book formatting is one of the most important things you will ever understand. To be able to do it yourself is the challenge.

Have you ever read a book and in the middle of the sentence the rest of the line is dropped and ends up on another line?

Have you ever read a book where the paragraphs are indented and some are not?

Have you ever read a book where the lines run on so long you can’t read the middle of the book without folding it in half?

Margins are a huge part of book formatting. When writing a book you need to find out from the start what size book it is going to be. A 5” x 8”, or 6” x 9”. There are many book sizes which are good for different kinds of books. 

The margins are critical.

When I start a book the first thing I do is adjust the margins to the book size.

 The next thing I do is set up the paragraphing. In this way, the paragraphs are set up automatically as you write.

If you have Microsoft Word you can do all this by using the Change Styles menu or set it up under paragraph. This software is vast and has many different kinds and years. It is confusing.

Try to understand what the word formatting means while you are writing your next book or writing a book now. It makes writing and editing a lot easier.

Linda Meckler, author      copyright 2017

Eating Your Feelings

Eating your feelings

When you eat that bowl of ice cream or that chocolate candy you just have to have - or your life will be miserable without it, have you ever stopped to think? Why do I need this food and at this particular time?

Before you take a bite of the food you need to go to the root of the problem. Ask yourself these questions. Am I bored, depressed, unhappy or just plain lonely?

Eating food at all times of the day and night to make you feel better is an easy out. It is our friend. It is something to comfort you in your hour of need. But does it really do this?

All it does is add calories to your bodies which lead to fat and pretty soon your clothes are too small and your health is suffering.

When you make this assumption, are you lonely and depressed, and your life isn't what you want it to be, you can now accept this statement and do something positive to change your life.

Make a plan.

 Think. What can you do before you feel loneliness? For instance, when you feel the urge to eat something just for the sake of eating, go for a walk. Swimming is always good. Any kind of arts and crafts or sports.

Volunteer anywhere. This will open up new avenues for you. You will meet new people. Have some responsibility and learn new things. This is the time to experiment with new kinds of things that you have never tried before.  It will boost your self-esteem.

Remember the new camera you received for Christmas, and you haven't taken out of the box. This is the key to the new you. Take that camera and go on a walk. Start snapping pictures of the sky, flowers and the trees around you. You will be outside, doing something different, and getting fresh air and exercise. Your mental outlook on life will change for the better. You will be smiling from the inside out.

 Linda Meckler Author copyright 2017 updated 

Gluten Food Allergy

Food Allergies – Gluten – Celiac

Gluten - Celiac Disease this a wheat allergy which children and adults are now experiencing in large numbers. Wheat is now in most packaged foods sold in the markets today. A special diet is required. Read and educate yourself on different food allergies and how you can protect yourself and your family. Today food packing in some instances will actually read Gluten Free on the label of the bottle or box. But it is best to cook your own food. In this way, you will know what it is you are eating. Even it the label states Gluten Free it might still upset your stomach.

Food Preparation

For people who have this food allergy the preparation of the food is also important. When in a restaurant it can be a terrifying experience for the person with food allergies. The bottom line is you don't want to get sick. 

Food Contamination

Contamination of the food from using utensils and plates from food which has wheat or a wheat form in it will also cause the symptoms listed below:

Symptoms:

Nausea/Vomiting

Diarrhea

Stomach cramping

Hives/rash

Irritation of the mouth/throat

Nasal congestion

Eye irritation

Vomiting

Difficulty Breathing

It seems I know more and more people with food allergies. I think, we must wonder about mass food production. Is it really good for us?

Let me hear from, you and your horror stories about eating in a restaurant, a friends house or where ever. We are always eating.

Linda Meckler, author updated copyright 2017

I can't control what I eat. Can you

Adult

As an adult, I find it hard to control what I eat and exercising goes along with this. I don't exercise enough.

I recently attended a wonderful dinner at a friend’s house. The menu was not what I ordinarily eat because of the content of the ingredients.

But I was with friends. We were all sitting around the table laughing and talking and enjoying each other’s company; consequently, I ate too much of the wrong food.

Children

Our children are put into this situation every day. They have less control over what they eat and we are the mature adult.

Simple things to remember:

Think before you eat.

Think what you are eating?

Who made this food?

Eat small portions.

Eat small portions every 2 – 3 hours.

When eating hamburgers, French fries, and coke. (Small size)

Exercise.

Start cooking our own meals.

What Do We Do?

If there was an easy answer to this question I would be a millionaire. We need to stand back and take a look at this problem from an adult and child’s perspective and then make changes.

Schools:

The schools are where our children daily are consuming their meals, sometimes breakfast and definitely lunch. The food choices available are all the child can choose from unless they bring boxed lunches.

Maybe that is what is needed. Maybe all children should start bringing their own lunches to school and the parents can send a message to the school cafeteria “Stop Poisoning Our Children.”

 These children are our own flesh and blood. They are precious to us and we could not live without them.

 Why is it so hard for you to understand good nutrition makes healthier minds and bodies?

We must take precious time off our employment for our children’s medical care. We do not mind doing this when the problem is real, but if it can be avoided let’s remove it before it takes root.

 You are creating massive medical and dental problems from which the snowballing effect is now being felt. Obese children and adults is almost the normal thing we see on a daily basis.

Let me hear from you and what you think about this overwhelming problem from both an adult and child's perspective and include any recipes or exercises you wish to share. 

Linda Meckler, author updated copyright 2017

Pet Behavior Can Be Mirrored In Children

Children and Pets

Why do your children act up in the negative?

How can you change their behavior for the positive?

Have you ever studied your pet’s behavior?

Why does a child create havoc over something simple?

The answer is simple. The child wants attention.

I recently have been dog and cat sitting my sister's pets. She had been away from home on various business trips. I have been around her pets for years. She was always there for her pets in the past. She received love and affection from them without asking for anything in return. They were her pets and they loved to be with her and their behavior was typical.

What hit me right between the eyes was her animal's behavior after she had been gone for a length of time.

When I walked into the backyard her dog came zooming over to me from whatever part of the large yard she happened to be in. I would pet her, I would feed her. I found out the most astonishing thing.

She was more interested in me petting her and talking to her then she was interested in eating.

Even her cat which had always been independent and never really cared for affection or attention of any kind from humans was there to receive his share of petting.

When petting one animal the other was their sticking in his/her noise and wanting as much affection and attention as the other one.

This simple logic applies to your children. And you

Children want to feel love by receiving attention, affection and to be able to feel safe with their parents. That is the simple answer. Without it, your children will be miserable, make your lives miserable and their school will not be happy either.

Yes, when you come home from work you are stressed and exhausted. 

Yes, you do not have the time to really make your time special with each individual child.

When you walk in the door - stop - smile at them – give them a hug and tell them you loved and missed them all day.

 They will probably come running when they hear you walk in the door.

If they are older - plugged into the television - computer - video games - make the effort to walk over to them - give them a big hug.

 Tell your children you love them and missed them during the day. Ask them how their day went. See if that will help turn their negative behavior into positive behavior.

You can always make a special time for your children each week. This will be your special time together. This will be something you and your children can look forward to. Another suggestion is read to your children at bedtime. Your children are only small for a short time.

Cuddling, snuggling, hugging and kissing is a good thing. It can lead to positive behavior.

If you want to make your spouse smile, your children feel loved and cherished try hugging and kissing.

Why live your life without attention/affection and love. If it needs to be changed, change it. It just takes a touch, a hug or kiss to change your life.

Linda Meckler, author copyright updated 2017

Hug Your Loved Ones

Do you like to be hugged? Do you hug your children? Do you hug your spouse? Do you hug your parents? Do you hug your dog? Do you hug your friends?

Hugging your children is something that is so simple it can easily be missed. Your children will love it. Of course, when they start getting older and hugging them in front of their friends is a definite No - No.

Hugging your children in the privacy of their own home is a different story. Every person loves to be hugged. It makes them feel special. Their self-esteem will soar.

Why is it so hard to hug your loved ones?

The days of not showing your family affection are long over. In the broken family unit when one parent is raising the children alone - and the children are in mass confusion - why can't a hug become as simple as brushing your teeth?

When was the last time you hugged your parents? You can be young or you can be middle aged or just plain elderly. You can still hug and be hugged.

Hugging between married couples is sometimes forgotten. A woman likes to cuddle and be hugged. When her spouse understands this their relationship will be smoother, much more romantic and happy.

We need more hugging and affection in this world today. We definitely need less violence and wars.

Hug your loved ones. Make it a task to hug your extended family, Make it a task to hug your friends. A hug goes a long way. 

Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug, Hug

Linda Meckler, Author copyright updated 2017

Starved for Affection and Attention

I wrote this book when I hadn’t seen

a very close friend named Karen for about ten years. Karen and her husband Donald have been married for over 40 years, came to visit for a week. I noticed immediately they didn’t touch, kiss, or show any kind of affection to each other. They loved each other but the affection was not there.

I thought to myself, “Here are my dear, dear friends who are still married to each other which is a miracle in itself since divorce is so popular today.” I wanted to try and do something for them not only to help their marriage but to help themselves be happier. They didn’t know that life could become so much better, softer, and loving.

Here is what I did. I took it upon myself to approach Donald with a few suggestions. I have never done anything like this before and I was nervous. I could lose my friends.

 I should never have approached him on such a serious subject while he was in the middle of listening to his favorite baseball game. I wanted to catch them apart where Karen couldn’t hear my conversation.

It was hard saying what I had to say but I finally said it. I suggested he hug, kiss, touch, cuddle and hold his wife’s hand. Put a little romance back into their life.

Donald looked at me and said, “Don’t worry about my sex life. It’s just fine.”

I said, “I’m not talking about your sex life I’m talking about your life. I left him to mull over what I had said and I went for a walk with Karen.

When we came back from our walk Donald amazed me and Karen by walking up to her and giving her a hug and kiss.

He listened to me. He really had listened to me. He got it.

Karen was so amazed she didn’t know what to say. I said, “You can give Donald a hug and kiss back.” She did.

I asked her how she felt and she gave me a big smile. It felt so great. I felt like I had run five miles. After that Donald made it a point to give her a hug and kiss often during the day. You could tell they had both loved it. Attention/Affection to the person you love goes a long way. They say you can live on it? What do you think?

Why was that so hard?

Why the games between couples. You have all heard about the book that says men and women do not think or act the same. This is about the most important thing you can ever learn.

  Let The Games Begin

Women love to be held and snuggled. They love to know they are appreciated and not taken for granted. It’s easy for women to be taken for granted because they are the ones who run the home and everybody in it. Women are the ones that create the sense of happiness and set the pace for the running of your home.

Life is so fast paced that you and your spouse get lost in all the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

Romance and intimacy can sometimes be thrown away for a fast bang, slam thank you, mam, if you ever get a thank you.

 

Stop! Life does not have to be like this.

What happened to the romance and caring in your relationship?

If you have been married for years and feel like you are being taken for granted; you don’t feel any gentle or soft moments between you, what is the use for staying in the relationship?

Why not try to fix your relationship before you give away all that money to an attorney for a divorce. If you feel you can’t communicate anymore start at the beginning.

 Linda Meckler, Author copyright updated 2017