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September 2006
News, updates, &
pronouncements from Pat Ballard,
the Queen of Rubenesque Romances |
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Nobody can make you feel inferior
without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Something to think
about....
In this world everything
changes except good deeds and bad deeds;
these follow you as the shadow follows the body.
Ruth Benedict
Tuesday, I needed to run into the grocery store to pick up a few items.
As I tried to pull into the parking place of my choice, a man was
putting his groceries in the trunk of his car and his grocery cart was
blocking where I wanted to park.
I stopped my car and
waited for him to move the cart enough for me to pull in. He
half-heartedly moved the cart a little, but I had to back up and
"re-center" before I could get parked. By now, I wasn't feeling real
congenial toward the guy. But as I got out of my car, he turned to take
his cart and put it up. Instead of telling him how rude I thought he
was, I said, "Sir, I'll take that cart inside for you, if you want me
to."
Well, he turned around and
flashed me one of the biggest smiles I'd had that day and thanked me for
taking the cart.
On my way inside, I discovered they had some beautiful asters on sale.
They were in full bloom, and I just had to have a container of them. So
I put them into the main section of my cart. Then I picked up my other
items and got in the checkout line.
A man directly ahead of me
looked at my cart, then back at the cashier. Then back at my cart, then
back at the cashier. This went on several times, and I assumed he was
admiring the pretty flowers. But finally he came over and started taking
the items out of my cart and putting them on the conveyer belt.
I said, "Well, thank you!"
And he said, "I'm just standing here, so I might as well be useful." So
when he finished paying I thanked him again and told him to have a
wonderful day.
When I got to my car and started putting my groceries in the trunk,
there was a woman beside me putting her groceries in, so I gave her a
couple of my ink pens that have my website address on them, and told her
what I do. She was totally happy to get the pens, and when I finished
putting my groceries in my car, she said, "Let me put your cart up for
you."
I drove home feeling so good! And thinking how one good deed seemed to
lead to a chain reaction. I reminded myself to try this more often. Who
knows how many people had a better day because of it? I know I did.
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A
Word From Pat
I hope everyone has
had a wonderful August.
Well, here I am apologizing again that the newsletter is late. I could
list a long line of excuses for this, like September 1st was on a Saturday
and we had my granddaughter's 4th birthday party that day, and that the
entire week before I was trying to get ready for my sister, Ellen, to
visit me this week, and that we had to leave the birthday party early
because my husband, Joe, wasn't feeling well and had a temperature of .01+
degrees when we got home, and that he's been sick with temps that were
almost 103 at some points, and that I took him to the doctor yesterday and
he does, indeed, have the flu. The doctor's first case of the season.
But I won't list all
those excuses for why the newsletter is late. I'll just say that I'm sorry
and I'll try to do better next month.
Wow! In looking back over the month, I realize I've had a very weird one!
We had a friend from South Carolina come by in early August. Then I
received a call from Wibitz Stewart, a woman who has a radio show in
Hawaii, wanting me to be on her show, which I did.
http://www.wibitz.com/wibitz/about.html
That was fun, but it was kind of hard to understand her because of her
heavy accent.
The last weekend of August I went to a family reunion in Mississippi. I
really enjoyed seeing all these strangers whose blood runs through my
veins. This isn't my direct line, but cousins. My great-grandfather,
Joseph Elonzo Dunnam, had a twin brother, Joshua Columbus Dunnam, and
these folks are the offspring of Uncle Josh. I just had to mention those
names because they're so typical of that time period. Both guys fought in
the Civil War, and my grandfather was wounded and captured at the Battle
of Vicksburg. Anyway, I digress...This was the 82nd consecutive Dunnam―my
maiden name―reunion. The oldest person there was 92 and still going
strong.
As I mentioned earlier, my sister Ellen was supposed to come up and visit
me this week. We had plans to shop, talk, shop, talk, and shop and talk.
But since Joe got the flu we decided it would be best for her to put her
trip off until a better time.
Everyone remember to let the media know when you don't approve of
something. I had a letter to the editor of The Tennessean published
today. It's the last letter on the page at:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060906/OPINION02/609060373/1053
Everyone have a wonderful September.
Love,
Pat
Visit Pat's Place at
www.patballard.com | Write me at
patballard@bellsouth.net
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Links
About The Queen & Her Books
Pat's Place website | The Queen's Blog | About Pat Ballard | Dangerous Curves Ahead | Abigail's Revenge | Wanted: One Groom | Nobody's Perfect | His Brother's Child | A Worthy Heir | Pearlsong Press blog posts about Pat |
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Weighty Matters
I plan to feature a series of articles by Sandy Szwarc in this section for
the next few issues. Sandy is one of the most wonderful, commonsensical
writers on the subject of weight that I know of. I enjoy everything she
writes and have become very good "cyber" friends with her via email.
I encourage everyone to read these articles carefully, and I hope you
enjoy them as much as I do.
The
Truth About Obesity
Sandy Szwarc
In the fight against obesity, we're told: 'Being fat is simply a matter of
energy balance. It's easy to lose weight, just eat 3,500 calories less
than you burn and you'll lose a pound. We've become a fat nation because
we're eating more than ever before, and too much fat and junk food, and
not moving.'
Of course, the real message is one of blame: "You fat slobs! You are
irresponsible, lazy, gluttons. You wouldn't be fat if you just didn't eat
so much (or so much fat, sugar, and junk food) and got off the couch!"
If it were only that simple.
Eighty million Americans struggling to lose weight, and millions more
starving themselves to stay thin, know it's not that simple. The
predominance of scientific evidence shows it isn't, either. The problem is
evidence rarely breaks through the anti-fat rhetoric.
Most of the countless popular theories as to the causes of obesity simply
don't honestly face the inconsistencies about diet and exercise being
unrelated to rising obesity rates. They work from the assumption and
intuitive rationale that eating too much and the wrong foods, and getting
too little exercise, cause obesity and that dieting is the answer, without
investigating alternative explanations or seeking proof in clinical
studies.
All of this has built up a mythology about obesity and obese individuals
and their slender counterparts that does not hold up against the evidence.
Read the rest of the article at the Tech Central Station website, where it
was originally published:
http://www.techcentralstation.com/bioszwarcsandy.html . (Editor's
Note: Scroll through the first two pages of the list of Sandy's articles
until you see the link to "The Truth About Obesity," which was originally
published July 14, 2003. Unfortunately, we were not able to embed a
working direct link to the article in this newsletter.)
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Reader Review of the
Month
Editor's Note:
We're now featuring reader reviews of Pat's books in
The Queen's Proclamation.
Post a review at an online
bookstore, magazine, or public website and email us at proclamation @
pearlsong.com to let us know, and we'll consider yours for inclusion
in The QP.
This month's Reader Review was posted at Amazon.com &
Barnesandnoble.com
by C.L. Yanda.
Nobody's Perfect
"You'll get to keep your home, Jake gets a mother, and I won't
have to ever worry about being attracted to you." Those words, spoken by
Jake's dad, Sam du Cannon, could not have been less true. Nella may not be
a size 6, but she is proportioned and in great physical condition.
"Nobody's Perfect" starts with Nella finding Jake on the beach by himself
and ends with his father falling in love with her.
In the mean time, Nella saves Jake's life and teaches his dad a lot about
love and about what being with a strong, confident, caring woman can be
like. When you read Nella's conversation with a new friend, Amy, you will
want to share it with everyone you know...even those women in your life
who are a size 6.
I won't spoil the ending,
but it is one of the most beautifully written endings I've read in a long
time. As with Pat Ballard's other books, there are unexpected twists and
turns, introducing interesting people along the way, and you won't want to
miss any of them.
Nobody's Perfect is the best Pat Ballard book I have read so
far. You will fall in love with Nella and be rooting for her to win from
the first page.
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Communicate with Pat
via her "Amazon Connect" blog on Amazon.com!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/id/AC8LT66HFJQ1Y/ref=cm_blog_blog/102-0429066-5275365
Pat's newest book, Abigail's Revenge, is featured on the Beautiful
Portal website:
http://www.beautifulportal.com/news.php?item.900034.8
and has been reviewed by AmaZe eMag:
http://www.venusimaging.com/Magazine/2005/decjanrealistic/jennifer.htm
An article on Pat has been
posted at:
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1007.htm.
And an EP Extra review of Abigail's Revenge is posted at
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1011.htm
Look for an interview with Pat on Lonnie Cruse's blog at
http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com. |
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Calendar of Events
Pat regularly guests on the Health At
Every Size show with Dr. Peggy Elam on WRFN Radio Free Nashville.
Check the show blog at
http://www.healthateverysize.info for mentions of Pat's next guest
appearance. The show is streamed live
over the Internet 10-11 a.m. CST Mondays and now can also be
listened to live over your phone via the Mobile Broadcast Network.
Listen to the live
broadcast over the Internet at
http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.
To listen through
your cell phone or any other phone (home, office, etc.), go to
www. mymbn.com (the Mobile Broadcast
Network website) and register the phone numbers of your choice.
Registering is required to use this service, but there's no charge for it.
(Your usual long distance and/or cell phone charges will apply.) After
registering, call the Mobile Broadcast Network at 615-727-9201 from
a registered phone number. Select "1" from the menu options. Enter
the Radio Free Nashville code―9989―with your keypad. Listen and
enjoy!
For more on the show, check out
the show blog at
http://www.healthateverysize.info. You can also listen to or download edited
recordings of some of the shows at
www.pearlsong.com/audio.htm.
Pat will spend the next few months promoting
Abigail's Revenge. She's in the process of setting up booksignings with
local Borders bookstores, and others.
You can still hear the taped radio shows from Size Matters with
Veronica, WCRS Radio, on Pat's website.
Show #1
discusses Pat's romance novels
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE051.mp3
Show #2 discusses women of size and their sexuality
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE052.mp3
And check out the photos from the Nov. 6, 2004 Mississippi Authors
Festival that are online at
The
Queen's Proclamation
blog and
The Pearlsong Letter
blog.
(Click on the Mississippi Authors Festival link under the "Photo Albums"
heading in the lefthand column of either blog to view the photos.) While
you're visiting, post a comment on the blog!
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Give someone a good
read as well as support in loving themselves.
Pat's books make great gifts!
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Book Contest
Register to win a free copy of the Pat
Ballard book of your choice at Top 100 Women Sites:
http://www.top100womensites.com/contest.htm.
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Newsletter Archives
Read previous issues
of The Queen's Proclamation at
http://www.pearlsong.com/newsletterarchives.htm.
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The
Queen's Proclamation is published by Pearlsong Press.
P.O. Box
58065 │ Nashville, TN
37205 │
www.pearlsong.com
©2006 Pearlsong Press
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