Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 125

Do you know someone for whom the holidays are not merry, and
a new year does not inspire hope nor a fresh start?  Several recent incidents reminded me of how
enormous a role despair and sadness play in the hearts and lives of many, many
people.  They often see little or nothing
to celebrate.  They may even cling to
desperation.

We mustn’t presume that because we may have a supportive family
or close friends or strong faith that others do also.  Especially in these times of insane
divisiveness, we all do better when we take even a moment to encourage someone
else.

In my book “Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best” I remind readers (and Audiobook listeners) that lives are greatly improved when we “trade in our cynical hopelessness for cynical hopefulness.  If we must be cynical, choose hopeful over hopeless.”  Interesting thought since hard knocks throughout our lives impact us whether we recognize it or not.

Fairness in Life is rarely dealt out fairly.  I strongly believe we were all born to be
what I call Encouragers.  What we un-learned
as we grew up can be relearned.

In 2020, I hope all of us feel confident enough to take
ourselves on as worthy projects.  Let’s
all commit to doing all we can to be more encouraging and to surround ourselves
with Encouragers.

For anyone who has not yet seen the “Encouragement” book, Amazon is letting me do a special Kindle Countdown Deal on the ebook edition.  (Sorry, but I couldn’t discount the paperback or Audiobook editions, but they’re all on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Encouragement-How-Be-Find-Best/dp/1939220475)  Anyone who buys the ebook edition on Monday, January 6, 2020 will save 84%!  True!  The book will only cost $.99 on that day.  Then, as the week continues, it will inch up, $1 per day back to the full retail price of $5.99.  So, Monday is the BIG savings day. 

If you know anyone who could benefit by a little or a lot of
encouragement, please share the word before the Countdown begins! 

I do not like politics. However, it does necessarily exist, despite my distaste for it. Thus, I rarely write a letter to any media outlet to share a complaint. In fact, I cannot recall the last time I did so… until today, that is.

Whether or not you watch particular programs, personalities, or networks, I hope that we John or Jane Q. Public types always hope for fairness. After looking into the fact that Fox News bounced their Saturday night program featuring former judge, Jeannine Pirro, I grew concerned over growing censorship.

It’s not just in media outlets, but we are seeing more and more attempts to squelch anyone, anywhere who does not express the opinions we happen to share. I find that both sad and unhealthy.

In the spirit of transparency, here is the letter I sent to management at Fox News.

Dear Fox News Management,

I write to share my concerns of “Justice” being pulled from the air last Saturday. Highly disappointed in Fox News management just begins to describe my feelings. My thoughts on the matter run far deeper.

Reporters who shift to analysis surrender reporter status. Reporters who offer opinions on discussion panels surrender reporter status. Such reporters become opinion brokers. This is not a bad thing. Fox News has a long reputation for supporting opinion brokers ranting on a wide array of opinions, many of which are highly controversial. I need not agree with them. That gets ratings. Fine.

When an opinion broker is criticized for spewing a controversial opinion, I do not expect the source to be Fox News management. That reflects the antithesis of the entire platform.

There tends to be a sad popularity to “knee-jerk” reactions to controversy lately, but I have come to expect no less from the mainstream media. Pulling Jeannine Pirro off the air in response to her comments may well fall within that category, which I had not expected from Fox News.

I immediately thought of the Kentucky student, Nick Sandmann, who garnered so much harsh criticism from the video of the confrontation in front of the Lincoln Memorial in January, 2019. Many in the mainstream media quickly attacked Sandmann and the other students, since many wore MAGA hats and shirts. It turned out that the native American elder, Nathan Phillips, turned out to be the one confronting Sandmann. However, the many knees that jerked after seeing just a “snippet of information” could not be un-jerked.

When Judge Jeannine Pirro posed her questions about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) Minnesota, she did so as an opinion broker, not a reporter. That is her job. For those of the Muslim faith to take offense is their right, just as conservatives take offense when their positions are criticized or questioned. However, when moving beyond the snippet of information, one learns that Omar does indeed fully support the laws of Islam, also known as Sharia Law.

Are we supposed to be so “politically correct” that we must not comment, question, or have a differing opinion from someone else, especially if they happen to be Islamic? If that is true, most of your opinion-brokering personalities on Fox News would have to be taken off the air.

It is my deepest hope that last Saturday’s action does not reflect some new censorship direction for Fox News. Keep “fair and balanced” alive in your news room. Keep opinion brokers feeling supported, rather than skating on thin ice if they offend the wrong person.

When you bring back Judge Jeannine Pirro, which I sincerely hope happens immediately, I strongly believe it should be with an apology. That apology should not come from her to anyone she may have offended, but it should come to her from those in management who made the sadly unworthy, knee-jerk decision to squelch her in the first place.

If not, how will others on your strong team of opinion brokers ever feel “safe” again? How will their opinions not start to get watered down simply to avoid stepping on someone else’s toes?

I am not one to rush to judgment or negatively mouth off on social media. I am one to write a thoughtful letter. I am one to hope we can all do better next time.

Most sincerely,

Cathy Burnham Martin

Okay, friends and readers, as the author of “The Bimbo Has MORE Brains… Surviving Political Correctness,” you know that I simply had to speak up. I believe in supporting what I believe is right and protesting against what I believe is wrong. Jeannine Pirro has a powerful reputation for standing up for “the little guy,” the underdog. I feel obligated to stand up for her when the powers that be made her the underdog.

Check it out! The 90-second trailer for the book “Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best” is on YouTube now! You’ll find the paperback and digital format editions everywhere quality books are sold… from Amazon to Barnes & Noble and beyond.

In her extraordinary book, Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best, author Cathy Burnham Martin exudes an enthusiasm for life unmatched in other self-help books that claim to boost your spirit and world view.

This articulate narrative examines expertly the reasons why we should surround ourselves with cheerleaders — people who either “call out from the sidelines, ‘You can do it!’” Or those that “may stand quietly in front of us and look us in the eyes, as they calmly infirm, ‘You’ve got this.’”

Burnham goes on to provide a wealth of lists, tips and inspirational quotes to bolster her assertions that anyone can attain — and keep — a winning attitude.

On the flip side, she also warns against extensive association with negative individuals whom she calls “Discouragers,” who carry with them each day an abundance of negativity which they bestow freely upon anyone who is finally getting the upper hand on things.

“Discouragers see the gloom in every room, the cloud on every silver lining, and the problem in front of every solution,” Burnham reports.

Next, she marches confidently through the book, touching briefly on such vital topics as how to deal effectively with despair by quoting a no less venerable source than the Bible: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22

And then she follows that helpful admonition by citing the profound observation of a man who truly outlasted more opportunities for despair than most of us will ever know: Nelson Mandela, who said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

Really, the book is one remarkable observation after another — many of them Burnham’s own, bubbling up from her deep well of sincere belief that every day and every hour gives us a chance to excel, and to be, as the old advertisement used to say, “All that (we) can be.”

“Sometimes the brightest lights come out of the darkest corners,” she  intones during a brief discussion on the value of not giving up.

Space limitations on this review require us to fall back on the timeworn saying that you’re just going to have to get this incredible new book and read it cover to cover in order to get the maximum impact from it.

Five-plus stars to Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best. Get it for yourself or as a special gift to anyone who has issues with self-esteem or is dealing with hard times. It might not cure their lifelong feelings of inadequacy, or be a cure-all for their current circumstances, but it could definitely provide lifesaving inspiration and a firm footstep toward a more meaningful tomorrow.

We’ll close with this inspirational advice from someone who left a legacy befitting her quiet dedication to excellence. Marie Curie, first woman to win the Nobel Prize, said, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that?  We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.  We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”

This book is available for instant download or delivery as a paperback keepsake gift from Amazon today.      – Publishers Daily Reviews

I ask myself that question any time I catch myself wondering
why some other person does not seem more supportive or positive.  We all may wonder such things from time to
time, particularly when the naysayer lives in our inner circle of close friends
or loved ones.

That’s when I try to say, “Woah!”  Am I supportive of them?  I truly only have control over my own thoughts,
words, and actions.  It sure helps me
when I stop focusing on someone else’s negative. 

Instead, I look inward. 
I ask myself, “Am I being an Encourager or a
Discourager for them?”

Did I listen when they spoke?

Did I genuinely try to see the situation from their perspective?

Did I deliver building blocks or stumbling stones?

Did I speak words that revealed compassion and encouragement?

Did I do anything to make them feel worthy or capable?

Did I recognize their achievement, even small steps toward
their goal?

Did I leave them with strengthened resolve and boosted
self-confidence?

I try to ask myself such questions whenever I catch myself
thinking or speaking or even feeling negative toward someone.  I know. 
I know.  Sometimes that someone
may have been sucking the air out of the room, squelching my creativity,
diminishing my dreams, directly or indirectly putting me down.  They may well have been highly discouraging.

Step one for me is trying to not absorb their negativity.  I don’t want to accept pity party
invitations.

Encouragement just may be one of our most vital personal and
professional Life skills.   So, it thrills me to say that encouragement is
the theme of my newest book.

In a few days I’ll deliver details right here on its
official release AND discount introductory pricing, too!  Till then… think Encouragement!

Who do you know who is feeling stifled or unheard?  Who may be needing a morale boost or a little
light on the horizon? 

We all go through times in Life with challenges and
despair.  However, this new book offers a
fast read packed with easily usable tips and tools to overcome discouragement
and build solid foundations on which to grow personal and professional success.

“Encouragement:  How to Be and Find the Best” better prepares us to weather Life’s woes with greater grace and courage.  Now we can allre-discover the natural confidence, self-esteem, and poise with which we were all born.

It’s available now in both paperback and Kindle eBook formats.  The Audiobook is coming soon!

Who do you know who is feeling stifled or unheard?  Who may be needing a morale boost or a little
light on the horizon? 

We all go through times in Life with challenges and
despair.  However, this new book offers a
fast read packed with easily usable tips and tools to overcome discouragement
and build solid foundations on which to grow personal and professional success.

“Encouragement:  How to Be and
Find the Best” better prepares us to weather Life’s woes with greater
grace and courage.  Now we can all
re-discover the natural confidence, self-esteem, and poise with which we were
all born.

The official release date is February 1st in both
paperback and Kindle eBook formats.  More
information comes soon!

‘Tis the season for the
crazy, crunchy little fruit that will pucker your sucker.  The historic cranberry is now used in an
endless array of yummy dishes.  If you
like to make your own cranberry sauce to accompany a Thanksgiving turkey,
consider this Super Simple gem.  I call
it “What a Pear Cranberry Sauce.”

What a Pear Cranberry Sauce

1 orange

½ c sugar

1 star anise (or ¾
tsp anise seeds)

1 (3”) cinnamon
stick

½ c raw honey

2-3 pears, peeled
& cored, cut in ½” cubes

4 c fresh or frozen
cranberries (16 oz)

Grate zest from the
orange to make 1 tablespoon.  Squeeze the
juice into a measuring cup, adding water or cranberry juice, if needed, to make
½ cup.  In med saucepan over high heat,
stir oj, grated zest, sugar, anise & cinnamon stick, until sugar is
dissolved, 1-2 min.  Stir in honey &
pears; bring to boil.  Then reduce heat
to med and stir occasionally till edges of pears are barely tender, just 1-2
min.  Stir in cranberries.  Cook, stirring occasionally, till cranberries
start to pop & pears are tender, 5-6 min. 
Let cool.  Pour into serving
bowl.  Serve cool or cold.  Makes up to 4 cups.

KISS
Tip:  Make this up to 3 in advance.  Cover and store in refrigerator.

I love cranberries at any season of the year, so much so that I wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to this historic little fruit.  Check out “Cranberry Cooking” by  Cathy Burnham Martin for more than 130 Keep It Super Simple recipes using cranberries… from beverages, sauces, side dishes and snacks to desserts, entrees, appetizers, and soups!  Try the following appetizer that is both marvelously easy and jaw-droppingly delicious! The cranberry-crab combination surprised me and became a go-to favorite.

Cranberry Crab Tarts

8 oz cream cheese (plain or with chives), softened

1 can crab meat, drained

2-3 green onions (green portions), thinly sliced

45 mini phyllo tart shells

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

Combine cheese, crab and onions; push into one corner of a large
plastic food storage bag.  Snip off the
tip of the bag’s corner to create a pastry bag. 
Squeeze the bag to push some crab combo into each tart shell.  Spoon some cranberry on top.  Bake 10 min at 350°F and serve hot.

KISS Tips:  You
can make the crab cheese combo ahead and store in the refrigerator until
needed.  You can even fill the tarts up
to 2 hours ahead of time without losing their crispiness.  Keep this Super Simple by purchasing pre-made
phyllo tarts.  I find them in boxes of 15
in the frozen dessert section of the supermarket.  To add some zestiness to the flavor, add a
couple tablespoons of prepared horseradish to the crab-cheese mixture. 

As we approach an Election Day, could we all try to remember
our sanity and decency?  If our preferred
candidates win, try to accept victory with humility and grace.  If our preferred candidates lose, try to
accept defeat with courage and compassion. 

We can expect and accept victors’ cheers and losers’
jeers.  That’s all fine.  I do not accept the ranting and rioting of
losers, especially under the guise of peaceful protest.  That is just plain embarrassing. 

We must do better.  If
you are an American citizen, cast your vote at the ballot box.  Encourage others to do the same.

If mainstream politicians win, so be it.  If political outsiders and newcomers prevail,
so be it.  Black, white, male, female,
conservative, liberal, whatever!  Vote
for good people.  Vote for those you
believe will make our country strong. 
Perfect.  I hope that those who
cast their votes differently also believe they are voting for good people, not
just party politics. 

Regardless of election outcomes, I hope we all will try to
spare others the sarcasm and cynicism and arrogance of feigned superiority.  None of us is so special that we have all the
right answers. 

If our preferred candidates win, may we gloat not with
self-satisfaction.  If our candidates
lose, may we cling not to denial and anger.  
     

May we remember, we all want a strong nation, a booming
economy, a safe place to live.  We may
not all recognize multiple “right” ways to achieve similar goals.

Whenever we lose, we must remember that we are not
alone.  Millions of others lost
also.  We all must go through a process
of grief and great sadness. 

Whenever we win, we must remember that we will not always
win.  We can breathe a momentary sigh of
relief, and count our blessings, but we should appreciate that many of our dear
friends and family members may be sad, heartbroken, and not celebrating.

In each election comes grief and glory.  Sometimes we’re the bug, and sometimes we’re
the windshield.  Disrespecting people we
believe are disrespectful is counterproductive, at best.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

11am – 4pm

I am pleased to announce that I was selected to have my books featured at the upcoming Author Book Fair at the Collier County South Regional Library on 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway in Naples, Florida.  I’ll be with some 3 dozen authors, so there will surely be some great books and fellow authors!

If you are in Southwest Florida at the time, we’d love to see you!

Several of my titles and cookbooks will be available… including both books in “The Bimbo Has Brains” series, “A Dangerous Book for Dogs… How to Train Your Human,” “Healthy Thinking Habits… Seven Attitude Skills Simplified,” and many more.  Half a dozen different titles in my array of cookbooks will also be featured, from the 3-part “Dockside Dining” series to “Champagne! Facts, Fizz, Food, and Fun.”

We’ll also be raffling off a free copy of my latest, full-color cookbook, “Lobacious Lobster…  Decadently Super Simple Recipes.”