Archives For Guest Posts

A Guest Post by Mike Oberg: ‘Thanksgiving: A Time of Gratitude’

November 13, 2011 — Leave a comment

Mike Oberg is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Gratitude – is that solely something one gives, or might there also be something of a spiritual nature that a person receives because of being grateful?  An exploration of the meaning and power of gratitude… Thanksgiving:  A Time of Gratitude is a copyrighted article by Mike Oberg.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with his kind permission.

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In my church, we have been studying a book by Eric Butterworth entitled “Spiritual Economics”. It is all about creating a prosperity consciousness. The chapter for this week is entitled “The Grateful Heart”. As we approach our holiday of Thanksgiving, it is the perfect time to reflect on the meaning and power of gratitude.

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A Guest Post by Don Rothra: ‘Divine Intervention?’

November 12, 2011 — Leave a comment

Don Rothra is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

When you are in a really tight spot, help is definitely what you want to see coming your way – even help that in the natural appears to defy all logic.  Truth is often stranger than fiction, so they say. Divine Intervention? is a copyrighted short story by Don Rothra.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with his kind permission.

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Before this goes any farther, I feel that I must clarify that I am a Christian. I believe in God and that Jesus Christ is my Savior. With that said, I often stand in awe when things happen that are unexplainable. The following is a true story that happened to me. It leaves too many questions unanswered.

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A Guest Post by Cathy Montville: ‘My Spaghetti Thanksgiving’

November 4, 2011 — 2 Comments

Cathy Montville is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  A memory of a past event can linger for a lifetime, especially one that can be traced back to a certain holiday. Perhaps you once were served spaghetti for Thanksgiving Day dinner, for example. Oh, no, not spaghetti!  How could a mother do that to her family? My Spaghetti Thanksgiving is a copyrighted memoir by Cathy Montville.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with her kind permission.

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While I ate spaghetti with my mom and my sister one Thanksgiving Day, I struggled to conjure up a future precious memory or an insightful lesson I would garner.

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A Guest Post by Mike Powers: A Not-So-Excellent Shopping Adventure!

November 1, 2011 — Leave a comment

Mike Powers is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  Bargain shopping for Christmas gifts on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day has become a time-honored tradition for many individuals and families.  The following is a humorous short story recounting a not-entirely-happy, happy experience by the author and his wife during one such quest for perfect Christmas gifts at hoped for low, low prices.  A Not-So-Excellent Shopping Adventure! is a copyrighted short story by Mike Powers.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with his kind permission.

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Gawd, I detest Christmas shopping… especially on the Friday after Thanksgiving!

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A Guest Post by David Donch: ‘Parts’

October 24, 2011 — Leave a comment

David Donch is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  When you need to get a car fixed – now – a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, even if that means visiting a junkyard on an ungodly dark, rainy, windy end of October night.  Freddy climbed the eight-foot wooden perimeter fence at Pick N’ Pull just after midnight – uh, not good!  Parts is a copyrighted short story by David Donch, who is to be especially congratulated for this story as Parts was the winning entry in the 2010 Flash Fiction Halloween Short Stories contest for Associated Content Contributors.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with the author’s kind permission.

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Freddy needed that mount for his daughter’s engine-and he needed it now. Never mind that it was eleven PM and normal people were turning in for the night. No, he’d spent three hard days and nights getting that car right for her to drive back to college this weekend. No way was a lousy seventeen dollar part gonna stop him now.

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A Guest Post by Cathy Montville: ‘Tea in Three, Darling’

October 19, 2011 — 2 Comments

Cathy Montville is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  It is October 31 – Halloween. It is the night for the foreboding caller to come once again, and Sylvie is dreading the visit.  But despite her fear, she knows there is no escaping the inevitable, and that she simply must protect her sister! Tea in Three, Darling  is a copyrighted short story by Cathy Montville.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with her kind permission.

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Outside, decomposing leaves heave and tumble uncontrollably in the remorseless New England winds. My anxiety begins to bloat to a grotesquely distorted level. A solemn fear agonizingly churns within my body. Ushered in by the light of the Hunter’s Moon, a tsunami littered with years of gruesome nightmares, threatens to rise up from deep in my soul, and wash away the flimsy shreds of my sanity. It is October 31 – Halloween. Tonight the foreboding caller comes again.

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A Guest Post by Don Rothra: ‘She Said Goodbye’

October 16, 2011 — Leave a comment

Don Rothra is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  What follows is a true recounting of a ghostly visit from someone the writer had known very well indeed – his recently departed wife!  She Said Goodbye is a copyrighted short story by Don Rothra.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with his kind permission.

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October 1986 was a devastating time in my life. I lost my wife to an illness that she had fought for many years. It happened so fast that I was completely taken by surprise. I moved in with my niece and her husband into an old farmhouse. The downstairs had been completely renovated, but the upstairs was under reconstruction. My niece offered me a room upstairs if I would clean it out and make it habitable.

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A guest post by Robert O. Adair: ‘Story for Halloween: Midnight Rendezvous’

October 15, 2011 — Leave a comment

Robert O. Adair is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  Uh, oh, this is not a good situation for “George Gillespie” – be prepared for a surprising and very spooky ending to this gripping tale!  Story for Halloween: Midnight Rendezvous is a copyrighted short story by Robert O. Adair.  It is being introduced to my readers here on R.C.’s Twin Cities Beat with his kind permission.

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“C’mon man! Let me out of here! You ain’t no lousy cop! You ain’t got no right to hold me!”

“I will do exactly as I choose. Sit down.” The one known as Lester Gibson stood planted on both feet between George Gillespie and the door to the three room cottage. The old fashioned mantle clock was striking the hour of midnight. Outside the full moon shone, illuminating the winding country lane which ran up to the house.

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A guest post by Sandy James: ‘Halloween Treats for Kids with Allergies’

October 13, 2011 — Leave a comment

Sandy James is a frequent contributor on the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note:  Halloween Treats for Kids with Allergies is a copyrighted article by Sandy James.  It is being republished here with her kind permission:

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Statistics are showing that more and more kids are developing food allergies early in life. The reason for this is unknown but it does create a problem for parents especially on fun holidays like Halloween.

Many children are allergic to peanuts, dairy products, wheat, and gluten. With all these allergies becoming more and more common to children, what can you buy to hand out at Halloween?

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The Great Blue Herons of North Mississippi Park: Photos and Report by Photographer Rob Schrader

April 13, 2011 — 3 Comments

The Great Blue Heron is a magnificent-sized bird! (Photo credit/copyright: Rob Schrader Photography)

The nesting urge is alive and well among the Great Blue Herons that are gathering their sticks and building their love nests on a small island in the Mississippi River.  Landscape photographer Rob Schrader paid the herons a “visit” via his camera lens Monday evening and got a first-hand view of these imposing birds.  From what he observed, he said that love is definitely in the air on the island!

Schrader reports that it was a beautiful day on Monday – sunny, about 65°, just perfect for setting up his camera and getting some good shots of these very active 4’ tall birds.

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