Tour of Vietnam

Vietnam adventure

Xin chao! ("sing chow" - Hello!)
For anyone who has read my memoir "Free My Heart of Grief To Love", you know that my late husband was a veteran of the Vietnam conflict. The dream of seeing the land he called the most beautiful place on earth became a reality October 30 - November 11, 2013.  

Several months ago the opportunity came along for my husband and I to join a small tour group, hosted by another Vietnam veteran to see this nation of great conflict. We recognized this as an opportunity of a life-time as my present husband's father had also served our nation in that war.  With both veterans deceased it seemed like seeing the far away country where they risked their lives was the right thing to do to honor them. That war was 40+ years ago now. How long ago and far way that sounds. What would it be like to see the villagers, the terrain and the way of life of those people we heard so much about from our loved ones?

Our adventure began with many air miles (7,500+) requiring more than 18 hours of flight time and crossing the international date line. Needless to say, I was confused about the day of the week right from the start. Thank goodness we arrived in Hanoi late in the evening so it was easy to sleep for hours in the dark of night, even though it was early daytime in the western U.S.

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam with a population of approximately 6.5 million people.  

By 8:30 a.m. we had had a bit of breakfast and were loaded onto the 20 seat bus that had transported us from the airport to our hotel. Interesting facts about Hanoi were imparted by our Vietnamese tour guide. Our tour group consisted of only eleven people so it was always easy to hear the guide and any questions or comments posed by other members of the group.  And the twelve-day whirlwind adventure began.

In Hanoi we visited the Vietnam Military History Museum, Truc Bach Lake (site of John McCain's crash landing), the "Hanoi Hilton", Old Town Hanoi/Dong Xuan market and Hoan Kiem Lake.  

Vietnam Military History Museum

N. Vietnamese Veterans happy to see Americans

Plaque inside museum - Notice mis-spelling "LB Fohnson"

Exhibit of prisoners within the "Hanoi Hilton", legs in shackles

Site of John McCain crash

These veterans were genuinely happy to shake our hands, give us hugs and take photos.

They've torn down most of the original Hoa Lo "Hanoi Hilton". ("Hoa Lo" means Hell Hole.) What is left is now a museum containing original artifacts, including a guillotine  and life-sized figures so visitors can understand what it was like to be a prisoner here.  This prison was used from the late 1800s until around 1985.

Typical site in Old Town Hanoi 

Then it was on to the city Ha Long 

View of the Ha Long bridge from across the street from our hotel.

and Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is an area where the the people actually live on the water in floating homes. There are hundreds of small islands that make up this "bay" area.

Ha Long Bay resident's fishing vessels

A few of the floating homes of Ha Long Bay village

This beautiful lady effortlessly rowed our six-passenger boat among the private residences and islands. 

These hats are very comfortable, allowing the air to circulate while it keeps out the heat of the sun. I don't look as cute as she does. 

Fishing vessel with awe inspiring surroundings.


We started our bay tour on this larger vessel and then transferred to the smaller rowing boat.  Interesting that the name of the boat is "Bai Tho Junk 59". Not junk at all, just the word they use for "boat".

Next up, Hue (pronounced "way") where we visited the Imperial Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and Dong Ba market

Pagoda built in 1601, tallest pagoda in Vietnam.  Pagodas will always be 7 stories because of  the Buddist beliefs and what each level represents.

Stairs leading to Thien Mu Pagoda and other outbuilding structures

Behind the Pagoda is a Buddist monastery where we saw these two; a female "monk" and one of the young students.

 The Imperial Citadel at Hue, built in 1802, this served as the Capital of Vietnam. Many of the buildings and grounds are being reconstructed after being destroyed during the Vietnam War. 

On our bus ride to Hoi An we stopped at My Khe Beach in Danang, traversed the Hai Van Pass and took a short break at Lang Co Beach.
It was on this route that the interpreter and bus driver knew that we would be going through the exact area that my late husband stood for the March 1, 1971 "Stars and Stripes" photograph and news article "Scout Dogs Save Time, Lives On RR".  They studied the article and stopped at the spot - Yes, THE SPOT (or at least within the general vicinity).  As we turned and compared the terrain on the copy of the news article we could see the same hillsides, water and railroad tracks. I was amazed, but experienced no feelings of sadness or anxiety, simply awe and gratitude that I was so blessed to be provided this moment of "connection".  

The sticks in the water (top left) is a clam farm.

As we went up the pass we shared the road with many semi trucks loaded with eucalyptus trees and passed many workers on the sides of the road harvesting the trees, cutting off all the limbs and leaves.  Then we came upon where they were all being delivered to. The chipping mill where they make the chips for chip-board. In the photos below, it's difficult to see, but there are full-sized semis lined up and completely surrounding these huge mountains of wood chips. The dark spots on the top of the chip piles are full-sized equipment, like bulldozers. 

At the top of the pass are French and American bunkers that still remain after both conflicts. (no photos, sorry)
At the beach we saw this family filling bags with sand in preparation for Typhoon Hyiahn. The sand bags will go on the roof to help hold the roofing material in place. Rick took a few minutes to help fill a couple of bags. As we read in the news, many homes lost their roofs when the tropical storm hit after annihilating the Philippines. 

Next stop, Hoi An and Tra Que Village. Hoi An is another diverse community that supports farming, fishing and shopping  with ancient, historical sites in the middle of the town and nearby.

After observing the insanity of traffic for 5 days it was now our turn to see if we could successfully navigate on bicycles to the nearby Tra Que Village farm, also referred to as the "Water Wheel". Unless you have seen it or watched a YouTube video there is no way to properly convey the "choreographed ballet" that takes place on the road. Semis, buses, small utility trucks, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians all share the same space in numbers that far exceed anything one can witness in the United States of America. There are lane lines painted on the road, but they are only pavement decoration! More often than not traffic is running three abreast going one way while we anxiously witness vehicles coming two abreast from the other direction - all on a two lane road. In the city there are usually no signal lights at intersections, meaning that if you need to turn left you just need to head in that direction. Other roadway participates make allowances - swerving left or right to get around the one that needs to cross traffic. The same goes for foot traffic. One steps from the curb, looks both ways taking advantage of anything that looks even close to a gap in the traffic. Slowly and steadily the pedestrian paces across the street. If you stop you're done for because they are so used to predicting the route of the pedestrian.  Honking is ever-present, day or night but we never detected even the slightest road-rage or ill tempered drivers. Horns are used there to indicate a presence… beep beep (on your left), beep beep (coming up behind you), beep beep (I'm passing, move over!) BEEP BEEP (oh God, don't cross in front of me NOW!)
Ok, back to the Water Wheel. We successfully arrived at the farm to learn how they prepare the soil, plant, water and prepare a meal using the greens and other ingredients. Our chef also taught us to how they make rice paper.

We enjoyed a great lunch.

We took a short drive to see some Cham ruins at My Son.

We are having such a great adventure, but the best is yet to come.  Our next trip is the most touching day of the entire trip.

It was a long drive south and into the jungle to An Do Village. Our host, Doug, met a woman and her very young daughter while he was serving his tour in 1970 in this tiny village. Last year he paid the village a visit just to see if either of them still lived there. He had a beautiful reunion with both of them.  This year we joined him on his mission to see them again. Doug and his wife and many others in our group brought gifts for the children of the village. The "Mayor" of the village greeted us, escorting us to the community hall. One phone call from our guide and word spread like wild-fire. As we waited for the woman and her daughter to arrive we witnessed people coming out of the jungle en-mass to come to see the Americans.  The woman had recently suffered a heart attack so she could not make the reunion, but her daughter and sister were there along with so many others from the village. 

And here's a little video:

After this heart-warming reunion and new experience for most of us we continued on our way to Quy Nhon. 
As short as it looks on the map, the trek from Hue to Quy Nhon took 11 hours. The roads narrow and very rough so speeds rarely surpassed 35 mph.
On our way we were able to see more historical sites, like the My Lai Massacre at Son My and more temples, ocean beach and ruins. The My Lai memorial site carries very heavy energy and I had to fight back tears as I seemed to feel the pain of those that lost loved ones. No one was spared, no matter what their age - as the large plaque sets out names and ages.

Our final city destination was Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon).
Here we experienced how the Vietnamese used tunnels and booby traps to fight and survive. Crawling through a short section of tunnel brought reality to what they went through. It's a good thing I am about the same size as most Asian men. I could crouch through most of the tunnel, but the taller and larger people in our group had to go to their hands and knees to navigate their way through. 

We also saw their beautiful Post Office, caught a glimpse of the old American Embassy (too far away for a quality photo) and toured the Presidential Palace when he visits the south.

Our final adventure was a day trip out to the Mekong delta region.  While the government provides northern farmers with smaller plots of land to produce and make a living, the people of the southern delta region actually own their land and most have acres and acres of land, primarily growing rubber, bananas, coconut and rice, but also other fruits like mangos, sugar cane, pineapple, star fruit, dragon fruit, passion fruit, rose apple, and many more. (Coffee is grown in the highlands that we did not visit) In the picture below you see rice patty in the foreground and coconuts, bananas and sugar cane in the distance.

We learned so much on this fascinating adventure. I could go on endlessly sharing what we experienced. 
I invite you to comment and ask questions.
We gained many new friends from our tour group and gained new appreciation and respect for the people of Vietnam.
The photos in this post are those that we took - we can't wait to exchange pictures with the others in our tour group.
New words learned: 
Hello = Xin chao
Good bye = Tam Biet
Thank you = Cam on

A Morning Of Syncronicity - a short story

Have you had one of those days where you can feel something different from the moment you wake up?  Things happen as your day progresses and as each event happens you move from curiosity to smiling with gratitude. This day, the 2nd day of July 2013 was one of those days.  And to God, the Supreme Being and all the unseens, I gently bow in humble gratitude.

I woke, or better said, finally called an end to the one-hour sleep cycles at 7:11 a.m.  With the endless record-breaking heat of the past four days I had hit the bed in exhaustion, looking forward to a restful five to seven hours of blissful and always entertaining astral travel.

The house was still quite warm as the air conditioner had only been going for 15 minutes, but I could feel the cool air wafting onto my body as I lay sprawled on top of the sheets, ready for sleep to steal me away. I should have no trouble surrendering, even though my husband Rick was out with other volunteers on fire calls in our area.  I have learned to not be bothered by the noises that come from the trucks and men coming in and out of the fire station - like the ticking of a clock or the hum of the AC unit.  It was 10:33 p.m.

My expectations of uninterrupted sleep was just that - an expectation.  As the hours went by I found myself quickly falling asleep, then waking and peering at the clock. The first time the numbers appeared as 11:11, then 12:12, next came 1:11, followed by 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55, 6:11 and finally 7:11.  What on earth!!? Why am I waking so often?!

I have embraced the concept of numerology, but have not done any studying on the matter. I purchased the book "Angel Numbers 101" by Doreen Virtue to have handy when a number or series of numbers appear frequently so I could look up the meaning given in the book. But I must say that in the five months that I have owned the book I have never had a day that I have looked up more than two number sequences - let alone nine in eight hours!

I was out of bed before Rick was ready to go to morning coffee with his friends. As he is dressing and gathering the fire gear he takes with him when he leaves the station I share with him the events of the evening. As I say the first two series he keeps moving through the gathering and organizing motions, but as I continue to recite numbers he stops and looks at me in amazement.  "No! What??? Really?? You're kidding, right?"  I respond with "Nope - I'm perfectly serious!"   "WOW!!" is all he can manage in his disbelief. Yet I know he does believe me.

As he inspects his turn-outs from the night before, ashes and dirt fall to the floor. He gently shakes them, creating a little pile of black and gray dust on the cement floor. "I really need to get these cleaned." he says, surrendering to the fact that he will have to wear them this way if there is a call-to-duty today.  He would be taking the fire truck to town this morning as they were all too exhausted to make the final stop to re-fuel the truck when they were finally done at about 2am.  He could get the fuel, re-fill the air tanks that had been used and visit with the 911(SIRCOMM) director about the reverse-911 program that he is helping with so everything will be ready to go early in the day.


"Do you want me to take them to the laundry mat this morning? I  need to take that old, stinky comforter in to wash anyway. Can I just bring them to you in town as soon as they are clean?" I ask.
The heat today is suppose to break records again so anything that needs to be done needs to get done early.   He replies, "You sure? That would be great! but you don't have to bring them to me. I have this other set I can wear if I have to."   "OK, I'll see you later then." And I go to the washroom and then outside to catch the coolest air that will be available this day, taking the filthy items with me to put in the car at the same time.  By the time I wander back into the station he has gone.

I grab a quick bite to eat (a few baby carrots dipped in hummus) and my standard two glasses of water. Then I pick my purse from the arm of the dining chair, the small ziplock bag of quarters and laundry detergent. As I take these items to the car the dog notices that I'm going somewhere and begins to worry that she might be left home alone.  With the look of "Can I go?Can I go??" and a hopeful gate, she follows me to the car.  "Yes, you can go. It's cool enough for awhile, I think you'll be ok with the windows down."  It's like she could understand every word.  She approaches the back door so I can open it for her. I let her get in but don't close the door behind her as I need to do a couple more things before we leave.   I push all the buttons to close four of the five garage bay doors, grab my computer and two pair of khakis that could use a wash too and head to the car.  One last time I make sure I have everything before I push the button on the remote to close the final door.

Upon arriving at the laundry mat I see that there are no large-capacity machines available for the comforter so I load the turnouts and khakis. I resign to waiting for the other machine. There are only two or three other people in the facility, but one woman seems to be doing wash for an army, using all the big machines and one or two standard-sized ones too.  I ask her if all the double-load machines are hers and we talk briefly about which one started first, etc.  I now have a good 15 to 20 minutes with nothing to do, so I decide to go to the coffee shop and indulge in a decaf latte instead of working on the two power-point presentations needing attention, magically stored in the computer.

With the latte in hand, I return and find a seat near the machine that she will be vacating shortly. Every sip of the latte is like a vacation from reality. How is it that coffee has such relaxing properties to it?

Rick appears and brings me back from wherever it is I went with the latest sip of luxury.  As he tells me, or asks me whatever it was (sorry I was having a between-worlds moment) the woman approaches to let me know that the machine was available.  She commented that it was strange that the one she started last completed it's cycles first, even though it didn't seem to use as much water as the others. Rick departed and I thanked her for letting me know, stating that I just couldn't take the comforter to the   thrift-store without washing it first.  The machine with the other items was done, so I moved the bed cover to the floor by the larger machine and was ready to move the clean clothes to a dryer.

I could feel a sense of hesitation about her. Then she spoke: "So you are just donating it?" "Yep. It got left in a rental and I don't have any need for it." I replied.  Again she hesitates. "I'm a single mother of three and could use it. Could I have it? I'll even pay to wash it!"  It takes me a split second to really hear what she just said.  "Well, sure! Except that I really need to wash it first. It really stinks bad!  Take a look at it before you take it to make sure it's what you want."  With that, I put the wet things in the dryer and deposited two quarters.  I can see her inspecting the comforter.

As I return she says "That is perfect. I have two boys and they don't much like the girly things we have right now.  I don't have anything masculine for them to snuggle with."

"Oh. Then this will work great for you and the kids.  Here, this bedskirt was left behind also. It's still in the package - never been used. Please take this too." I said. "Oh, THANK YOU!" is her response.

This simple interaction was creating a feeling inside of me that I just couldn't put my finger on.  Yes, it felt good to know that a struggling mom of little ones had one more blanket, but it was something more.  At first I just ignored it and sat back down to wait for the dryer to do it's thing.  Then it came to me: "give her your business card and tell her about your book" the little voice inside said - you know that "gut-feeling".  Half shaking my head I go out to the car and retrieve a single business card.

Ever since I started marketing my book I have heard this little voice all too often and each time I follow through I am shown how important it was to do it.

As I approach her again I wave the card at her and say "I don't know why, but I am suppose to give you my card.  This is me and this is a book that I have written. I don't know if it's for you or for you to pass to someone else. All I know is I'm suppose to give it to you."  She glances at the card and then back at me. "Well, I am a recovering addict. I've been clean for over 60 days now and it feels real good.  I didn't get into trouble or anything, I just knew I had a problem and had to get help so I did. I checked myself into the addiction center."  I never would have guessed that she had been an addict. Her skin and eyes were clear and she was calm and deliberate in her actions.  As I looked into her eyes as she spoke I could also "feel" that she was telling me the truth. "That is awesome that you did that! You have much more strength than I bet you thought you had." I said.  She shook her head in agreement.  I gave her the short details of how I lost both children, husband and mother - three of the four in less than a year and a half and how I decided to not be a victim. How I decided to engage in a battle I wasn't sure I could win, and how I am so happy and whole again, even when the happiness is curbed at times by sadness, like the battle is never completely over.  As she hears this she opens up even more and I say things as they come to me - things to encourage her to "eat the elephant one bite at a time", "take those steps forward even when they aren't very big steps"and "It's a big army but it can be defeated". I end with "My book is in the local libraries, so if you'd like to read it you don't have to buy it." I can see that she is relieved that I wasn't giving her a sales-pitch. "Oh, good! Cuz I sure couldn't" (buy it) she replies.
I give her a hug and tell her how glad I am that she is fighting - "You can do it, just keep going!"  And with that I go back to my chair to wait for the dryer.

As soon as the dryer stops I scoop out the turn-outs and khakis and leave the building without another word to the woman.

The temperature hadn't warmed too much while I was in the laundry mat  and the dog was calmly resting in the back seat as I snapped the seat belt in place.  Before I started the car I decided to call Rick just to make sure he still did not want his clean gear.  He confirmed that he didn't want it but questioned how I could possibly be done with the laundry. As I told him the story he was as pleased as I was that we could help someone out.  Then he took it one step further.

"Does she need a washer and dryer?" he asked.  I thought that maybe one of his friends at coffee had a set to dispose of or sell.  "I don't know, but I'm sure she does if she's doing laundry at the mat. Why? Do you know of one to offer her?" I ask.  "No. - Just ask her if she needs a set. See if she has a place for them."  I purposely pause, you know - the pregnant pause. "So do YOU want to give her a set?" I ask.  "Yes!  Go ask her."  "Ok, well I guess I can go back in and ask her. Do you want to do this? She knows our names. I gave her a business card."

I asked these questions because it has been a long-time dream of Rick's:   If he ever won the Lottery he would anonymously provide washers and dryers to those that truly needed them - in addition to other philanthropic projects.  Well, we certainly haven't won any lottery money (even though we keep trying) and this was not even close to being anonymous.

"I'll ask her and call you back."  And with that I went back inside. The woman noticed me immediately and almost had a look of dread on her face when she noticed me walking-with-a-mission toward her.  I wasn't sure how I was going to broach the subject so I just said a quick "Guide Me" to God and his unseen helpers.

"Ok, I live my life by intuition and all of this is happening for a reason. I told my husband a little bit about what we talked about and he wants to know if you need a washer and dryer."  There, it was out. Now all I had to do was get a response from her.  With a look of question she said "Yeah!"  She wasn't sure why I was asking and wasn't all that positive she wanted to know why. "Do you have a place for them?" I inquired further.  "Yeah" was all she said.  "Great!  Just go down to the Appliance store. They will take care of you." I said as I pointed in the direction of the appliance dealer.

Her body had been all tensed up with disbelief and distrust until these words spilled from my lips, then suddenly her shoulders dropped, her face lighted and one hand came to wipe her forehead as if she had just survived a brush with disaster.  As her hand moved down her face it was as if she were checking to see if it was her own face she was touching.  "Are you serious?" she asked  "Yep.  Just go to the appliance store and show them my business card.  Again, I'm just saying - this is all suppose to be happening." I gave her a big hug and she returned the embrace, dumbfounded for words.  As I left I said "You are such a warrior. You will win this fight - You will win your battle. Never give up."

As soon as I got back in the car, I felt tears well up in my eyes.  I followed my intuition regarding the comforter and business card and played my role in Rick's intuition of understanding the call to gift - to help another in an unexpected, unplanned, un-orchestrated way. Never giving in to the human reaction we learn so early and practice so often - to walk away and ignore those around us - to only share or give when you are expected to.  We followed God's message to us this morning and what we gain is simply the knowledge that there is a single mom with three lovely children that can spend three more hours per week with them.

Sandra Moore Bernsen

Postscript:
This afternoon we called the appliance dealer to see if she had gone in. She had indeed shown up - and when the dealer showed her what she was receiving she broke down in tears. "You mean they are NEW? Not used?!" "Why would perfect strangers do that?" were her only questions.

So what have I been up to since my last post? Much!
I frequently ponder how to be a blogger - what should I be writing about? I guess if I were a person that made New Year's Resolutions I would have to say that my resolution for 2013 would be to post something at least once a month. Test the waters you might say.

What's coming up?  A book signing in Cottonwood, Arizona at the Public Library on February 6, 2013 from 11:30 am to 1pm.    How did that happen? Well, we (my husband and I and our german shepherd)  were on our way from Idaho to our winter destination in Brenda Arizona. The school shooting in Newtown CT had just happened a few days earlier. My heart felt heavy for all the families of those that lost their mortal lives. I know too well what it feels like to be left behind here on earth. I felt driven to do something - provide some sort of condolence. A 'must send copies of my book' message held an ever-present position in the forefront of my mind. The nearest post office was in the town of Cottonwood. So I had prepared a package of two paperbacks, one audio book and a letter written from my heart and soul. Now all I needed to do was put postage on it and send it on it's way. As we found our way to the post office we passed the public library. I turned to my husband and said "We need to go back to the library as soon as I mail this. Immediately after - no other stops." He knows when I am determined and on a mission. He replies with a little smile and asks why - pretty sure he knows what my answer will be. "I need to donate a book to this library." "That's what I thought you would say." Again, a little smile.
There seemed to be a lot of people at the post office. No surprise with it being so close to Christmas. I patiently waited in line, fighting back tears as words from my letter, from my heart, played over in my head.  As I approached the clerk and handed the package over to be posted I see that the clerk has noticed the receiver's address. His eyes lifted toward me. "It's all I could think of doing to try to help. Sending copies of my book." "Your book?" he asks. "Yes." "What did you write?" As I begin to tell him that it is about losing my children and how I found happiness again I retrieve a business card from my purse and hand it to him. Tears are forming in his eyes as he places both hands on mine. A couple soft pats conveys his feelings better than any words he could say. He stuffs my business card into his shirt pocket and we finish our transaction. Collecting my change and receipt we exchange one more handshake.  As I exit the post office fresh air fills my lungs and helps clear my mind. As I exhale I can feel the heaviness of the past few moments leaving me.
My husband asks how things went in there. I fill him in and he is touched. We both express our hopes that those receiving the books will find a little peace and assistance in recovering from their pain.
The public library is a short drive away. This time he goes in with me. I approach the first customer desk I see. There is a woman and a gentleman at the desk. Both great me with a smile and the woman asks if she can help me. "I would like to donate a book I've written to the library." As I hand the book to the woman she looks at the cover and then back at me. "Is this you?" "Yes." "YOU wrote this!?" "Yes."  She's expressing more excitement as our verbal exchange progresses. "Oh! Do you do book signings?" "Yes I do."  "Would you do one for us?!?" "Sure!"  "Do you have a minute? I want to get (so-n-so)." (I've forgotten the name she gave)   It was so nice to get such an enthusiastic invitation.
The one she was looking for had gone to lunch or left for the balance of the day so we exchanged email information. The book signing date was set through email communications.

And That's My Story!   :)


Other things I've accomplished are:
  Narrating, producing and successfully burning my book onto audio cd.  What a huge learning curve that was! I have a new appreciation of those in the audio editing field of work. It took me two days to read/record my book and three weeks of many hours per day to edit what I had recorded. What a chore it was to remove every inhale and click or smack from my lips separating as I spoke, pregnant pauses, paper noise from turning pages, dog scratching in the background, frogs croaking outside, telephone rings, and making adjustments to those annoying speech patterns that I didn't know I had.  The "final" product is not the best it could be, but I am pleased with what is available.  I intend to dedicate  more time to it and see if I can cut and paste re-recorded phrases in those places that I could not delete noise that was incorporated into the spoken words.       Wish me luck!!  

I have also read several books from other authors that I have met in person or on the internet through GoodReads or LinkedIn, participated in many book signing events and created - and finished! - a second quilt that had been cut out since 2005.  After my son died I could not bring myself to sew or quilt so everything that was in progress has simply waited for me. It feels so wonderful to do that craft again. And I can feel my son smiling at me for getting back to it.

I certainly hope your 2013 is going along well. I'm positive that this is going to be a wonderful year!

If you like this post, I encourage you to encourage me.   Post a comment, send me an email at sandrabernsen@gmail.com, or friend me on FaceBook or find me on GoodReads or LinkedIn.

May you experience many blessings in each day.

Sandra Moore Bernsen, author
"Free My Heart of Grief To Love"

I had my interview with KTVB television in Boise, ID on September 4th. I thought (teach me for thinking!) that it would be immediately available on their website. Wrong!  After struggling for a couple days trying to find it I emailed the station. They referred me to a company that archives the News At Noon segments for them for 90 days. Lesson learned - remember to ask first!  Well, I got my video copy so....


Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6lG7XLQeL0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I have this video posted to YouTube and on my Facebook page.

Live this day and every day fully, in happiness, and with gratitude.

Smiles to everyone!

Sandra

I have more book signings coming up!

Saturday, August 11th  Noon to 4pm at Barnes and Noble, Twin Falls, ID
(same day)                    5 - 9pm at Hastings, Twin Falls, ID


I am also in the process of setting up an interview with KTVB television in Boise, ID so I will have more book signings that will be announced during the interview.


I would also like to ask everyone that has read my book to please rate and review on Amazon.com and/or BarnesandNoble.com. I would so appreciate those posts. 

Thank you so much to Christina McKnight for featuring my book "Free My Heart of Grief To Love" on her blogsite! To view the book feature go to Life - Love, Family and Passion http://christina-mcknight.blogspot.com

I am looking forward to reading your book as soon as it is released.

To all the tweeters - thank you so much for following me. I always love seeing a new follower and reading what others are posting. Happy tweeting and re-tweeting!

I am hoping that my new readers will have some suggestions for me regarding my dilema. What dilema, you ask? Well, I'm a self-published author so that means I do a lot of my own book sales. I do not own a smartphone - just the basic model (calls/texts/pictures).

With so many people using debit/credit cards I'm trying to decide what device to purchase. I know that once I get the device I will need to get the little card-reader. I also know that the little card-reader fits onto an iphone/smartphone, the Kindle Fire and iPad/tablets.

I would love to have a device that will serve multiple purposes. I want to be able to read eBooks, use email, take card payments and send/receive texts and access different apps.

Do any of you have something that does all this? What advise would you like to offer?