Category Archives: Fears and Phobias

Travel with Mona to Brazil

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We spent two days in Rio as part of a cruise to the East coast of South America.

Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famous for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38 meter Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnival festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.

The landscape of Rio, is just so different, and so beautiful. Mountains and hills rise dramatically right on the shore and the contrast between these jungle covered mountains and cliffs with the sea is stunning.

Sugarloaf Mountain is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 396 meters above the harbor, the peak is named for its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar. For the majority of the Great Sugarloaf walk, it’s an easy stroll along a simple, steep path. It gets quite rocky towards the summit.

Ascent is made in two stages: first to the top of Urca Hill to a height of 220 meters above sea level and then the cable car goes all the way to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, for a breathtaking 360 degree view of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay, and the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

For many people, Rio de Janeiro is worth visiting just to see the Christ the Redeemer statue, one of the 7 wonders of the world, standing tall and proud on Corcovado Mountain.

It’s one of the largest statues of Jesus and the tallest art deco statue in the world.  Christ the Redeemer is one of Rio’s most popular tourist attractions offering stunning views of one of the best Latin American cities! In fact, the Redeemer Statue receives almost 2 million visitors per year. 

The statue itself, called Cristo Redentor in Portuguese, is 98 feet tall (30 m) and stands on a 26 foot tall pedestal, making it 125 feet tall in total. The arm span is 92 feet wide (28 m). There is a viewing platform around and beneath the statue, where you can see the Cristo Redentor and enjoy the view over Rio.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian has a unique, unusual shape for a Cathedral. From the outside it is sort of a 4 sided cone shape with 4 sides of stained glass windows, with step looking windows/bricks/tiles up to the top of it. 

Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida: According to local tradition, three fishermen were attempting to catch a large amount of fish in the Paraíba River for a banquet honoring the visit of São Paulo Governor, Pedro de Almeida in 1717.  Despite their prayers, their attempts were fruitless until late in the day, one of the fishermen cast his net and pulled it back to find the statue of the Virgin Mary. Upon his next cast, he found the head. The group cleaned the statue, wrapped it in cloth, and returned to their task to find their fortunes had changed and they were able to obtain all the fish they needed. The statue is believed to be the work of Frei Agostino de Jesus, a monk residing in São Paulo.

Rio has some of the most famous beaches in the world! Copacabana Beach is huge and very centrally located in the city, a favorite with locals and tourists alike.

Hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and residential buildings line the promenade, which constitutes the longest continuous sidewalk in the world, stretching for 4.15 kilometers (2.58 miles), facing Avenida Atlântica. On Sundays and holidays, one side of Avenida Atlântica is closed to cars, giving residents and tourists more space for activities along the beach.

Rio de Janeiro hosts one of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the entire world. Seriously, Carnival is a huge deal there.

Carnival starts on the Friday preceding the beginning of Lent, and runs for about a week. Parades and parties happen daily throughout the neighborhoods of the city, and one massive, gigantic production of a parade is held every night in the Sambadome. These parades last for hours and include elaborate floats and literally thousands of Samba dancers in big, colorful, Samba outfits.

An average of 2 million people are celebrating every day during Carnival in Rio. It’s like a huge party or an elaborate Samba production.

While you’re traveling you need a good book to read or a box of several wonderful novels.

Irresistible Accidental Heroes

They never intended to become heroes… But actions speak louder than words.
Find true love with these accidental heroes, in the pages of EIGHT BRAND NEW, full-length steamy stories, from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors.

TWO HEARTS’ ACCIDENTAL HEROES by Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: Rick O’Neill has never been able to forget Shanna Weldon, the girl he suspected was being abused and had tried to help. There was evidence that she could be alive after her disappearance ten years earlier. Was she really a trafficking victim or could she be part of the organization?
SAVING ME by Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: A relaxing day of golf soon turns into a life saved and the love of a lifetime found.
BAYOU HEAT by Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: After a devastating loss, Maggie embarks on a new chapter in her life when she takes a boat ride at dusk and discovers a body floating in the canal.
TARGETING LUCY by Cynthia Cooke, USA Today bestselling author: When a serial rapist is after the woman he used to love, can Jared Halloway protect Lucy, and keep his heart from breaking all over again?
WE’RE ALL STARS by Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: She points at two children drowning. He saves them and turns their lives upside down.
BORN A HERO by Mimi Barbour, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Bryce’s day turns upside down when he reaches out to help an elderly lady during a raging storm. By the time he gets her to her house, the levee breaks, and they’re in deep… ahh, water.
FINDING MELINDA by Susanne Matthews, International bestselling author: If she isn’t Melinda Crites, who is she? And why is someone trying to kill her? Can she trust anyone? Especially the stranger who makes her heart sing?
COMPROMISED by Taylor Lee, USA Today bestselling author: She’s as gorgeous as she is outrageous. He’s a political superstar. What quickly becomes a face-off is complicated by their passionate love affair.

The Crystal Set

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It was a beautiful set of crystal glasses, a gift from my father that we cherished and used when we had guests. Eight of each—wine glasses, bigger water glasses, smaller liquor glasses, wide bottom cognac and champagne flutes. Notice that I use the past tense.

Last night, we heard a big noise and jumped out of bed, running to the living room barefoot. It was 4:30 am. Nothing prepared us for the sight we met in the living room. The two glass shelves in the cabinet separating the kitchen from the dining area had collapsed, pushing the cabinet door open and smashing almost all the glasses. There was glass pieces all over the kitchen, dining area, and living room. It took us a few seconds to assess the damage. Dad’s crystal set was gone forever. We still don’t know why the shelves have decided to collapse after fifteen years.

Once we recovered from our stupor, the first order of the day was to wear slippers. I swiped the tile floor with a broom, collecting the pieces in paper bag—mentally thanking Trader’s Joe for still packaging groceries in paper bags instead of plastic bags. My husband put on gloves and withdrew the broken glasses one by one from the cabinet. We filled four garbage bags. I finished the cleaning job by wiping the tiles with a wet cloth.

Now the cabinet is wide-open and empty. To think, I always complained about the lack of storage space in a condo’s small kitchen. The moral of the story is not to get attached to material things! Well thank God, I have other gifts and souvenirs from my dad.

Last Chance Plans

is on sale for $0.99 during the month of May.

Emotional, Sensual, Humorous

At twenty, Rick Lambert ran away from the US to escape the accusations hurled at him. Fifteen years later, he returns to settle in Fort Lauderdale. His mother agrees to live with him and take care of his two sons who have been raised by nannies and boarding schools.
Flight attendant, Madison Howell loves nothing more than her job. During a flight from Dubai to Miami, she meets the authoritative businessman and his mother. The sweet old lady befriends her, and Rick doesn’t hide his attraction. When his children come home, Madison finds herself entangled with the Lamberts way too often. As she helps the young boys adapt to their new life, she falls in love with their gorgeous father, but she’s not sure she really knows Rick, her charming lover. A loving son and dedicated father but also a womanizer and tough businessman with a hidden past.
When people from long-ago cross his path, secrets are revealed, threatening to ruin their romance. Now mature and powerful, Rick confronts his enemies to clear his name, but will it cost him the woman he loves?

No Diet But…

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Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you still need to be vigilant about the amount of sugar you consume every day. From sweetened beverages like fancy store-bought coffee to pasta sauces to breads — and of course, desserts — sugar is in lots of foods we eat.

When blood tests and MRI revealed that I had to pay attention to my health, my general practitioner sent me to talk to a nutritionist. Hearing that I was borderline diabetic put the fear of the Lord in my mind and convinced me I really should pay more attention to what I eat, and more precisely to the junk food I nibbled on between meals when I am stressed or bored. Luckily I met with a wise and understanding dietician who didn’t try to change the food I was used to but showed me how to eat wisely. So here are a few tips if you are interested in protecting your health:

  • Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day.
  • Fill half the plate with fruits or vegetables.
  • Choose low fat meats and dairy.
  • Make half your starch whole grains.

To build a plate:

  • Choose 3 food groups for each meal.
  • Choose 2 food groups for each snack.
  • You need a protein with each meal and snack.

Servings:

  • Whole grain or Starchy vegetables: 5 servings per day
  • Proteins: 9 serving per day
  • Non-starchy vegetables or Fruits: 2 servings per day

Examples of meals:

Breakfast2Eggs
1 sliceToast with 1 teaspoon butter
1 cupOrange slices
AM Snack2 tbspNuts
Lunch¼  cupTurkey deli meat
1 sliceCheese
2 slicesBread
2 cupsGreen leafy vegetable/tomatoes
1 tbspMayonnaise
PM Snack1 tbspPeanut butter
1 cupApple slices
Dinner2 ozChicken Breast
½ cupPasta
1 cupBroccoli
Night snack½ cupYogurt
½ cupBlueberry

Eat healthy and keep your mind healthy: read fun romance novels

No Vacation Plans

ON SALE TODAY Only April 19, 2023
Denise Lambert fell in love at first sight with Damien Booker, a biracial law student. They danced the night away, and she welcomed his passionate kiss. But then he disappeared.
Five years later, she can’t believe her eyes when the pizza delivery boy sporting a long frizzy mane and a bushy beard is none other than Damien. He kisses her and runs away. She manages to get his phone number and reconnect with him. For weeks, they chat on the phone, until she bumps into Zorro, the exotic male dancer, at her friend’s bachelorette party—Damien again who kisses her senseless. But Denise is fed up with the jack of all trades, working long hours at three low-paying jobs. She’ll have to break it off with him unless…
Determined to be worthy of her love, Damian set aside his resentment against discriminating lawyers. Clean cut and well-groomed, he applies to various firms, until he garners several interviews and finally lands the right position in the right firm. Will his effort pay off? Or will he have to fight her friends and relatives to bring Denise into his arms?
No Vacation Plans is part of Love Plans Series.

Travel with Mona to Thailand

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Visit the Island of Phuket

When I was still at University preparing for a Ph. D. in Analytical Chemistry I became a good friend with Tumany, a graduate student from Bangkok, Thailand. She talked daily about her home town, its history and many treasures. When she offered to have her brother act as our guide, I couldn’t resist the temptation of going to Thailand. My husband had endless free mileage from business trips and said why not. Several of our professors asked me to bring back sapphire rings or necklaces for their wives and daughters. During an exhausting three-day visit of Bangkok we ate the spicier food I’ve ever tasted, admired the most gorgeous sapphire rings I’ve ever seen, and visited more than a dozen temples, and then we headed to Phuket.

Years later I returned to Phuket on a cruise. This island boasts some of the most beautiful beaches with fine white sand, nodding palm trees and glittering sea such as the mystical Phang Nga Bay.

The rock was the filming site for the 1974 James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun.

Phuket is blessed with more than 30 amazing beaches to choose from. I had the chance to soak my feet in the Indian Ocean. But we were more attracted by the exotic aspect of the island.

The statue of the Big Buddha looms above the city. It’s a150 ft statue made of marble. We didn’t visit it but I took pictures from far.

Wat Chalong or Chalong Temple is the most visited, revered, and largest temple in Phuket. Highly considered as a must cultural visit in Phuket due to its history and scale.

Built in 1837, Wat Chalong Phuket is the most popular Thai Temple on the island and is one of the cultural highlights on many Phuket sightseeing tours. The tallest building, Chedi, is 60 meters high and is said to hold a bone fragment of Buddha himself. The interior of the building contains pictorial illustrations of Buddha’s journey. The building alone is three floors filled with golden statues.

Its historical significance was that the monk founders of the temple, Luang Pho Cham & Luang Pho Chuang led Phuket’s Chalong District citizens to fight against the Chinese Rebellion in 1876 using their knowledge of herbal medicine to heal the injured.

As a place of worship, tourists will experience many locals offering prayers and lighting candles, which is generally a very peaceful experience, but one that is often interrupted by the loud bang of Chinese Fire Crackers to ward off bad spirits.

Dancer
Silk weaving

At the Thai Cultural Village we enjoyed several shows with dancers and watched silk weavers at work.

LAST CHANCE PLANS https://amazon.com/Last-Chance-Plans-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0BL1ZPD41… Sweet and Sassy Emotional, Sensual, Humorous. During a flight to Miami, she meets the charming businessman and his mother. Rick doesn’t hide his attraction. But…