Never has there been in my lifetime a point when Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking idea has resonated so much. Every TV channel pounds away at Covid-19 stories, most of them negative. All the news stations are giving the statistics of how many cases there are, how many have died, and how many nursing homes are in dire straits.

Yes, we are part of a larger community and we need to know what is happening. As John Donne said, “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee” as he talked about our being part of a whole and not just individuals with no thought to our neighbours. And I believe that.

What I don’t believe in is hammering away at negativity 24/7.

Human beings are meant to be happy (my takeaway from a book I read years ago) and I work hard to stay that way. I’ve had my share of bad things happen, the worst of which was suffering a number of strokes in my forties. How I recovered mentally and physically was by cutting out the negative stuff and actively filling my life with positives.

So I spend my day shutting out the negatives that I can’t change. I turn off the television, I choose uplifting reading, and I surround myself with positive people.

Here are some of the good things that I’ve noticed since this Covid-19 crisis swooped in on the world:

1. Positive messages thanking our caregivers everywhere we look.
2. The sky is blue, blue, blue.
3. People are out walking, distancing to care for each other, and singing free online concerts.
4. My days are not nearly so hectic as in pre-covid times.
5. I’m writing a prequel to my Loyalist trilogy and loving it!
6. My husband and I are making wonderful meals and loving them. We do miss eating out but some recipes I’m making we haven’t had for years. (See my own creation below Elaine’s Banana Oatmeal Muffins)

To give my readers the chance to read positive books, I chose to be part of 3 Booksweeps contests coming up. Keep watching for these as free books are part of the deal. I’ll announce each of the three in my twice monthly newsletter. (Sign up here on the left side of the page.)

They start May 25, June 8 and June 22. Join me!

Another positive is that you can help quash those trolls who are stealing authors’ books and giving them away free online. This has happened to me many times. I use software to see if my titles are mentioned anywhere on the web and I’ve found them stolen more times than I can count. Even my name and my book write-ups are taken. We need to go after these people. I’m asking for your help. Here is a link where you can sign a petition to shut down one of these sites. I hope you will.

Please join the Authors Guild in signing this open letter to the Internet Archive calling for the immediate shut down of the National Emergency Library. The National Emergency Library is piracy, pure and simple, no matter how the Internet Archive and its founder Brewster Kahle cloak it as a social benefit. Making hundreds of thousands of copyrighted books available for download is theft. It is illegal and it needs to be shut down. Can you join me and take action? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-our-open-letter-to-internet-archive-to-shut-down-the-so-called-national-emergency-library?source=email& Thanks!

And now, as promised, my very own recipe for

Elaine’s Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Sift together:

1 c. all purpose flour,  1/4 c. sugar,  3 tsp. baking powder,  1/2 tsp. salt

Add:

1/2 c. coconut,  1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats

In a separate bowl, mix:

1 slightly beaten egg,  1 c. milk,  1 tsp. almond extract,  3 T. salad oil

Add to dry ingredients, stirring just to moisten. At the same time, add 2 crushed ripe bananas. Fill 12 greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Yummy!

Don’t forget about The Man Behind the Marathons

Audio Book Coming Soon