LOOKING FOR A JOB

When I had one all along.

From Anne Montgomery 

Anyone who has ever been unhappily unemployed – even for a short time – can testify to the damaging array of emotions that come with that particular package. So much of who we are is wrapped up in what we do.

After I aged out of TV reporting, I often found myself leery of running into acquaintances: the thought of addressing my lack of a fulltime job enough to make me queasy.

When the Great Recession hit in 2008, a financial meltdown that saw the nation’s unemployment rate rocket to 10%, there were so many unemployed people that support groups were formed. The unemployed could meet and chat and prop one another up amidst their hunt for a paycheck. Being on an extended job search became so common that, I’d like to think, the stigma of unemployment vanished to a certain extent.

When I was without work, there was no one with whom to share my pain. Still married at the time, my now ex was frustrated that I no longer brought home a big paycheck.  I spent my days alone while the world went on without me. I was left wallowing in my own self-pity, which, as anyone who has ever lingered in that neighborhood can tell you, can become an awfully lonely outpost.

One afternoon, I returned home from yet another “thanks, but no thanks” interview, this time with a sports bar manager who had not too subtly appraised my buxomness quotient, multiplied it by my age, and deemed me unworthy, despite my skills with a shaker, my ability to pour a perfect shot every time, and in-depth knowledge of sports that would have kept even sober patrons entertained.

Shortly after that, I found a phone message from a temp agency. They’d gotten me a gig working on the assembly line at a Revlon plant in South Phoenix. I was to report early the next morning.

Now, I had always thought I was a tough girl. But I must be honest here. As I pictured myself Lucy-like – product slipping by on a conveyer belt too fast to handle – I cried. And, unlike that famous red head, I wouldn’t be able to eat my way out of the problem.

Full-time employment would evade me for several years, a time during which the only thing that sustained me was a skill that I had always considered just a means to an end. The fact that officiating amateur sports – an avocation I practiced in order to get my foot in the door in the sports-reporting business – would put food on my table was something I had never considered. And yet, it was the one place that felt normal, that I still had some semblance of control. The one place I felt like me.

The only place I felt comfortable those years I was without a fulltime job was on the field, especially with my longtime baseball umpiring partner Don Clarkson.

There was a rhythm to my world on the field that, no matter what was happening outside those lines, remained constant. Perhaps it was the need for punctuality, the ritual of donning the uniform, or the customary procedures in regard to game management. Maybe it was the camaraderie: players, coaches, fans, and fellow officials all involved in an endeavor that mattered to them. Or maybe it was that feeling after the game – whether the contest went smoothly or not – that I had done my best and learned from my mistakes.

Funny, it sounds like a job.

I wish I’d thought so at the time.

Here is a brief peek at Anne's latest release.

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Praise for Your Forgotten Sons

“Although a defty crafted work of original fiction, “Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is inspired by a true story. An original and inherently interesting read from start to finish, “Your Forgotten Sons” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick.”  Midwest Book Review

“This was a quick, riveting read that really challenged me to think differently about our servicemen and women, especially those who take on the jobs that don’t get heroically depicted in the media or news…I really highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a different take on American history. I left it with a newfound appreciation for the unsung heroes.” Bekah C NetGalley 

“This is the truth. It’s gritty and painful and bittersweet – and true.  When you think you’ve read every perspective of WWII, along comes Bud to break your heart.” Bridgett Siter Former Military Reporter

“Anne Montgomery writes a strong story and I was hooked from the first page. It had a great concept and I enjoyed that this was inspired by a true story…It was written perfectly and I was invested in the story. Anne Montgomery has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more.” –  Kathryn McLeer NetGalley 

Available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Kobo

 Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne on her website, Wikipedia, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

 

Savor Summer

From Sloane Taylor

Pasta Primavera is a perfect warm weather dinner, especially with a glass of cool, crisp white wine. 

The word primavera means springlike in Italian, but don’t be fooled that this dish originated in Italy. Nope! Both Canada and the US claim the honor of creating Pasta Primavera. No one knows for sure which country invented this delicious dish, but the fact is that it didn’t come to be until the 1970s. 

This recipe is for 2. If you are serving more simply increase the ingredients accordingly. Don’t prepare extra for another meal because the veggies get mushy when reheated. 

Pasta Primavera

9 – 10 oz. cheese tortellini

2 tbsp. olive oil

5 baby carrots

⅓ red onion

½ red or yellow pepper

4 asparagus

⅓ seedless cucumber or small zucchini

3 tbsp. butter

8 or 10 sliced mushrooms

1½ tsp. garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving

2 tbsp. parsley, optional 

Cook pasta per package directions al dente, no longer. Drain into a strainer, retaining ⅔ cup of water for the sauce. Cover tortellini to keep warm. 

Slice carrots in thirds lengthwise. You do this because carrots take so much longer to cook. Slice red onion into thin rings, but not too thin, then cut in half. 

Remove seeds from pepper then cut into strips lengthwise. Set aside. Freeze the extra for another recipe. 

Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Add to pepper bowl. Slice cucumber/zucchini about ¼ inch thick then add to pepper mix. 

Pour oil into a Dutch oven set on medium-high heat. You need this size pan to properly blend the veggies. Stir in carrots and onion, sauté until crisp tender, 6 – 8 minutes. Stir often and adjust heat to prevent burning. 

Lower heat to medium. Add butter, asparagus, pepper slices, and mushrooms. Season with garlic, black pepper, and lemon juice. 

Gently blend in pasta and cheese. Add small amounts of reserved water to thin sauce to your liking.

Heat through. Sprinkle on parsley then serve.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!

Sloane

You might be addicted to books if…

from C.D. Hersh 

We came across the following quote that made us pause and reflect. Let’s see if you have the same reaction.

 

An ordinary man can…surround himself with two thousand books… and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy. Augustine Birrell

We don’t know about you, but the thought of surrounding ourselves with two thousand books makes us very happy. We love to read, we love books, and we love to surround ourselves with books of all kinds. If you could see into our offices, we definitely have two thousand books and that not including the library of paper backs in the basement that we’ve mentioned before. This obsessiveness is probably from even if we haven’t read a book, we can rarely bear to part with it. This was especially hard when we closed up Donald’s parents’ things and their various books. Dad’s were texts on music and electronics with mom’s being about music and cooking. The cookbooks were kept but the other’s that were texts got passed on to Goodwill. 

What about you? Does your passion for books border on the obsessive?

You might be addicted to books if…

• You never sign off your Kindle/Nook without downloading a book. 

 • You never leave a bookstore without buying a book. 

• You read multiple books at any given time. 

• There’s a book—or more—in every bathroom, by every easy chair, and on your nightstand or you carry your Kindle/Nook from place to place. 

• Perhaps you have a reading app on your phone to fill in time while you wait in line for that special cup of coffee. 

• There’s no such thing as taking out only ONE book at a time from the library. 

• The librarian knows you by name. 

• Your paperbacks are stacked two deep on your shelves. 

• You had to buy a Kindle AND a Nook because you’ve run out of shelf and floor space in your office. 

• Your friends think you are their personal lending library. 

• You get so lost in a book that you don’t hear your name being called. 

• Engrossed in the book you don’t hear the oven timer and burn a meal. 

• You read while walking down the street. 

• You’ve actually created furniture using your books. 

 • You have every book your favorite authors have ever written and eagerly await their next releases.

We have done all these things at one time or another, and must admit …. we’re addicted to books. How about you? 

Now kick back, relax and pick up a good book to read. 

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They've written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.

In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that's just what they aim to do.

Second Editions Coming Soon:

Ghosts and Gardenias

The Promised One The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1
Blood Brothers The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2
Son of the Moonless Night The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3
The Mercenary and the Shifters The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4

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