Hard Cover Books Versus E-Readers

I remember when e-readers came out such as kobe and kindle. I wasn’t too happy with thinking that books would be read on an electronic reader. Where would the feel of the book be and the joy of turning pages to find out the rest of the story?

Paperback Books to Read When Travelling

Paperback Travel Reads

Even though I travelled at the time, I always took a few paperbacks with me and was able to read them on the trip. Some of the travellers I met really loved their kindles as they could load many books on them at a time. This saved carrying extra books in their luggage which was an advantage. There is also the concern with the radiation level emitted when holding the e-reader near the body. This also happens with the constant use of cell phones though the public doesn’t accept t

The Joy of Reading Books

However, I have always loved to read books and turn pages into each story. It’s great to be able to hold the book and flip the pages and carry it with you to read when you can. This is what influenced the sales of e-readers. It was originally thought that many would use kindles and printed books would become obsolete! The public have continued to read books because they enjoy having the book to hold, read and flip through. Printed books won’t go out of style as we all enjoy them too much. There is a place for both e-readers and printed books in the reading world which is a good thing for book lovers everywhere.

The Fairy Hollow Chronicles Book 3

Opportunities for Young Women in WW2 in England

Women today do not know how far we have come. It wasn’t that long ago that women were raised to get married and that was it. No career was to be considered. Not even university. Here are some points I discovered while doing the research for my book.

A Job in London


While researching my book Olive’s Obsession based on Olive working at the Beaver Club in London during the war, I have found that there were not many choices for young women. Olive, who in real life was my mother, went to Pitman’s College in London to learn shorthand. She then went on to learn typing and worked as a secretary for such amazing companies as Quaker Oats and the EverReady Battery Company. The Ever Ready Battery Company got bombed during the war and very fortunately all the staff were gone as it was night time so no one lost their lives.

Life in London

Olive and her friend in London in WW2

My Mother always said that she was in London working but did not see a lot of war going on. She maybe said that so that we, my sister and I, growing up would not think she had suffered. They all suffered severely especially with the bomb shelters being in the tube at any hour when the alarm sounded. Also, the lack of food and rationing books that had to be presented when purchasing food. Everything was for the war effort.

Voluntary Work in the Red Cross

Volunteers in the Red Cross

What Were Your Opportunities?

As for the opportunities, you were either a teacher, nurse or secretary. You were expected to marry young otherwise you were considered an “old maid” which many dreaded. If you were a member of the aristocracy, then you were expected to marry high up. No career was in the cards for you. That explains why volunteer work became popular with the aristocracy as they were appearing to do good for the lower classes. The class system existed in Great Britain at the time.

Ladies Having Tea in London

Life has changed for women since the events of World War II thankfully. It is not necessary to only get married or have just a few careers to choose from such as nurse or teacher. I am finding previous correspondence written by my mother which details what she and her friends were experiencing during and after the war. More to follow as I delve into the Beaver Log and other writings from this time!

Food Safety Makes Sense!

In my former career, I was a public health inspector/environmental health officer and ran my own business called Enviro-Food Consulting. I trained a large number of restaurant and foodservice workers on food safety techniques. One upcoming project is a book based on my last blog called Food Safety Makes Sense.

Most people do not take food safety seriously. If you have a family member with allergies, or you have purchased a food product that has been recalled or you have travelled or dined out and developed food poisoning, you know how necessary it is for food to be prepared safely. It makes sense for us to remember that food safety is important to all of us.

The Attitude of Foodservice Workers

I have taught many groups of workers from teens to seniors. Working in a restaurant is thought of as just another job. Management is not always supportive. If workers notice that management doesn’t take an interest in them, they are not concerned about food safety. That means sanitizing isn’t done carefully, hands are wiped not washed and dirty cloths are not replaced. As the pandemic has shown us, sanitizing is taken more seriously but foodborne disease outbreaks are still occurring.

Cappucino

Food Prepared & Purchased In A Typical Day

If you think about your typical day, many of us consume food made at home or may enjoy a takeout item including drinks such as coffee. We all forget how much we depend on the food supply chain to provide us with safe food to eat which won’t make us ill. Many cases of foodborne illness are not reported as they mimic the flu.

Breakfast Meals For Take-Out

Breakfast Egg Sandwich

Consider The Following Points:

For example, if you had an egg sandwich for breakfast in a restaurant, do you consider:

How old is the egg that was used in the ingredients?

Did the food handler preparing the sandwich wash his/her hands before preparing the sandwich?

Food Handler Washing Hands
  1. Was the handwashing done properly and not just using a shot of hand sanitizer? Hand sanitizers are wonderful when sinks with hot water and soap are not available. However, in a restaurant kitchen, there is a designated handwashing sink to use. Handwashing with hot or warm water and liquid soap sanitizes hands most effectively.
  2. Was the work area sanitized? This should be done with an approved sanitizer in a spray bottle and clean cloth. If the cloth is dirty, contaminants will be spread around the surfaces.
  3. Was the sandwich cooked to the proper temperature?
  4. Is the purchased sandwich hot, lukewarm or even cold? Uneven temperatures mean the food is in the Danger Zone where various food poisoning organisms can grow.

Do You Still Want To Eat the Egg Sandwich?

After thinking about all these points, do you still want to eat the egg sandwich?

Food safety does make sense!

Take-OutBreakfast Sandwich and Coffee