Kim McMahill

International Women's Day is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations. However, the roots of this day harken back to the late 1800's and early 1900s, where it evolved out of the women's socialist movements and early women's trade union groups. The first International Women's Day was held on March 19, 1911. The event grew from there, and has been celebrated annually ever since, focusing on women workers, and advancing women's rights in the workforce, politics, and society. So, today is a day for women to celebrate and men to celebrate the women in their lives.

  I’ve noticed a growing trend lately of people accusing others who don’t share their views of “hating America.” This generalization is melodramatic and most likely extremely erroneous, and I would caution not confusing a single policy, law, handling of an issue, person, or party with America. Equating a dislike of a politician or disagreeing with how a crisis is handled with hating America makes no more sense than equating the dislike of a minister or how a church handles a controversial issue with hating God. Clearly the terrorists who hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center hated America, but having differing opinions on politicians and issues is not a “you see it my way or you hate America,” scenario. We can have different views and still love America.

  “It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” ―  Anne Frank,  The Diary of a Young Girl If Anne Frank could believe, so can I, and I do. Let's all be the best we can be and try to bring out the best in others.

Like many in America, I’ve been reading more books and watching more on television and DVD over the past month or so. I love action adventure and suspense, but two movies hit one of my pet-peeve buttons recently. In both, the world was saved with one second to spare. I don’t know why that has always bugged me, but it does. Is it necessary to cut it that close? Wouldn’t a minute before world annihilation be sufficient for suspense? Feel free to chime in. If readers like the “one-second to detonation” scenario, I’ll consider shaving a few seconds off my hero/heroine’s cushion for success.   

In the small mountain town of Nederland, Colorado, I came across what I initially thought was an old rusted relic from the mining era. Upon closer inspection I realized it had an interesting story. It was actually a 1923 steam shovel. This shovel along with 24 others were sent to Panama to help build the canal. All but this one was scraped in Panama. The remaining shovel was sent back to California and then transported to the Lump Gulch Placer Mine about six miles from Nederland where it worked until 1978. In 2005 it was moved to the Nederland Mining Museum. Having been through the Panama Canal and having witnessed the marvel of engineering genius, I found this bit of history interesting.

Winter is in full swing. Many cope with the season by curling up by the fireside with a good book and a hot beverage (something I do and can highly recommend). Others day-dream about or go on tropical adventures, while many just embrace the season and get out there and enjoy winter sports. I lean more on the tropical adventure side than the winter sports side, and of course I write and enjoy the occasional jigsaw puzzle. How do you survive the cold temperatures and short days?

My first book, The Lodge, was published in 1999, so I’m coming up on twenty years of pursuing my passion. Sometimes the rapidly changing face of publishing and marketing makes me want to throw in the towel, but that’s easier said than done. After dedicating nearly every free moment of my time for several decades it’s become a part of who I am as much as what I do. It may even be a bit in my blood. My grandfather wrote a column for the local newspaper on the typewriter in the photograph, which has been handed down to me. I’m proud of my body of work and I believe that each project has evolved in the right direction. I can only hope that some piece of it has touched someone or at least provided an escape from the everyday by taking the reader on an exciting adventure. Thank you for sharing in my journey

March 28 is Weed Appreciation Day. Being a recent transplant to Colorado I had to check this one out, and I was relieved to learn that it’s a day in recognition of common weeds found in your lawn or garden. A weed is simply any plant that is not in a place where it should be. Medicinal, herbal, and edible plants, and even flowers are considered weeds if they grow where not wanted. Common weeds do provide some benefit including converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, providing food and shelter for birds and wildlife, some have medicinal value, and others may even make a fine salad or dandelion wine.

This month holds a tragic statistic. On January 23, 1556 the deadliest earthquake in history hit Shansi, China, killing 830,000. On a much lighter note, on January 1, 1908 the ball was first dropped at Times Square in New York City, and on January 12, 1966 Batman debuted on television.

For those who are already following my author Facebook page or who have “liked” it, thank you. It you haven’t checked it out, please do. The content is more current, concise, personal, and as with all Facebook content, as interactive as you like.   https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/

For those of you who are not familiar with my writing, welcome to my blog. I thought it might not hurt to scatter a few posts in for the next month or so to share a bit about my craft. I primarily write adventure and romantic suspense, although my latest project, the Risky Research Series , adds a criminal fiction element (more on that in another post). My goal is simple—to entertain the reader with stories of survival against the odds and take them on outrageous adventures around the U.S. and the world. I hope you’ll check back as I reveal a little more about my stories and the adventures that inspired them.  

I’ve never been to Bhutan, but I’ve always dreamed of visiting this landlocked country nestled in the Himalayas. One of the most intriguing aspects of this country is the idea of Gross National Happiness. The core philosophy behind the concept of Gross National Happiness is to enable development while promoting the attainment of happiness. The four main pillars of Gross National Happiness are equitable and equal socio-economic development; preservation and promotion of cultural and spiritual heritage; conservation of environment; and good governance which are interwoven, complementary, and consistent. The concept may not be attainable in a country the size of the United States or compatible with our democratic system, but the ideals are worth considering and incorporating into life and government where possible. Often the pursuit of prosperity doesn’t equate to happiness or the protection of the environment, but maybe it’s possible to strike a balance. To learn more about Bhutan a...

I purchased the three big beautiful raspberries at a grocery store known for its produce. The handful of small berries came from my backyard. If given a choice one might be tempted to reach for the large plump berries. The reality is that the small less-than-perfect berries taste like heavenly little drops of sweet goodness, while the large berries had very little taste at all. Not only have my imperfect raspberries been a surprising treat, but they have reminded me of a couple of old adages we should always keep in mind—don’t judge a book by its cover and looks can be deceiving.

According to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service a bout 35 percent of the world’s food crops rely on animal pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and beetles and other insects to reproduce. Without these animal pollinators our food supply would be in jeopardy. National Pollinator Week runs from June 19-25. If you want to learn more about pollinators visit http://pollinator.org/pollinatorweek/ or https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/   

I just wanted to interrupt my regularly scheduled blog to say thank you. I have just reach 100,000 page views on my blog. I appreciate everyone who has stopped by for a look and I will try to keep it real and keep it interesting in the months and years to come. I've enjoyed sharing my adventures with everyone.

On February 2 nd of each year Groundhog Day is celebrated in the U.S. According to the legend, in mid-winter the groundhog leaves his den and if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, then spring is just around the corner. The annual Groundhog Day event is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is why most of us know the Groundhog as Punxsutawney Phil. Phil has been making annual predictions since 1887. 

October has a few well known holidays like Columbus Day, which is observed on the second Monday in October (October 10 this year), Yom Kippur on October 11, and Halloween on October 31. Here are some perhaps lesser known dates of interest this month. I hope you’ll recognize a few. Several are very worthy. International Day for the Elderly – October 1 World Smile Day – October 7 (first Friday of the month) Sweetest Day – October 15 (third Saturday of the month) Boss’s Day – October 16 Make a Difference Day – October 22 (fourth Saturday of the Month)