History Comes Alive In A Powerful Story Of Eternal Friendship And Love

Smell the Raindrops is a beautiful story of friendship, unbreakable bonds, love and hope that crosses all boundaries and knows no limits.

Smell the Raindrops

  by B.A. Austin

Against the backdrop of civil rights, women’s rights and other much-needed movements to bring equality and dignity to all, a beautiful story of personal transformation unfolds. The daughter of a successful businessman and his stylish wife, Bethany Ann grows up in Memphis, studies in Maine, and experiences a bittersweet mix of love, heartbreak and triumph in California. Her number one guiding force at every stage is an enduring friendship, first in person and later in spirit, with her African-American nanny Karine, a nurturing woman of quiet strength who raised Bethany Ann as if she was her own daughter. A rewarding read and an immersive experience that brings history alive through a poignant personal story.

For all the pain it caused, segregation also contributed to expanding rings of healing, forgiveness and tolerance for a lucky few. Smell the Raindrops: One young woman’s journey through life, love and recovery documents a personal story of addiction and the power of forgiveness within a rich and complex relationship.

Segregation and social injustice created a peculiar bond between African-American women and the white children they so often raised as their own. Bethany Ann came from a wealthy white family in the segregated South. Karine came from a poor, black neighborhood at the peak of the civil rights movement. They met in the heart, and the quiet strength and nurturing force of Karine became an enduring touchstone.

Although Karine’s wisdom and physical presence do not follow Bethany Ann into adulthood, the relationship is a gift with a lasting impact. A poignant personal story, Smell the Raindrops is also a compelling commentary on the past and present racial climate in our country.

Smell the Raindrops
BA Austin
Available at the author’s website:
http://www.baaustin.com/books
and online everywhere

Amazon 

Barnes&Nobel 

KOBO

About the Author:

B. A. Austin is an independent art history lecturer with a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College and a Master of Arts from the University of Memphis.  Austin created this memoir-style work of fiction based on her own experiences across the country, infusing each page with a deep sense of place and time. It is a journey across America, across several generations, bringing readers intimately close to day-to-day events that shaped our history.

This is a day to remember ~ Never Forget 9/11/2001

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In July 2014 the News York Post reported that more than 2500
first responders [police, fire and EMS] had developed Cancer and respiratory
illnesses from the exposure to Ground Zero dust – Many have died.

FDNY adds names of those who died related to rescue and recovery work

The air at Ground Zero contained pulverized concrete, shards of glass and carcinogens, according to a 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

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Financially Survive The Golden Years

How to Financially Survive Your Golden
Years
Expert Offers Tips to Maximize Money for an Aging Population

Americans are living longer these days from an average 47 years in 1900 to more than 78 years as of 2010. We are also experiencing a deluge of adults reaching retirement age now that includes 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day.

By 2030, when the last of the baby boomers have turned 65, nearly one in five Americans will be retirement age, according to the Pew Research Center’s population projections. Money will be a big problem for many of them, especially if boomers develop health problems that affect their ability to live independently, says insurance expert and CEO of Life Care Funding Chris Orestis.

“Life Care Funding created a financial solution for seniors that own a life insurance policy that converts the policy into a Long-Term Care Benefit Plan; this gives the policy owner the option to use their policy while still alive to help pay for their choice of any form of senior care services,” says Orestis, a former insurance industry lobbyist who recently contributed to the federal Commission on Long-Term Care’s fact-finding mission.

“With 30 percent of the Medicaid population consuming 87 percent of Medicaid dollars on long-term care services, we can see that’s not going to be sustainable,” Orestis says. “More individuals will be forced to find their own resources to pay for those needs. That’s why states such as California, Florida, New York and Texas are embracing legislation requiring seniors to be notified that they can convert their life insurance policy for 30 to 60 percent of its death benefit value. The money can be put into an irrevocable fund designated specifically for any form of care they choose.”

Orestis details more ways in which seniors might handle long-term care and other budgetary issues:

• Senior discounts really add up! Here’s a list of establishments to check out:www.lifecarefunding.com/blog/senior-discounts/. Restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other merchants give various senior discounts with minimum age requirements ranging from 55 to 62. Some of these places are worth making habits, with 15 percent off the bill at Applebee’s, 30 percent off at Banana Republic and 60 percent off at Food Lion on Mondays! Don’t forget your free cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts if you’re 55 or older, and don’t be shy – at many of these places you’ll have to ask for the discount.

• Long-term care is a matter of survival, so use your best options. The practice of converting a life insurance policy into a Life Care Benefit has been an accepted method of payment for private duty in-home care, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care and hospice care for years. Instead of abandoning a policy when they can no longer afford the premiums, policy owners have the option to take the present-day value of the policy while they are still alive and convert it into a Long Term Care Benefit Plan. By converting the policy, a senior will remain in private pay longer and be able to choose the form of care that they want but will be Medicaid-eligible when the benefit is spent down.

• Your “last act” may be decades away, so plan accordingly. It makes sense to finally enjoy your money after a lifetime of savings, but be smart about it. Take time to organize your paperwork and create a master file that holds things such as insurance policies, investments, property, wills and trusts, etc. so you have your financial picture in one place. Also, live smart today and hold off on that new car if you don’t need a new one. If your current car is paid off and you sit tight for an additional two years, you’ll save $7,200 on a new car with $300 monthly payments. Refinancing your home may also be a very good idea, since rates are still hovering around their all-time lows. Get at least three quotes, compare rates, terms and potential penalties to make sure you’re getting the best deal.  Also, live healthy and buy more fruits and vegetables and less junk food to lessen the chance you’ll need long-term care in the future.

About Chris Orestis

Chris Orestis, nationally known senior health-care advocate and expert is CEO of Life Care Funding, which created the model for converting life insurance policies into protected Long-Term Care Benefit funds. His company has been providing care benefits to policy holders since 2007. A former life insurance industry lobbyist with a background in long-term care issues, he created the model to provide an option for middle-class people who are not wealthy enough to pay for long-term care, and not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.