The Revolving Door by Maureen Bruschi

Luck’s a revolving door. You just need to know when it’s your turn to walk through.  —Stan Lee–

We were living in Istanbul because my dad worked as a financial advisor for the United States Agency for International Development. It was the early 1960s and there were no telephones or televisions. One of the ways I kept busy was collecting autographs. With my sister Sue’s help, I had collected autographs from six of the seven original U.S. astronauts, a U.S. five-star general, and Turkey’s famous singer at the time, Zeki Müran.

Lewes, DE: Discover a Treasure Trove of Activities at Cape Henlopen State Park by Maureen C. Bruschi

Lewes, Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park is a year-round get-a-way. If you visit over the summer and the Delaware beaches get a bit overcrowded and overwhelming, or if your need a break from shopping at the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, head over to Cape Henlopen State Park. In addition to ample parking and swimming at a less crowded beach, the park is packed with kayaking, fishing, hawk watching, nature walks, camping, ultimate Frisbee and basketball. Ranger tours are available throughout the year. If you’re a history buff, Cape Henlopen State Park is also home to the Fort Miles Historical Area, a former World War II military base that defended our nation’s coast during World War II.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE (Now More than Ever)

Check out my story, The Revolving Door, under the category “Memories of Turkey” on this website.

I’m thrilled to be a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s first-ever humor collection: Laughter is the Best Medicine.  There is no better time for 101 Reasons to Laugh Out Loud!  My story, #72, the Revolving Door, is one of those 101 feel good stories.  Read below to find out more about this timely book which will go on sale at retailers on April 14, 2020. (Amazon has de-emphasized books for now, because they are so busy shipping out household essentials.  It may take four weeks to receive a book via Amazon.  But you can still order books in time for Mother’s day and other occasions, as long as you give yourself four weeks. Another option is giving an e-book as a gift, which will be delivered instantly.)

Chicken Soup for the Soul®
Laughter Is the Best Medicine for These Times
A New Chicken Soup for the Soul Collection Provides a Hilarious Alternative to the News

COS COB, Conn. – Chicken Soup for the Soul’s first-ever collection of humorous stories has landed, and readers will find that laughter is indeed the best medicine. The iconic publisher has published thousands of funny stories over its twenty-seven year history, but has never before devoted an entire volume to funny stories.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine (April 14, 2020, 978-1-611599992, $14.95), promises 101 feel-good stories, all true stories told by the people who lived through these embarrassing, hilarious, and truly human experiences.

Editor-in-chief and publisher Amy Newmark says, “I must have sounded like a crazy person cackling away in my office while I was selecting and then editing these stories. Even on the third pass through them I was laughing.” She continues, “If laughter is the best medicine, then this book is your prescription. Turn off the news
and spend a few days not following current events. Instead, return to the basics—humanity’s ability to laugh at itself.”

Everyone’s heard of a juice cleanse, a technology cleanse, a social media cleanse. Well, Chicken Soup for the Soul recommends that you do a “news cleanse” for a few days. “Hide under the covers and read these stories instead. Or read a chapter a day, or one story a day for 101 days. Whatever works for you,” says Newmark. “All I can promise is that these pages contain the antidote to whatever is troubling you. They will definitely put you in a good mood.”

No one is safe from the storytellers in this new collection—from their spouses, to parents, to children, to other relatives, to friends and colleagues. And of course, the funniest of all are the stories the writers tell about their own mishaps. You’ll read about domestic disasters, the most embarrassing moments people have ever had,
social gaffes, misunderstandings based on language, the things kids say at church… a huge variety of stories and situations that will make you laugh out loud. It’s good (mostly) clean fun, and it will bring back your own memories of your favorite stories, those that became legendary among family and friends.

You would normally think of Chicken Soup for the Soul as the place you turn to for advice—on positive thinking, forgiveness, gratitude, self-esteem, raising kids, caring for the elderly, and other challenges. But this book is just plain fun, a welcome diversion in 2020.

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. With well over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada, more than 250 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” is known worldwide and is regularly referenced in pop culture. Today, 27 years after it first began sharing happiness, inspiration and hope through its books, this socially conscious company continues to publish a new title a month.It has also evolved beyond the bookstore, with a podcast, education programs, dogand cat food, licensed products, and video, television and movies through its subsidiary, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.

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For a review copy of this Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine or an interview with Amy Newmark or one of the contributors, please contact Shelby Janner at (512) 638-6379 or shelby@zilkermedia.com.

http://www.chickensoup.com   

Twitter/Instgram@ChickenSoupSoul   

Facebook@ChickenSoupfortheSoul

Brooklyn, New York is More Than Just Coney Island

by Maureen C. Bruschi

I have nothing against Coney Island.  A bite of a Nathan’s hot dog at the original Nathan’s hot dog stand at the corner of Surf and Stillwell on Coney Island alone is worth the trip. Toss in roller-coaster rides, go-karts, boardwalk games and the beach and you’ve accomplished a full day of pure fun.  But when my husband and I planned a one day trip to New York City’s most populous borough we initially focused on Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York Transit Museum and Brooklyn Bridge Park.  We’d leave Coney Island for July and the hot dog eating contest.

On March 10, 2019March 27, 2020 By mb070484In Brooklyn, NY is More Than Just Coney IslandLeave a comment

Portland, Seattle and Vancouver: The Pacific Northwest’s Premier Road Trip by Maureen C. Bruschi

My husband and I grew up on the Northeast Coast. We crave cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, experience the energy of Broadway shows in NYC, and stroll the Jersey shore beaches.  When we decided to investigate how our neighbors on the Northwest Coast live, we weren’t disappointed.

New York City’s Chelsea Market: Food and Fun in the Meatpacking District by Maureen Bruschi

Hidden in the Big Apple in the heart of the formerly industrial Meatpacking District, discover Chelsea Market, one of the greatest indoor food halls in the world. The market’s block long and block wide stripped-down brick architecture tempts foodies with over 50 vendors selling everything from Italian pastas and salads, Israeli-style freshly made hummus, Asian soups, Chinese hand pulled noodles, and authentic Mexican tacos to gelatos, chocolates, cheeses, breads, jams and nuts.  As an added bonus, watch many of the restaurants and bakeries make their own food on site.

Experience Southwest USA’s Five Wonders of the World in Ten Days

by Maureen C. Bruschi

You don’t have to be a hiking enthusiast or a professional photographer to enjoy Sedona, Arizona’s red rocks, the Grand Canyon’s rich hues, Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos, Zion Canyon’s erosion-sculptured sandstone or Hoover Dam’s curved wall of concrete.  Simply slip into your favorite walking shoes, grab a bottle of water and you’re ready to move from one mesmerizing view to the next.  After my husband and I landed in Las Vegas to begin our 10 day southwest road trip, we rented a car and headed south for the Hoover Dam.

Philadelphia, PA’s Eastern State Penitentiary: An Abandoned Prison Survives by Maureen C. Bruschi

 

If you ever have even the slightest urge to commit a crime, visit Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) first.  I guarantee you, you’ll walk away a model citizen. Maybe wandering through the crumbling cellblocks and examining individual concrete cells, punishment cells, and Death Row, will do that to you.

Punishment cell

Newport, Rhode Island’s Historic Elegance: Gilded Age Mansions, Tennis Legends and a Memorable Cliff Walk by Maureen C. Bruschi

A trip to Newport, Rhode Island is like taking a faraway voyage back in time.  The town offers mansion tours, harbor cruises, a scenic 3 ½ mile Cliff Walk, historic landmarks, homes, forts and museums, tennis history, and bustling wharfs with enchanting restaurants and shops.  But if your time is limited to three or four days, here are three places you won’t want to miss.

Nazareth, PA: Guitars Come to Life at C.F. Martin & Company’s Guitar Factory by Maureen C. Bruschi

If you need a little motivation to pick up your guitar that’s been collecting dust in the corner, plan a visit to C.F. Martin & Co. Inc.’s guitar factory, located in Nazareth, PA.