Chest of Drawers for Debbie’s new Storytelling and Writing Office

As I await our handyman tearing out the sinking floor boards in the room that will be my new office, I am having fun dreaming about the ideal chest of drawers to replace the built-in chest of drawers that allow in mice and wooly caterpillars.

If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know more what I am talking about. I live in a small log cabin in the country. The compact room that currently holds two of my computers, a built-in bed, two build-in chest of drawers, my clothes, and a bunch of other stuff sinks. You sit down in the computer chair and roll down a small hill. Then you have to laboriously drag the chair back up that small hill so that you can be positioned in front of a desktop computer.

Joy of all joys, sometime very soon, our handyman and his helper plan to tear out the floorboards and put in a new level floor. I am so excited. Currently, I do most of my computer work on a laptop computer in our TV den as I find the other room so uncomfortable and claustrophobic. But once that room gets re-done, I plan to do all my computer work in there from now on.

One of the key features that thrills me is that they will have to tear out the build-in bed that is nearly impossible to make and the two built-in chest of drawers that allow mice and wooly caterpillars in. To compensate, I have to place my clothes inside plastic bins inside the drawers. To keep the clothes from getting that stuffy smell, I put a bunch of dryer sheets inside of each bin; however, it still doesn’t always work. Just the other day, I opened the drawer to find the covers of the plastic bins covered with mouse droppings.

Needless to say, I will be so glad to be able to purchase my dream chest of drawers that is free-standing and mouse free. The chest of drawers pictured is perhaps the very one I may decide to get. I am still in the shopping around and dreaming state. Once they actually begin the work, then I will get really serious about picking out the ideal chest of drawers for me. I am hoping they will manage to get the room re-done in time for Christmas. Then the chest of drawers will be my Christmas present from my husband to me and from me to me.

Cross your fingers for me, please. It will be so nice to have an office that will be pleasurable to do my storytelling and writing work. So some people may be dreaming of a white Christmas. As for me, I am dreaming of a flat floor, a free standing chest of drawers, and an office perfectly designed to take advantage of the available floor space. See the picture below for how the office will be arranged once it is finally complete.

Have a wonderful holiday! I hope your holiday helps you fulfill some of your special wishes and desires as well.

Funniest Toddler Quote: First Watermelon Party

Toddlers can say and think the funniest things. Listen to what happened when my younger brother attended his very first watermelon party.

Click FUNNIEST TODDLER QUOTE to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.

Professional Storyteller performs kid-friendly tale: Burger King

On October 16, 2010, professional storyteller Debbie Dunn performed ghost stories around the campfire at Yeomen’s in the Fork on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee. Watch the 3-minute video on YouTube.

This is how the owners describe this antiquities bookstore: “Yeoman's in the Fork is a rare book and document gallery located in historic Leiper's Fork, TN. Yeoman's has a wide variety of rare books, documents, maps, and ephemera. Yeoman's in the Fork shares the collector's passion, along with helping educate those new to collecting rare books and documents.”

Prior to intermission, Debbie told a few kid-friendly ghost and spooky stories appropriate for the whole family. After intermission, Debbie performed “The Bell Witch Unveiled” based on her book entitled “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist” written under her pen name of DJ Lyons. She signed autographs during intermission and after the final performance.

Please enjoy a fun audience-participation tale called “Burger King.” It was taught to her by Chris Lindgren, a Canadian storyteller. Chris learned the story from a 12-year-old boy. He’s the one who wrote it.

YouTube video: Burger King

Description: Watch master storyteller Debbie Dunn reenact this kid-friendly story "Burger King" from our Ghost Stories & The Bell Witch Unveiled event.

For more information about this bookstore, please visit Yeoman’s in the Fork at http://www.yeomansinthefork.com/.

Yeoman's in the Fork, 4216 Old Hillsboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37064

For other stories performed by Debbie Dunn, please click on the following links:

* Jack and the King’s Girl by Richard Chase

* Rainbow Crow by Nancy Van Laan

* Jack and the Bull re-told by Debbie Dunn

* Mouse Mother by Opalanga Pugh

* Parable of the Eagle told by Storyteller Debbie Dunn

* Ned and Nan Kick Their CAN'Ts Away re-told by Debbie Dunn

* Part 1 of 2 - Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

* Part 2 of 2 - Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

* Video - The Wild Boar

* Video - Six Blind Men and the Elephant re-told by Debbie Dunn

Sneak Preview of “The Bell Witch Unveiled”:

Bell Witch Movie with Talk Bubbles that Pop by DJ Lyons

Computer Desk Woes with a Happy Ending

I am being haunted by memories of a beautiful computer desk I had owned in the past. Since moving back to Tennessee in 1982, I have lived in three locations in Kingsport, Tennessee; two locations in Chattanooga, Tennessee; one location in Knoxville, Tennessee; and now a log cabin in the country in Mosheim, Tennessee. As you probably have guessed, I have gone through a lot of furniture in that time.

To back up a bit, when I moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1995, I bought a beautiful computer desk set with white wood. It was gorgeous! I enjoyed using it in both the homes I had in Chattanooga and in the apartment I lived in for 11 ½ years while in Knoxville. During that Knoxville stretch, I met the man I am now married to. We became engaged; however, we maintained separate residences for nearly six years. Finally, we decided to tie the knot for real. I sold off most of my furniture through Craig’s List including that beautiful white computer desk set. Sigh! Then I moved in with my fiancé in the middle of November of 2008.

I was relegated to having to work on a very tiny computer desk in a compact room. So perhaps you can imagine my mixed emotions. I was thrilled to be living with the man I love; however, I was sad to have to scrunch up in a tiny work space. Believe it or not, I have three computers. I have a Macintosh that I’ve had for many years that does not have internet access. That probably gives you an idea of how very old that computer is. It got put on the computer desk that he already owned. Then we bought another computer desk that was identical to it to house my desktop PC. We put that in a room that doubled as my office, my dressing room, and as a guest room. That room is quite tiny. It has a built-in bed and two built-in dressers. Mice and wooly caterpillars have made their residences in the dressers through the chinks in the log cabin. I actually have to keep my clothes in plastic containers in those two chest of drawers to keep them from being eaten up.

I use my lap top on a little tiny table in the den. That room is quite tiny as well. I do most of my work on that lap top.

Oh, another challenge to the guest room office is that the room slopes. When you sit in the computer chair, you actually slide away from the desk and have to almost climb a little hill to get positioned in front of the computer desk.

Now comes the good news. Some friends of ours are handymen. They have decided to tear out the floor boards in that room and put in a new level floor. As a result, they will tear out that built-in bed and the two built-in dressers. As a result, I will have the fun of re-doing the entire room to suit my fancy rather than having to be stuck with a room the way it is. I cannot tell you how exciting that is to me.

I want to buy two new chest of drawers that will be safe from mice. I want to buy some bookshelves. And I want to buy a small computer desk so that I can actually have all three computers in one location. Each computer has different packages and files on it, so I still need all three computers.

Now, comes another haunting memory. If I had had any clue that this would ever happen, I had a beautiful dining room table that would have made a perfect desk for me with room to spare. I also had bookshelves galore that I sold off. I also sold off chest of drawers belonging to me and to my in-laws in their now vacant house. My father-in-law suddenly passed three weeks after I moved in and my mother-in-law was already living in a nursing home due to her health needs that required such a move. We delayed our wedding date to deal with all those details surrounding his passing. Then little by little, we sold their furniture to help pay off some expenses for my mother-in-law. It’s all rather complicated. Some of the furniture that we sold for them would also have been ideal. Oh, well!

Of course, that does leave me with the rather fun prospect of buying brand new furniture from a reputable dealer who I trust. That part will be quite enjoyable!

By the way, the dining room table in the picture is not exactly like the one I sold off; however, it is fairly similar. It would have made a perfect computer desk for a lap top. Sigh!

So now comes the fun part of locating the perfect replacement furniture and setting up that room exactly the way that will delight my soul and impress my eyes. Then, I will have a much easier time conducting the business part of my freelance storytelling business and my freelance writing activities. So this story truly will have a very happy ending.

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

YouTube Video: Ned and Nan Kick Their CAN'Ts Away

Ned and Nan are 5th and 4th grade bullies. Find out how 100 golden birds help them to make a better choice. This story is a spin-off tale to David Holt's Freedom Bird story. It is re-told by Professional Storyteller Debbie Dunn.

YouTube Video: Ned and Nan Kick Their CAN'Ts Away re-told by Debbie Dunn

This is one of three stories Debbie Dunn performs for Elementary School students as part of her "Be Bully Free" program. For more information, please visit http://moredunntales.com/id5.html.

YouTube Video: Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

Fuzzy Rabbit learns how to protect himself from Fancy Fox's bullying by using Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song.

Part 1 of 2 Video: Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

Part 2 of 2 Video: Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

This is one of three stories Debbie Dunn performs for Elementary School students as part of her "Be Bully Free" program. For more information, please visit http://moredunntales.com/id5.html.

Best Review - Top 20 Chapters & Role-plays From Creative Master's Thesis About Christopher Columbus

This is part of a master’s thesis about the life and times of Christopher Columbus for use with fifth-grade social studies students entitled “Travel through time with the Story Genie: A Christopher Columbus unit. This is also appropriate for grades 3 & 4.

Click CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS to visit these top twenty Christopher Columbus articles from my college thesis at Best-Reviewer.com.

Click TOP TEN REVIEWER should you wish to post a top ten reviewer site of your very own. This site was created by James Colin from Best-Reviewer.com and She Told Me.com.

You can view the rest of my reviews by clicking Debbie Dunn’s Most Recent Tops.

Best Review – Top 8 Bell Witch Links By DJ Lyons Aka Debbie Dunn

DJ Lyons (pen name for Debbie Dunn) is the author of “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist.” As a professional storyteller, she also performs a 50-minute one-woman show called “The Bell Witch Unveiled.” Here are links to two videos describing the book, her Bell Witch website, and the best price on purchasing a copy of the Bell Witch book for your very own.

In short, the family of John and Lucy Bell from Adams, Tennessee, were haunted by a poltergeist from 1817 to 1821. This is one of the most widely-documented ghost stories in the state of Tennessee. Sadly, they gave the wrong person the blame. My book and one-woman show attempts to clear the name of Cate Batts and reveals the true secrets about the haunting.

Click BELL WITCH to visit these top eight Bell Witch articles at Best-Reviewer.com.

Click TOP TEN REVIEWER should you wish to post a top ten reviewer site of your very own. This site was created by James Colin from Best-Reviewer.com and She Told Me.com.

You can view the rest of my reviews by clicking Debbie Dunn’s Most Recent Tops.

Best Review – Top 8 Youtube Videos by Professional Storyteller Debbie Dunn

Debbie Dunn has been telling stories and teaching storytelling since 1989. Check out some of her performance and teaching tale videos on YouTube.

Click STORYTELLING VIDEOS to visit these top eight storytelling videos performed by Debbie Dunn at Best-Reviewer.com.

Click TOP TEN REVIEWER should you wish to post a top ten reviewer site of your very own. This site was created by James Colin from Best-Reviewer.com and She Told Me.com.

You can view the rest of my reviews by clicking Debbie Dunn’s Most Recent Tops.

Best Review – Top 6 Fun Songs For Kids Presented By Professional Storyteller Debbie Dunn

Enjoy some fun songs for kids for classroom or summer camp use. The songs include Head and Shoulders, Baby; Hanky Panky, Miz Lu, Lollipop, My Bully Buster Song, and Another Bully Buster Song.

Click FUN SONGS FOR KIDS to visit these top six fun songs for kids videos at Best-Reviewer.com.

Click TOP TEN REVIEWER should you wish to post a top ten reviewer site of your very own. This site was created by James Colin from Best-Reviewer.com and She Told Me.com.

You can view the rest of my reviews by clicking Debbie Dunn’s Most Recent Tops.

Video & Slideshow - The Wild Boar

A tall man and a short man are walking through the forest. A wild boar comes along and charges those two men. The tall man finds safety by climbing a tree. Since the short man cannot reach the lowest branch, how will he manage to save his life?

The main point of this story is you should not judge others since we do not know what is really going on in the background of each person's life.

Six Bloom's Taxonomy questions are included at the end of the video and slideshow.

Click WILD BOAR to watch the video and slideshow.

Be Bully Free Elementary School program with Professional Storyteller Debbie Dunn

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Be Bully Free Elementary School program with Professional Storyteller Debbie Dunn

View more documents from Debbie Dunn.

Character Education story: How the Tortoise Got Cracks in his Shell

I. Read Character Education story: How the Tortoise Got Cracks in his Shell

A. Teacher reads story to the class called “How the Tortoise Got Cracks in His Shell.”

B. Story Description: The Grandmothers of the Kikuyu tribe of Kenya tell stories to teach the children important lessons like don't be greedy. One of those children, Ann Njeri Mwangi, orally shared this tale with me in 1990. Many of the birds were invited to a party in Heaven. Tortoise convinced them that a way must be found to bring him along as he was such a Sweet Talker. Read about his elaborate con job. Listen to this Character Education tale and see if you agree it also has a strong message about the necessity of being a strong Leader and Trustworthy.

Click CHARACTER EDUCATION to read the entire story on Examiner.com.

Ten (10) ways to turn a Negative into a Positive when a child dies

Between the ages of 11 to 13, I faced the loss of three children. One was from my class. The other was a local girl. The third was my eight-year-old cousin. How do you turn such a tragic negative into a positive when a child dies?

Click HEAL ANYTHING to read the entire article on Examiner.com.

Video - June 2010 Relay for Life of Greene County, TN

Watch the video of 2010 Greene County, TN Relay for Life featuring Cancer Survivors, Caregivers, and other people determined to do their part to help stamp out cancer with their fund-raising events. This is an all-night event since cancer never sleeps.

Click RELAY FOR LIFE to watch the 2-minute video on Associated Content.com.

Character Education Tale: Animal Justice for the Hyena and the Hare

I. Read Character Education story: Animal Justice for the Hyena and the Hare

A. Teacher reads story to the class called “Animal Justice for the Hyena and the Hare.”

B. Story Description: The Grandmothers of the Kikuyu tribe of Kenya tell stories to teach the children important lessons like don't be greedy. One of those children, Ann Njeri Mwangi, orally shared this tale with me in 1990. Hyena helps Hare find a cub-sitting job for Queen Lion. Unfortunately, Hyena demands a very unreasonable reward in exchange. Listen to this Character Education tale and see if you agree it also has a strong message about Justice and about being Responsible.

Click CHARACTER EDUCATION to read the entire story on Examiner.com.

Ellen’s Extraordinary Adventure at the Fountain

Imagine if in the bottom corner of your back yard, there is a fountain. One day, as you visit the fountain, you hear a voice. This is the beginning of a great adventure between eight-year-old Ellen and the owner of that unique voice.

Click FOUNTAIN ADVENTURE to read part 1 of this two-part story.

Imagine if in the bottom corner of your back yard, there is a fountain. One day, as you visit the fountain, you hear a voice. This is the conclusion of a great adventure between eight-year-old Ellen and the owner of that unique voice.

Click MORE OF THE FOUNTAIN ADVENTURE to read part 2 of this two-part story.

The Strange Tale of the Deer, Nancy and Sally

Sally regales her friend John with the strange tale of the deer she and her cousin Nancy encountered earlier that day. It was one of those once-in-a lifetime things she never would have believed if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

Click SHORT STORY to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.

The Broken Vase - A Short Story

Gerard came home from work to find a defiant daughter. With a little gentle prodding, he discovered what mischief had occurred while his wife was taking a nap and he had been off at work. Now he and his wife must decide on an appropriate consequence.

Click SHORT STORY to read the entire tale on Associated Content.com.

Enduring Love - A Short Story

Tabitha asked her fiancé Gerard, "Will your love for me endure for all time?" Gerard's use of a broken conch shell to tangibly illustrate his point that his love for her would endure in spite of challenges and hard times brought Tabitha great peace.

Click SHORT STORY to read this story on Associated Content.com.

A New Adventure for Kyla and John

Kyla nearly got hit by a speeding car since she chose to walk on the street instead of the sidewalk. A male bystander named John asked why she continued to walk on the street after such a close call. Would this be a beginning of a budding romance?

Click BUDDING ROMANCE to read the rest of the story on Authspot.com.

Three (3) Easy-to-make Pie Recipes

Check out these three easy-to-make Pie recipes: Yogurt Pie, Rocky Road Ice Cream Whipped Pie, and Chocolate Meringue Pie. All three recipes are sweet and delicious.

Click RECIPE TUTORIAL to watch the videos on Associated Content.com.

Three (3) Easy-to-make Dessert Bread & Muffin Recipes

Check out these three easy-to-make Dessert Bread & Muffin recipes: Pineapple-Zucchini, Pumpkin Nut, and Apple Nut. All three recipes are sweet and delicious.

Click RECIPE TUTORIAL to watch the videos on Associated Content.com.

Two (2) Easy-to-make Appetizers

Check out these two easy-to-make Appetizer recipes: Chicken Mushroom Soup and Open-Faced Norwegian Salad. You can serve them as an Appetizer or serve them as the entire Entrée.

Click RECIPE TUTORIAL to watch the videos on Associated Content.com.

Three (3) Easy-to-make Entrées

Check out these three easy-to-make Entrée recipes: Beef and Cheddar Pie, Pot Roast, and Grilled Barbeque Chicken. Your friends and family will thank you for providing them with these delicious meals.

Click RECIPE TUTORIAL to watch the slideshows and videos on Associated Content.com.

Do You like Vintage Cars? Visit Resource Page for Willys, Plymouth, Chevy, and Ford

Watch the slideshow of 17 Vintage Cars. Are you a fan of Vintage Willys and Vintage Plymouth cars? Check out the videos I took of these cars at a June 2009 Greeneville, Tennessee Car Show. Links to Vintage Chevy and Vintage Ford page included.

Click VINTAGE CARS to watch the slideshows, videos, and to check out the Chevy and Ford car links.

Do You like Vintage Chevy's? Visit Vintage Chevy Resource Page

Do you like Vintage Cars? Are you a fan of Vintage Chevy's? Read the 3 articles and check out the 7 videos I took of some Vintage Chevy's at a June 2009 Greeneville, Tennessee Car Show.

Click VINTAGE CARS to watch the videos and read the articles on Associated Content.com.

Do You like Vintage Ford Cars? Visit Vintage Ford Resource Page

Do you like Vintage Cars? Are you a fan of Vintage Ford cars? Check out the 8 videos I took of some Vintage Ford cars at a June 2009 Greeneville, Tennessee Car Show.

Click VINTAGE CARS to watch the videos on Associated Content.com.

Do You like White-Tailed Deer? Watch These 10 Deer Videos!

Do you like White-Tailed Deer? Check out this Resource Page for 10 deer videos taken at Bays Mountain State Park in Kingsport, Tennessee. This includes footage of a new-born deer.

Click DEER to watch videos taken at Bays Mountain State Park in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Do You like Turtles? Watch These Turtle Videos!

Do you like turtles? Check out this Resource Page for seven turtle videos taken at Bays Mountain State Park in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Click TURTLE to watch the videos taken at Bays Mountain State Park in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Do You like Wolves? Watch These Wolf Pack Videos!

Do you like wolves? Check out this Resource Page for multiple wolf pack videos taken at Bays Mountain State Park in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Click WOLF PACK to watch the wolf pack videos taken at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, TN.

Six (6) Tips for Senior Citizens

Check out this resource page for Senior Citizens covering topics about Nursing Homes, Medicaid, the importance of Will Writing, Elder Abuse Laws, and the experiences of one gentleman undergoing Open-Heart Surgery.

Click SENIOR CITIZENS to read the articles on Associated Content.com.

5 Warning Signs of Breast Cancer

5 Warning Signs of Breast Cancer

Here is a video I just created for free on Animoto. You can do it too!

In any case, please pay attention to these 5 warning signs of Breast Cancer.

Ask DJ Lyons about Bullying: Question #1

As a Conflict Resolution Specialist, I sometimes receive questions about coping with bullying from one of my readers or from one of the workshop attendees of my “Be Bully Free” school programs. Knowing that these issues are common to many young people throughout the world, it felt timely to start an Ask DJ Lyons about Bullying column. Please note that DJ Lyons is the pen name I use for my two published books and some of my other writing. My real name is Debbie Dunn. Should you have a question of your own about bullying, feel free to e-mail Debbie Dunn aka DJ Lyons at moredunntales@yahoo.com. I will of course keep your real name and e-mail address entirely confidential. You will receive both a personal reply and a response via this column. I will change your name in the column to protect your privacy.

Question #1: Girl from UK deals with frequent name-calling from one persistent boy

“I would like to ask you something about my experience with bullying and I hope you can help me. Right, so there's this boy called Thomas (name changed to protect his privacy) in my year and he makes these faces at me or calls me a name I really do not like. So he does this face once in a while, but hasn't done it for weeks. Then last Wednesday he pulled it when I was in the art room and he walked by the door, with his friends, whom I know, are very nice people and they don't do it, it's only him. It's started about near the beginning of year 9 and it's year 10 now; but in year 10 he hardly ever does it, less than once in a week, but when he does do it, it just really bothers me. Everyone has grown up except him; he is so sad and annoying. I would like to ask you how I should deal with it and the best method you can think of. Right now I guess he can see it in my eyes that I get annoyed, but I don't ever talk to him or say anything back, why should I waste my breathe on him? I am thinking that I should maybe smile at him nicely and then say a nice comment to subtly show him that you’re wasting time doing what you’re doing, but I’m not really sure. As for my personality I am a well liked person with many friends, I’m quite confident but I can be shy at times but I wouldn't say I am a weak person. I hope you can give me some advice to resolve my issue.”

Thanks in advance,
Sandra (name changed to protect her privacy)

Click BE BULLY FREE to read my response on Examiner.com.

How to Be Alert to 4 Signs of Breast Cancer – Lump, Dimple, Rash, or Nipple Discharge

Breast Cancer health alert: Many people are aware that a lump in the breast could potentially be a sign of breast cancer. Whether this mass or tumor turns out to be benign or malignant, you should always get it checked out.

Are you also aware that nipple discharge could be a sign of breast cancer? Additionally, if you have a rash, a dimple (indentation of any size), or there is puckering on your breast, this could also be a sign of serious breast cancer. If you notice any of these signs, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to find out whether you might have cancer calls invading your breast and potentially other regions of your body.

Click BREAST CANCER to read the entire article on eHOW.com.