This week’s Twist Podcast survey (results next week!) R

TAKE  THE SURVEY

When the temperature climbs, where do you want to be?

On a shady porch with a cool beverage and nowhere to be
Floating in a swimming pool
In the mountains / outdoors where the air is clean and cool
Inside with the air conditioner on
Baking in the sun
Name your own in the comments

What a breath of fresh air! And a blast from the past.

I met Brenda Williams at the Flemington Book Festival on Memorial Day and it turns out we both worked at Sesame Street (Children’s Television Workshop at the time) in the early-mid 1990s. Wow! what a great energy, and so very needed in these times of conformity, diminishment and, yes, mediocrity. Girls need to be reminded now more than ever that they matter, they’re beautiful, and they can accomplish their dreams.

About ‘Worthy and Wonderful’

A children’s book that celebrates confidence, self love, and the bright potential inside every girl.

This uplifting book follows four young friends who remind each other of their worth and inspire children to speak kindly to themselves, explore their dreams, and grow with courage. Filled with heart and intention, Worthy and Wonderful invites families to create moments of connection and confidence building that last far beyond the final page.

About Brenda Williams

Brenda Williams is a writer, speaker, and advocate devoted to empowering young girls to see their beauty, believe in their dreams, and know they matter. Through her Worthy & Wonderful series, she celebrates the brilliance, strength, and limitless potential of Black and brown girls everywhere. Worthy & Wonderful: A Celebration of Girls Who Matter is the first book in this inspiring series.

Brenda is also the President & CEO of BW Empowerment LLC, a leadership and empowerment company that partners with executives and emerging leaders to unlock new possibilities, lead with purpose, and create lasting impact. Her work reflects the same mission as her books, helping people rise with courage, clarity, and confidence.

Inspired by her four granddaughters, Kaehla, Demi, Dala, and Dior, Brenda writes to spark confidence, kindness, and pride in every reader. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, listening to music, and spreading light, love, and hope wherever she goes.

Cora Berke contributes positive vibes weekly to help us keep our perspective. – Mark

News on the Positive Side- by Cora Berke
Harvey Milk Day

“Hope will never be silent.”- Harvey Milk

In 1977, 47-year-old Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was the first openly gay person to win a public election in the State of California.

Born and raised in New York, Milk moved to the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco with his partner in 1972. The neighborhood was one of the first recognized gay neighborhoods in the country at that time.

Together with his partner Scott Smith, Milk opened a camera store which served as a gathering for his activism in gay rights. Before winning the election in 1977, he campaigned for equal LGBTQ+ rights in jobs, housing and healthcare and became a known activist. After being sworn in as a member of the Board of Supervisors, Milk sponsored an ordinance to prevent discrimination in employment and housing for the community and voted against a proposition banning gay teachers in the public schools.

Tragically, his career ended only eleven months later, when he was assassinated in his office along with then San Francisco mayor, George Moscone. Milk had a premonition he would be killed one day and left a taped message saying, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”

Did you know …

Earthworms are gardening gold. A single acre of healthy soil can contain more than a million earthworms, each one aerating the ground and turning organic matter into nutrients as it moves.

Plants can hear themselves being eaten. Research has shown that plants respond to the sound of caterpillars chewing on their leaves by producing more defensive chemicals — even when the chewing sound is just a recording.

The oldest potted plant in the world is over 240 years old. A Eastern Cape cycad has been living in a pot at Kew Gardens in London since 1775.

Talking to your plants actually helps. The Royal Horticultural Society ran a study and found that plants grow faster when spoken to — and that women’s voices produced slightly better results than men’s. No one is entirely sure why.

Carrots were originally purple. The orange carrot we know today was developed by Dutch growers in the 17th century, reportedly as a tribute to the Dutch Royal House of Orange. Before that, carrots came in purple, white, and yellow.