Welcome to today's guest blogger, Mary Cunningham, the award winning author of the fabulous Cynthia's Attic book series.You might not believe this, but, I feel a little sorry for kids today with their computers games, I-Pods, X-boxes, Wii and 300+ TV stations to choose. Sure, all this technology makes life easier and, possibly, more entertaining. But, sitting in my office, updating Facebook and Twitter and contemplating every simultaneous sporting event (President's Cup, Steelers football, NASCAR, etc.) I was able to watch one recent weekend thanks to my DVR, I can't help thinking back to "the good ol' days." Do I hear groans? Let me explain.
Friend, Barbara, a neighborhood playmate from elementary school days, recently asked about the softball games we arranged every single summer day. She couldn't remember whether Alan (a couple years younger) was the only boy who ever played with us. I thought, surely there were others. But, no...he was the only one who dared join 9 neighborhood girls! As I remember, stray balls would occasionally roll into his uncle's yard and Alan was the only one allowed to retrieve them. So, maybe that's why we allowed him to play.
Remembering those summers spent enjoying softball, hide 'n seek, croquet, jump rope – anything that required sunshine and lots of energy – brings back such wonderful memories of my childhood, and also inspired my four-book 'tween series, "Cynthia's Attic." Computer? X-Box? We didn't need them. We made our own fun, memories and life-long friendships. So, yeah, I feel sorry for kids today. Most will never know the joy of creating their own games and fun. Not when all they have to do is click a mouse or grab a Wii remote.
Thanks for having me, Regan! And, thank the Pixie Chicks for allowing Cynthia and Gus to invade their space.
The Pixie Chicks are happy to have you visit anytime, Mary!
Check out this great book trailer:
Mary Cunningham is the author of the award-winning 'Tween fantasy/mystery series, Cynthia’s Attic. She is proud to announce book four, "The Magician's Castle," is due for release in December, 2009. Her children's mystery series was inspired by a recurring dream about a mysterious attic. After realizing that the dream took place in the home of her childhood friend, Cynthia, the dreams stopped and the writing began.
She is also co-writer of the humor-filled, women's lifestyle book, "Women Only Over Fifty (WOOF)," along with published stories, "Ghost Light" and "Christmas Daisy," a Cynthia's Attic short story.
Quake/Echelon Press
I'm so honored to be a guest today! Thanks for having me!!
ReplyDeleteDid you have favorite neighborhood games?
Mary
http://marycunninghambooks.com
we played tackle the 'man' with the football, flashlight tag, and had snowball wars!
ReplyDeleteRegan
Hi, Mary and Regan,
ReplyDeleteThe link that I was given for this blog was wrong, so I couldn't find it last night. Sorry that I'm so late in arriving.
Yes, it's sad that the majority of children today are not encouraged to use their imaginations like we did when we were kids. What a loss. All we can do is encourage them to use crayons, markers, glue, sparkles, and whatever fun crafty things we can get ahold of when they are younger and get them used to using their minds at an early age. Hopefully they will get used to it and will learn to love it and find something that they have a talent for.
Outdoor sports, music, horseback-riding and/or anything wholesome should be encouraged. We don't want our kids to grow up to be mindless blobs that sit down in front of the TV, computer or are addicted to texting, etc.
We had a swimming pool so we swam in the summer and ice skated on top of it in the winter. We had a blast!
See you at the next stop, Mary!
~Cynde
http://cyndes-got-the-write-stuff.blogspot.com/