Happy L.A.C. Day - April 15 - Law Abiding Citizen Day

"Blue Iris from the GAFC" (An image to remind you to be respectful
to your self and others.)

Thank you for being an honorable, civilized, law abiding citizen.

Today we celebrate our American Heritage and how much we are alike.
Civilized citizens come in all sizes, colors, ages, health, wealth,
education levels, religious and political parties. The world is
a safer place to live in because each of us willingly chooses to
hold our self to a higher standard and respect the rights of others.
The only reason we need laws is because of those who choose not to
be an honorable, civilized, law abiding citizen.

"Good manners are the great equalizer. They apply to everyone,
are free and available to all. They are the opposite of being
elitist, arbitrary and artificial. When society refuses to obey
the practical rules of etiquette that govern behavior, rudeness
and thoughtlessness will prevail. Every problem of the world
could be, or could have been, solved on the level of etiquette
before descending to lawsuits or wars." says Margery Sinclair.

UNITED WE STAND - DIVIDED WE FALL - IN GOD WE TRUST

Celebrate our American Heritage on L.A.C. Day - April 15 - Law Abiding Citizen Day

Make plans to celebrate L. A. C. Day -- April 15 - Law Abiding Citizens Day

L.A.C. day celebrates our American heritage and how much we are all
alike. Honorable, Hard Working, Civilized, Law Abiding Citizens are
the backbone of the United States of America. We come in all sizes, colors,
ages, health, wealth, education levels, religious and political affiliations.

Traits of an honorable LAC:

We behave decently to others, show consideration when there is conflict,
and maintain composure when displeased.

An honorable person will not lie, cheat, or steal even if the opportunity
presents itself.

We, by choice, are respectful to self and others which is why we can feel
safe in our own homes.

We abide by the laws of the land which reinforce our rights to life, liberty,
and freedom for all.

We elect our government officials from among ourselves. We are there before
the government arrives. We will be there if the government shuts down.

Being an Honorable, Hard Working, Civilized, Law Abiding Citizen is a way
to give something back to your your country, your community, and your family.

United We Stand – Divided We Fall

Thank you for being an honorable, civilized, law abiding citizen.
Without you our country could not exist.

Additional details at www.lacday.com

Orange Beach Festival of Art a huge success!

The weather cooperated and was a delightful 70 degrees and sunny. The crowd exceeded
10,000. Orange Beach artists were almost double the number from last year and
the quality of all were exceptional. Put this 2nd Weekend of March annual Orange Beach, Alabama, festival on your list of things to do next year. It gets better and better each year. One of the food vendors even had alligator bites on its menu.

I enjoyed meeting so many people this year in the authors' tent. Festivals like
the Orange Beach Festival of Art can exist because the majority of American people
are honorable, civilized, gracious people. It takes many volunteers working together with sponsors, hard working artists, authors and food vendors in addition to city officials and police officers to put this magnificent festival together. Peaceful, family friendly crowds mingling together in public is something we take for granted because it happens so often and is standard fare for life in
America. No need for a "fan code of ethics" or a "family friendly" section.
Respect and good manners make it fun and safe for all.

The older the crowds, the more gracious they are. This is because they were taught
at an early age how important it is to be respectful to self and others. These
traits form the backbone of our country.

"A Year of Good Manners" by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk was very well received.
Many people commented that "they don't teach this any more." Many mentioned "This is great information, they should teach this in the schools! Several people bought multiple copies. Many mentioned young people need to know this. Two people (middle aged women!) said, "We don't care anymore." and laughed as they walked out. I suggested if they read our book they might change their minds. (Each of the 365 tips in our book has a reason/advantage to use it.)

The truth is teaching respect and manners is the responsibility of parents and should be valued and taught again in all our homes so we can free the teachers to do the work teachers need to do and not try to teach information that should be taught by the parents. Teachers are educators....not babysitters and parents.

I give away free book marks to anyone who would like one. They are special....
they won't fall out of the book and everyone takes one. I heard several time,
"You should patent this." My book marks have sayings on them either from our book or something that pertains to being an honorable, civilized, law abiding citizen. I gave one distinguished gentleman a book mark and he read it out loud to the whole tent. "An honorable person will not lie, cheat or steal even when the opportunity presents itself." www.janpolk.com.....www.ayearofgoodmanners.com Then he said to me,
"I don't like this one; give me a different one."

So I gave him this one:
"Behave decently to others, show consideration when there is conflict, and
maintain composure when displeased. Knowing etiquette makes you feel relaxed
and confident." Margery Sinclair.com.....www.ayearofgoodmanners.com
He kept it.

Jan Polk will be signing books at the Orange Beach Art Festival March 12 and 13, 2011.

Orange Beach Art Center, 26389 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL holds their
annual Festival of Art on the second Weekend in March. It is going to be
the best one yet. It gets bigger each year. Come and spend the day both days. Great food, lots of painting activities for children, musicians, juried artists, jewelry, potters, local and national authors. Check out the hot shop......free wine....buy the glass and the wine is free. There is something scheduled
all day long both days. Check their website for a schedule of events:
www.obfoa.com

Park at the Orange Beach Senior Citizens center or at Orange Beach
Publix and take the shuttle right to the front entrance. Handicap
parking is available at the Church right next door and just past
the Orange Beach Art Center.

Hours 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday March 12 and 13, 2011.
We are expecting beautiful, sunny weather in the 70s.

Please stop by and say hello to me at the Author's Literary Tent and pick up a
special free book mark which won't fall out of your book! I made these just for
you and I wore my hand out working on the computer to make these! They are
worth it. These special book marks allow you to make notes in the book without
actually writing in it. Take advantage of this opportunity to have a special inscription and autograph for your copy.

"A Year of Good Manners" by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk ($27.05) is for sale year round at the Orange Beach Art Center Gift Shop
as well as from my website and
Margery Sinclair's.

"A Year of Good Manners" by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk is a beautiful hard cover birthday book featuring 365 etiquette tips written by Margery and the reasons to use each one. Margery uses a humorous style to convey very important information.
People always say they should teach this information in the schools. The truth is
parents should teach this information in the home because it is the foundation of
of our honorable, civilized, law abiding nation. We use this information everywhere
we go. Respect and Good Manners are the reasons we can meet in pubic places as large groups of free people and can feel safe while doing so.

Margery says, "Never discount the "likeability factor." When people like you
partly because of your good manners, they are more likely to give you a break
in other areas. A likeable person can be charmingly eccentric; an unlikeable
person just seems weird."

In these hard economic times, when all other factors are equal, employers
will hire the person with the best manners. It is our common bond. We
all want to be treated with respect.

We invite you to read some of the tips in our book at www.ayearofgoodmanners.com

Is your child spoiled?

Is your child spoiled?

If so, it is because you have trained him/her to be spoiled. You have handicapped a
perfectly lovely child. You are not doing your children a favor by spoiling them when they do not deserve it. Rewarding them for good actions is not spoiling them. Your job as a parent is to prepare your children to live in the real world as adults in civilized society once they become of age. The first skills we need to learn in order to be able to live on our own are called “respect and good manners.” These are not the only skills needed, but they are the first skills needed. Children with good manners have more friends, are happier, and are invited to nice places.

Once a child learns to base his core values on respect for self and others,
your child will automatically develop common sense, good self-esteem, and a back bone. Respect and Good Manners will automatically help a child deal with bullies,
rude and selfish people. When one is fortunate enough to begin life living with people who have good manners, one will always feel confident. Good manners have nothing to do with how much money one has or does not have. Every home should be a place where one can feel safe, respected and loved. When a child feels respected, they can accomplish anything they are willing to work for. The one thing that made America the greatest nation on Earth was our common bond as honest, hard working, civilized, law abiding citizens working together for the good of all. We all want to be treated with respect. We all want to be around someone we can trust who has our back.

“A Year of Good Manners” by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk provides 365 common,
every day courtesy tips and the reason to use each one. When the reasons change,
the rules change. In the meantime, our goal as civilized citizens is to treat each other with respect. It is not being phony to be polite to someone you do not like….it is called civilized behavior and it is our civic duty to behave as honorable, civilized citizens.

Milwaukee Etiquette Consultant/Coach Margery Sinclair uses a very humorous style when writing very important information that can be easily understood, enjoyed and used. Margery explains what you can do rather than what not to do.
Jan Polk’s Great American Flower Collection “respect series” floral images are beautiful to look at as well as reminders to treat yourself and others with respect.

“It is easy to hold yourself to a higher standard when you know how.” says Jan Polk.
Margery Sinclair’s motto: “Good Manners are Good Business.”

Purchase your copy on line at www.janpolk.com, $27.95 Free Shipping Five cents handling fee.
Read some of the tips at www.ayearofgoodmanners.com and
www.margerysinclair.com


P.S. If you were not fortunate enough to have a parent teach you this information,
you will find this book perfect for you. It is never too late to learn to become an
honorable, civilized, law abiding citizen. We need you. When you know what to expect from life and what life expects from you, you won't need drugs to escape.

Egypt is Free!! Mubarak steps down.

Egypt is Free!!! Celebrations begin.

After 18 days of peaceful demonstrations by Egyptian
citizens of all ages, education levels, and socioeconomic levels,
Egypt is free. On Friday, February 11, 2011
President Hosni Mubarak steps down as President
since 1981.

Honorable civilized people of all countries want to be
treated with respect. It is our common bond as
human beings. Honorable people must stick together.
Freedom is not free. These people were willing to put
their life on the line, and some did lose their lives,
in order for all Egyptian people to be free of tyranny.

Our prayers are with the Egyptian people and all
honorable, civilized, law abiding citizens.

Makes you wonder why beautiful, healthy, young
Americans will “party and do drugs” until they can
no longer remember what they did the night before
…..and they call that fun. It is disrespectful and
disgraceful to themselves, their friends, and especially to
their families not to mention disgraceful and detrimental
to our Country. Lack of respect for the rule of law is the
reason we have a multi-billion dollar drug problem in the USA.

Freedom means freedom from tyranny, the opportunity
to work for honest wages, and the opportunity to be
the best person you can be….. and not at the expense
of someone else.

Egypt is free from tyranny but now the work
begins to rebuild their country.

Money is not always the solution to all
problems. Honorable, civilized citizens
are the answer along with unity, honor,
civility and respect for all.

No matter what country we live in, we each
have a civic duty to hold ourselves to a higher
standard.

Solution to Bullying

Thirteen year old bullied by 7 teens.

Seven teens arrested for bullying teen in Philadelphia suburb; abuse is shown
in the following You Tube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg0ixG4XFlk

Not only are the actions in the video offensive, the comments from
viewers are laced with offensive language and some don’t even
know how to spell.

The whole point of freedom is that it applies to all in the United States of America--Not just the people you like. Everyone has a civic duty to be respectful to each other regardless of your age. The way you dress, the way you speak should show respect to yourself and to others. One should take pride in one’s family name and in one’s own actions. Somewhere along the last few generations, standards of decency have been discarded. Teens are frantically searching for their boundaries and are finding none. No wonder they are self destructing. How can you think outside the box if you don’t even know where it is?

Bullying is another example of how democracy only works when the majority of its people are honorable, civilized, law abiding citizens. Only one adult woman was brave enough or cared enough to confront a group of 7 teens aged 13 to 17 who were bullying a 13 year old teen. Congratulations and thank you to this yet unnamed woman. She is a hero and the backbone of America.

My guess is these teens don’t know how to behave as civilized citizens. And worse
yet, adults don’t expect them to behave as civilized citizens until they are old enough to get off of their parents' insurance coverage…now age 26. Then they wonder why their offspring do not behave properly when they become of age. This is worse than SAD. The other sad part is adults expect children to know this information without teaching them how to behave as civilized citizens. Teaching
manners is the job of parents. It should then be reinforced by examples seen
at school and any other public place adults and children are together. We are
all role models whether we like it or not.

I think their punishment should be one by one each teen should stand on a gym stage
and read this entire book, “A Year of Good Manners” by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk, aloud over a microphone. All kids in detention should be sitting in the
audience and hearing this information over and over. They must each take a
turn and read the entire book aloud. The only way to get out of detention is
to take your turn in reading aloud and to pass a test covering the material in the
book: 365 common, every day courtesy tips and the reasons to use each one.
These tips apply equally to men, women, and children, all ages, colors, all socioeconomic levels, and all religious or political affiliations. It would also be nice for any student who wants to, to sit in the audience and watch the bullies speak.

The results will be these teens will gain information and experience in working with a microphone and speaking to a public audience (future job skills). Their diction will eventually improve just by doing/speaking and learning to pronounce the words without slurring or mumbling (another job skill learned). No gum while speaking (another social skill learned). They will learn how to recognize when someone is treating them with respect. They will learn how to show respect to others. They will develop a backbone, common sense, and good self esteem just by knowing this information.

All who hear this information will learn they, too, are a valuable person and how they can contribute to a better world. They will learn to base their self esteem on core values which will make them an honorable, trustworthy, civilized person regardless of their skin color, the amount of money they have or don’t have, or even on their looks. It is easy to hold yourself to a higher standard when you
know how. Someone will always have more money and “pretty” fades over time.
Honorable, civilized core values will last you a life time.

"A Year of Good Manners" by Margery Sinclair and Jan Polk, $27.95
will be the best investment you can make for your family and your
children. It is available on line at www.janpolk.com