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Hi.

Welcome to This Awful/Awesome Life! My name is Frances Joyce. I am the publisher and editor of this magazine. We'll be exploring different topics each month to inform, entertain and inspire you. Meet new authors, sharpen your brain and pick up a few tips on life, love, entertaining and business. Enjoy and please share!

November in This Awful-Awesome Life...

Happy November! We hope you enjoyed our October issue of This Awful-Awesome Life. Thank you to our writing team and our guest contributors. I’m happy to report Terry Kish is back on the hunt  to find Pittsburgh’s best eateries after her tick scare and the energy zapping antibiotics.

This month we’ve gone in search of the true meaning of Veterans’ Day and every foodie’s favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. We also want to recognize some of the many contributions of Indigenous peoples to society and the development of our world.

We’re happy to welcome Jessica Downing and Corey Flynn as guest contributors this month, and we’re hoping to hear much more from these talented women in the months to come. Jessica is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and she is currently a high school teacher in Florida. Corey is a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered, Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional, and an ACE certified personal trainer. She is a California native who now resides in Mt. Lebanon with her family and a menagerie of beloved pets.

Our featured Q&A this month is Pittsburgh visual artist, Marcel Lamont Walker. Marcel recently won the Pittsburgh City Paper poll for 2017’s Best Local Cartoonist. In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Marcel is a talented writer, photographer, and an active volunteer in his community. Marcel has also graciously allowed us to reprint an article from his website he wrote about Pittsburgh muralist, Judy Pendergast.

Orlando Bartro is back with a special Thanksgiving message we all need to hear, and Linda Cahill shares more delicious recipes from The Pampered Chef. Linda and her family are also featured in one of our Thanksgiving articles.

We asked our readers about their holiday traditions, and we have some fun photos and touching stories to share.

I hope you enjoy my reviews of Bolt Action Remedy, the latest thriller from JJ Hensley, and Imperfect Forgiveness: The Miracle of releasing hurt bit by bit by Alice Wheaton.

I have a lot to be grateful for this year. I’m grateful for my family and friends, our readers who have given me so many wonderful story ideas, and our writers who constantly amaze and impress me with their creativity and talent. Our readership continues to grow and we now have guest contributors from across the United States and Canada. Last month’s article, Halloween: Insuring a Plentiful Harvest or the World’s Best Sugar High was used in a middle school English classroom activity. So, we may a new publication, but we are growing and we are beginning to change the way people see this awful-awesome life.

Enjoy!

Fran

 

P .S. Please like and follow our Facebook page, This Awful/Awesome Life @thisawfulawesomelife2017. Thanks!

April 2017 Issue Redesigned - Our Pets and Animals we Adore

How much do you know about Thanksgiving? by Fran Joyce