Articles written by R.J. Shie

What is Helium

About me - R.J. Shie

I am a tired Mother of six. I live in Florida with my husband of 22 years. We have one child left at home. She is 17. We have a Staffordshire terrier named Jake. We are spiritually minded, old hippies. I love to cook and camp and write.

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Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Pirates: 2 of 27
Pirates Abound!When Paul opened his eyes, it was daylight. There was a knock. Plodding his way to the front door, he opened it. There was no one there, except a package. It was a manila envelope with no return address. He grinned as he tore it open. Inside, there was a pirate patch and a note. He put on the patch. The note sa... More..
Creative Writing > Novel Excerpts Novel excerpts: Science fiction: 21 of 165
Michaels Trip PrefaceFalone is completely different than Earth. For one thing, it is a star not a planet. For another, the people there do not take a solid form. They do not have eyes, ears, nose, or a mouth as we know it. Oh they do have vision, speech and expression, but not like ours. They are composed entirely of energy, ... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Going back home: 4 of 21
Antiques and IncenseIt all started when I was sixteen. My sister and I had had a party. You know the kind that teens have when their parents aren't home. It was a great party, but like all great things, it ended. My single working Mother was due home and we had the after party may lie to deal with. My sister set herself to th... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Journeys: 7 of 34
Rachel Wood"Dad, don't forget I'll be late tonight. There is some leftover meatloaf in the fridge," said Rachel Wood hopping on one foot, while putting a shoe on the other one. "Ray, you said that you would watch the fight with me tonight. Terry Marsh is coming out of retirement." Neil Wood sometimes acted more like Rachel's ... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: My favorite cat: 5 of 24
BoardwalkIt was six a.m. I had just pulled into the parking lot at work. It was a burger joint on the beach. You know those ones that you walk up to in your bathing suit and bare feet. My boss thought that we should start serving breakfast. I didn't know who would be at the beach that early craving bacon and eggs, but he was ... More..
Health & Fitness > Diet (Other) Should you go gluten-free?: 4 of 15
Should I Go Gluten Free?We hear more and more about Gluten intolerance today. Just go to a grocery store and you will see labels reading "Gluten Free" on all sorts of products. But what's all the fuss about? What exactly is Gluten?Gluten is two proteins combined. They are Gliadin and Glutenin and are found in the endosperm of... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Tips Why parents should participate actively in their child's education: 4 of 12
The Home Life of Our Future Children as we know have emotional as well as physical needs. Often times, these needs are not met. If emotional needs go unfulfilled, then the psyche dies. The needs of children are simple. Providing them is difficult. They're needs are guidance, direction, discipline, acceptance, and most importa... More..
Relationships & Family > Grief & Loss Grief: Coping with the death of a child: 34 of 76

Out of control I am a school crossing guard. It is my job to make sure that your children are safe when they cross the street to go to school. I stand out in the rain and in the hot weather and I fight daily with bad drivers, angry drivers, rebellious teens and so on. I have been cussed at and ridiculed. One man suggested tha... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: The awakening: 11 of 13
3,618 wordsThe AwakeningAs Michael Bevy strode across the lawn, the crunching of the dry leaves under his feet made an enormous sound. The wind was brisk and steady, heralding the coming of winter and biting his nose. Michael didn't notice though. He didn't notice how immense the blueness of the sky was, or that the temperatu... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting (Other) Humor: Expect the unexpected when you have kids: 18 of 21
Losing NickMy son Nick has a reputation for being easily lost, which he earned through diligence. On more than one occasion, I've found myself searching in fear for my wandering progeny. One such event took place when he was about three. I thought that it would be nice to walk down to the corner to get a paper. I put my then ... More..