Articles written by Patti Beckert

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About me - Patti Beckert

Since becoming semi-retired and having more time to finally give into my love for writing, I have found outlets like Helium to allow me to do so. With a career of over 30 years as a paralegal, and experiences like living in Southern Brasil for two years, and

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Relationships & Family > Family Life Tips for dealing with messy guests: 1 of 20
Nothing is more maddening than spending quite a lot of time and money on cleaning and preparing your home for a visit from friends or family and being left with a huge mess once your guests have departed. It is one of those situations where your hostess skills are going to be tested and, depending on your reaction, could set ... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Life How to entertain unexpected guests: 1 of 18
When faced with the situation of having to entertain unexpected guests, the first thing you must do is stay calm, don't panic. A good hostess will act, not react. Look at the situation as a challenge, do everything you can to accommodate the unexpected guests, put on your best smile while welcoming them into your home, and so... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Spiritual Insights The secrets of attraction: 2 of 27
In order to understand what is written here, it should be read in its entirety. Reading the first few lines or paragraphs to try and get the gist of what is being conveyed isn't going to work with this piece, sorry. What is written can't be summarized in tidy little sentences at the beginning and the end. There are no shor... More..
Food & Drink > Fast Food Is fast food addictive?: 2 of 22
If you ask the owners of thousands of fast food restaurants in this country if the food they serve is addictive, they'll likely tell you that simply is not true. However, if you ask just about anyone else if fast food is addictive, you will get quite a different answer. Recently, 49 of the nation's most prominent health and m... More..
Food & Drink > Beef, Pork & Meat Recipes Recipes: BBQ ribs: 1 of 11
Succulent Barbeque Ribs With Labor Day coming up, it's time to get your recipes in order to start planning the family picnic. BBQ ribs are a favorite at my house and I've cooked them so many times now, I could probably do it in my sleep. The recipe I'm sharing will show you how to make the kind of succulent ribs that fall of... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Love & darkness: 5 of 50
Watch the shadows dance below the bare light as it flickers, glowing dimly in the corner of the room we share, except for it There's darkness everywhere. Feel the gentle rhythm of my heartbeat as it beats, and stops, and beats, and stops, and beats in sync with yours, except for it, There's silence everywhere... More..
Arts & Humanities > Schools of Thought Thinking about your life with realism rather than fantasy: 1 of 10
Reality limits. Thinking realistically limits ones options in life. I cannot make myself believe that reality exists. No matter how hard I try, I cannot see things as they are. I see them as what they can be, or what they can become, but I cannot see them as solidly existing in their present form without any chance of change... More..
Food & Drink > Fast Food Three fast, healthy dinners: 6 of 55
Families today are running on high octane, trying to fit everyone's activities into a very tight schedule. Most often, mealtime suffers because there just isn't enough time to whip up a nutritious meal in between Susie's cheerleading practice, and Joey's trombone lessons. Catching a bite to eat on the way out the door is pret... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Best Thanksgiving movies for kids: 1 of 9
When considering what movies are best for kids to view at Thanksgiving time, you must remember that you are dealing with extremely short attention spans, and if the kids aren't completely entertained, you are going to have your hands full. Trying to get little Timmy and Mary to sit through a whole two-hour movie of how the p... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Neighbors: 4 of 32
Are You Living Next to Mr. Party? We've all run across a neighbor or two in our lifetime who just could not say no to a drink. Every neighborhood has at least one "Otis" of Mayberry fame, who is the first to get to the party and the last to leave. If you think you might have a neighbor who likes the bubbly a bit too much, and... More..