STORMY SUMMER NIGHTS by Sheryl Jordan

I enjoy summer for all it has to offer, but one of my favorite parts is the nighttime storms. There’s a special magic to summer nights when the sky is restless. As the last light of day fades into dusk, a silence falls over the night, a false calm before the storm’s symphony. The air, thick with the smell of warm earth, seems to pulse with anticipation. I always tell those around me that I can smell the rain coming. They gaze at me, some say, “You can smell the rain?” Others say, “I smell it too!” (Yes, petrichor, storm scents are real!) In these moments, the environment teeters between sluggish heat and the vibrant anticipation of rain.

The Prelude

Stormy summer nights begin with subtle signs. The breeze, once gentle, stiffens and shifts, curling around porch columns and through open windows.  Somewhere in the distance, a rumble of thunder announces itself as though a whisper from the heavens.

As twilight deepens, clouds swirl overhead. Lightning flashes on the horizon, briefly illuminating the darkening sky with jagged silver streaks. For some, these moments bring anxious preparation: windows are closed, candles and flashlights are found, and pets are brought inside for shelter and comfort. For others, there's excitement in the approaching storm, a sense that nature is about to put on a spectacular show.

The Unleashing of the Storm

As the initial heavy raindrops strike the hot pavement, the world seems to pause briefly. The sound pattern starts irregular, then quickly shifts into a consistent rhythm that drowns out the hum of air conditioners and the buzzing of insects.

Lightning streaks across the sky in a spectacular display, illuminating familiar landscapes in a haunting effect. Thunder follows, sometimes seconds later, sometimes as a deafening, immediate roar. In these moments, the lines between indoors and outdoors blur. People stand on covered porches, counting the seconds between flash and sound. Children press their faces against the glass; their faces are lit with awe and a hint of fear.

Within the storm’s embrace, time appears to bend. Minutes seem to stretch into small eternities as the wind howls and rain pounds rooftops. Power may flicker and go out, plunging homes into darkness broken only by the intermittent flashes of lightning and the glow of flashlights and candles (unless you have a generator, of course). Conversation shifts to whispers, stories, and secrets best kept in the cozy cocoon of a summer storm.

Beauty Amidst the Turmoil

There is a wild, unrestrained beauty in nights like these. Trees dance fiercely in the gusts, their limbs bending but rarely breaking. Water rushes, gathering in puddles that reflect the jagged light above. Somewhere, frogs contribute their voices to the chorus, a deep counterpoint to the frantic song of the rain.

The world outside is transformed. Lawns glisten, streets shine like rivers of ink, and flowers, battered and brilliant, seem almost to glow in the storm’s strange illumination. The air, once oppressive, is now laced with coolness and possibility.

Stories and Memories

Stormy summer nights tend to bring people closer. On screened-in porches and under awnings, neighbors gather, attracted by the display and their shared vulnerability. Old stories resurface: the time lightning struck the oak in the yard, the blackout that lasted until dawn, and childhood games played by candlelight. Laughter mixes with the rain, and for a moment, the world feels smaller and more personal.

Inside, families rediscover forgotten rituals. Board games emerge, stories are told, and the light of a flashlight reads books. The usual distractions—screens and schedules—are rendered irrelevant by the storm’s command. There is, in these hours, a return to simpler joys and the comfort of togetherness.

For individuals alone, a stormy night can become a moment for introspection. The noise outside encourages inward calm—a perfect opportunity to sit by a window and observe the world being transformed, while listening to the natural symphony of water and wind. In solitude, there's a strange feeling of connection: to the earth, to the weather, and to everyone who has ever watched summer rain fall.

The Calm After the Storm

Eventually, the fury subsides. The rain tapers off, the thunder recedes, and the clouds start to break apart, revealing glimpses of moonlight. The world appears washed and glistening, the air fresh and clean as if the night itself has been reborn.

The aftermath has its own enchantment. The sharp scent of petrichor lingers, blending with the fragrance of wet grass and blooming flowers. Fireflies resume their dance above the damp lawns, their lights brighter after the darkness that came before. The distant chirping of crickets returns, first tentative, then bold and insistent.

Walking outside barefoot on the soaked earth, one feels the storm’s deep, almost mythic, sense of renewal. The worries of the day before seem smaller somehow, as if the rain has washed them into the gutters. Sleep comes more easily and more deeply, carried by the lullaby of raindrops and fading thunder.

I love a good summer storm, whether during the day (especially when a beautiful rainbow appears on the horizon afterward) or at night. There is something about summer night storms that sparks something in me. I don’t mean the storms that cause destruction and harm to people or property. I enjoy relaxing and binge-watching a good show or movie (if the power doesn’t go out). Sometimes I catch up on reading or writing. When the power is out for a while, I enjoy sitting in the dark, chatting with my family, or lying in bed just listening to the rain and thunder until I doze off to sleep.

Do you enjoy summer storms? What do you like or dislike most about them?

HANGING OUT WITH FBI SPECIAL AGENTS by Sheryl Jordan

 

I had the pleasure of attending the 2025 FBI Citizens Academy at the Norfolk Field Office. My time at the academy began when fellow author and friend Allie Marie posted on Facebook that the FBI was accepting applications for their 2025 session in October 2024. I was immediately interested.

The Citizens Academy is an engaging six-to-eight-week program that gives business, religious, civic, and community leaders an inside look at the FBI. Classes meet in the evening at the FBI field office. The mission of the FBI Citizens Academy is to foster a great understanding of the role of federal law enforcement in the community through frank discussion and education.

FBI employees, former Citizens Academy graduates, and community leaders nominate candidates. Participants are selected by the special agent in charge of the local FBI field office.

The application process began with completing a short form on the FBI website, where you provide your general information and a brief statement of why you are a good candidate for the class. Next, you wait for an email congratulating you for making it through the first phase of the selection process. (I assume you would receive an email saying you weren’t selected if you didn’t make the cut, as the class size is limited to thirty participants.) The congratulatory email includes a five-page background check application and information on the fingerprint process, which requires submittal by a set deadline. The wait was about thirty days, give or take a few. I received the final confirmation email that I was accepted. Then the fun began!

Entering the FBI Campus

When you arrive at the Norfolk Field office, the building is somewhat intimidating, with the twelve-foot-high black wrought iron fence surrounding it. You enter the security building, where you must give your state or government-issued ID to the security guard, place all personal items in a grey bin, while the guard looks over your ID and ensures you are on an authorized list. Next, you are asked if you have any weapons, explosives, or electronic devices that you better not have, or you will be denied entry. You are then directed to stand before a walk-through metal detector until another guard tells you to proceed. It never failed, I always set it off and had to stand facing with my back to the guard with my arms raised to shoulder height and palms facing down to be checked with a metal detection wand. I felt like I was at the airport going on a trip! Next, we proceeded out the back door to the main building to be escorted to the conference room.

Classroom Presentations

Each class began with dinner provided by the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA). We enjoyed meals from restaurants such as Mission BBQ, Jimmy John's, and local businesses while socializing and building relationships with classmates, agents, and support staff. After dinner, each session started promptly at six p.m. with announcements and a welcome from the Special Agent in Charge, who also briefly explained the agenda for the evening. We were given a handbook with thirty-seven pages of information, including the history of the FBI and three pages of common FBI acronyms, which leads one to believe there are many more. The presentations were informative and fun. The agents provided abundant unclassified and detailed information about how the FBI operates, its history, the myths and truths, the Norfolk Field office, the day-to-day, which isn’t necessarily day-to-day, as they all have multiple duties. For instance, an agent assigned to the Cyber Crimes Division may also be part of the Evidence Response Team.  

Personnel Stats

The FBI Headquarters is in Washington, DC, with fifty-five field offices across the United States and Puerto Rico. Many field offices are subdivided to include resident agencies with jurisdiction over a specific area.  The most prominent field offices are in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC. There are legal attaché offices known as legats overseas. These offices are usually in American embassies. The FBI Norfolk Field Office is the third smallest of all field offices. It has one resident agency, the Peninsula Resident Agency, in Newport News, VA. The Norfolk Field office covers Hampton Roads, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, Franklin-Southampton, Suffolk, Smithfield, and the Eastern Shore. The Norfolk Field Office opened on December 15, 1941, one week after the U.S. entered World War II. Due to the significant naval presence in the Hampton Roads area, the office focused on national security issues such as sabotage and espionage.

There are approximately 38,000 FBI personnel worldwide.:

·       37% - Special Agents

·       63% - Professional Staff

o   13% - Intelligence Analysts

o   7% - Staff Operation Specialists

The FBI works closely with police departments, the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), fire departments, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and other agencies while investigating cases.

Mission, Vision, Priorities

“The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. Its vision is to stay ahead of the threat. The FBI is an intelligence-driven, threat-focused national security organization with intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities. Their Priorities are to focus on threats that challenge the foundations of American society or involve dangers too large or complex for any local or state authority to handle alone. In executing the priorities, the FBI, as a national security and law enforcement organization, will produce and use intelligence to protect the nation from threats and bring to justice those violating the law.”

The FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 federal laws. The major national security priorities are counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cybercrime. Then there are Criminal Priorities, including Public Corruption, White Collar crime, Civil Rights, Organized Crimes, and Violent Crimes.

Case Discussions

The Special Agents took us on a journey through a few of their resolved cases from the beginning to the end. The cases involved attempted solicitation of a minor and human trafficking; the take down of a local gang; an espionage case, and a fraud case. The interactive presentations allowed us to analyze the evidence presented. Then we collaborated as a class to determine the outcome. I had heard and read about most of the cases in prior years, so it was fascinating to get the inside scoop on what really occurred, not just what was reported in the news, how the FBI was involved, watched interrogation interviews, surveillance video, taped confessions, etc. At each presentation, the Agents emphasized that the FBI TV shows do not represent how the FBI operates! Cases can take months to resolve, although some are closed quickly. And they don’t storm into buildings or homes for every case they investigate. I would like to share more details, but I don’t want the FBI showing up at my door! We were instructed not to share specifics about the cases.

Hands On Fun

One session was dedicated to touring certain areas of the building. We were split up into three groups. My group went to the Firearms Training System (FATS) room first. It was a simulator on a big screen with different scenarios of you encountering situations where you observe the scene playing before you. You must make split decisions on who the threat is and shoot at the screen until there is no longer a threat. It felt like you were a part of the scenario, and I was a bit nervous. I didn’t do so well. I waited too long to fire the laser gun.

Next, the group went to the Gun Vault. This is the room where they store weapons they no longer use. The agent explained the gun type and the specifics of several of them and passed them around the room so we could see the details up close and get a feel of the weight of each one. There was a wide variety of guns, some I had heard of but hadn’t seen.

Our last stop was in the Evidence Response Team (ERT) area. ERT is responsible for working with other law enforcement agencies to gather evidence at crime scenes and transport it to the Field Office for processing. We made a cast of a shoe print just like they do on the true crime shows! We were also shown the various techniques they use in the finger collection process. I asked if any surfaces they couldn’t obtain a good lift from. They said they can lift a print from any surface. They must utilize the best method for the surface type. They demonstrated fluid detection with luminal and various black and blue lights. They have a heavy-duty machine for checking larger areas, but it’s heavy and a bit cumbersome to maneuver. We headed outdoors to the ERT trucks. It was phenomenal to see all of its features. It carries every supply imaginable. There were built-in generators and floodlights for when they process a scene at night or in a dimly lit area. The ERT vehicle was so organized that even the ladders had special compartments.

The SWAT Experience

The last day was dedicated to an FBI Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) presentation. It took place at the firearms range. After a brief but informative presentation, the SWAT team performed two demonstrations. The first was how they serve warrants on a person who violated a federal law in some capacity. They first used a drone for surveillance. Then they went in to ensure the building was clear. The next demonstration was of a suspected hostage situation. They yelled FBI, identifying themselves, then threw flashbangs in the building. Next, they went in, fired a few shots, and cleared the building. It was intriguing to see how every move they made was precise and how they utilized nonverbal signals to communicate.

After the demonstrations, their tactical gear was displayed for us. The SWAT agents explained what each item was and what it is used for. The gear is hefty, from the head protection to the body shield they carry. You must be in excellent shape and strong to wear it all.  

Next, we had target practice using four different firearms. An MP5, a Glock, a Tommy Gun, and an M4 SWAT Rifle. I got several bullseyes with the MP5 and Tommy Gun. Having agents on the FBI SWAT Team tell you how great you did at the range made my day!

Graduation

The graduation was bittersweet. It was great to have completed the academy, but a part of me was sad it had to end. The ceremony started with the Special Agent in Charge thanking everyone for their commitment to attend the eight-week program. He reiterated that the FBI does the Citizens Academy to increase awareness about the FBI, strengthen relationships, and improve understanding between the FBI and the communities it serves. We received our certificates and took pictures.

I met some wonderful people. All the FBI personnel were pleasant and accommodating. They had us laughing a lot. I admire their dedication to the bureau and the communities they serve.  

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in such a program. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in attending.

Have you attended Citizens Academies like the FBI, Police, Fire Department, etc.? If so, what prompted you to participate? Are you interested in participating in any?

Did I mention there is an FBI Norfolk PA Store where you can purchase memorabilia? I couldn’t resist purchasing the FBI stuffed animals, a couple of shirts, and coffee mugs!

 

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/norfolk/community-outreach          

INTERVIEWING WOMEN IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY by Sheryl Jordan

Men have long dominated the trucking industry; however, many women are breaking barriers and making their mark on the road. I am working on a novel series about a female truck driver who solves mysteries while delivering her loads on time. While researching and setting up interviews with entrepreneurs in the trucking industry, I constantly ponder what questions I should ask my interviewees to ensure we have compelling and engaging conversations. I came up with these intriguing questions:

Background and Motivation

·       What inspired you to become a truck driver?

·       How did you get started in the trucking industry?

·       Were there any significant influences or role models that encouraged you to pursue this career?

Experiences and Challenges

·       Can you describe a typical day on the road?

·       What are some of your biggest challenges as a female truck driver?

·       Have you encountered any unique obstacles that your male counterparts might not experience?

·       How do you handle long periods away from home and family?

Safety and Security

·       What measures do you take to ensure your safety while on the road?

·       Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation, and how did you handle it?

·       Do you think the industry provides adequate support and protection for female drivers?

Work-Life Balance

·       How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance as a truck driver?

·       What hobbies or activities do you enjoy when you're not on the road?

·       Do you have any tips for managing stress and fatigue?

Industry Insights

·       How has the trucking industry changed since you started your career?

·       What industry improvements would you like to see to support female truck drivers?

·       Do you think there are enough opportunities for women in trucking?

Advice for Aspiring Female Truck Drivers

·       What advice would you give to women considering a career in trucking?

·       Do you recommend any resources or organizations for women entering the industry?

·       What skills or qualities are essential for success in this field?

Personal Stories

·       Can you share a memorable experience or story from your time on the road?

·       Have you formed any lasting friendships or connections in the industry?

·       What do you enjoy most about your work?

Curiosity

·     Do male truckers try to be over-accommodating towards you, like pumping fuel or trying to help you when they wouldn’t help other male truckers in similar situations?

·       Do “lot lizards” still exist?

·       What has been the funniest or most bizarre situation you’ve encountered on the road?

·       What do you do during your “downtime” on the road?

·       Are there any myths about being female in the industry?

I look forward to interviewing some extraordinary women for the series and getting the storyline moving along. After the interviews are complete, I will blog about the life of female truckers. What are you curious to know about our female truckers/entrepreneurs? 

COASTAL CRIMES 2: DEATH TAKES A VACATION By Mystery by the Sea Authors

 

 March 10, 2025 (Monday) 7pm Est – Zoom Meeting – Session open to the public

Topic: Coastal Crimes : Death Takes a Vacation anthology. Come hear the authors discuss their story location, characters, and story inspiration on a moderated panel.

Description: Get ready to travel to mysterious vacation destinations in Coastal Crimes: Death Takes a Vacation anthology by members of Sisters in Crime, Mystery by the Sea chapter.

The stories are set in and around Virginia. Each of the fourteen stories transports readers across a rich, unique, and deadly landscape in the Coastal Plain of Virginia, North Carolina, and east of I-95. This collection includes vacation getaways from the shores of Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore, and the Outerbanks of North Carolina. So, pack your bags to visit premier destinations filled with mystery, murder, and a coastal view.

Teresa Inge is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Mar 10, 2025, 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 519 229 8030

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THE EVOLUTION OF HALLOWEEN by Sheryl Jordan

 

Halloween evolved from ancient Celtic rituals to a modern American tradition. Christianity, European myth, and American consumerism have influenced it. There are several schools of thought about the origin of Halloween. The most common is that Halloween dates back over 2,000 years to the Celtic Festival of Samhain in regions now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, which took place each year on October 31^st. The Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes in the belief that ghosts would be warded off. It was thought to be when dead ancestors of the spiritual world could breach the natural world, so they dressed in animal and monster costumes in hopes that fairies wouldn’t kidnap them. Celts believed ghosts returned to earth to claim revenge for their deaths or to have one last chance to be redeemed. After the harvest, Druid priests lit bonfires and prayed throughout the night, trying to foretell if their communities would survive the winter, which was often cold and dark—a time when many died due to the brutal weather and lack of food that came with it.

Later in the seventh century, the Catholic Church designated November 1 as All Saints Day, also called All Hallows, to honor all saints and martyrs of the church. By the ninth century, Christianity had spread to the Celtic regions, changing Celtic beliefs and rituals. Eventually, All Souls Day was established on November 2 to honor the souls of the recently deceased. Many believe the church was attempting to replace the honoring of the dead with a Christian holiday. Years later, the three holidays became Halloween, celebrated in many countries on October 31.

During past festivities, activities and games were similar to those in today’s celebrations of Halloween: bobbing for apples, making jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins or turnips, and sharing scary stories, to name a few. Trick-or-treating is believed to have developed from the early Celtic rituals of giving soul cakes and food to people who did not have enough food for the winter. During All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations in England and Ireland, poor people visited the homes of wealthier families. They received pastries called soul cakes in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ dead relatives. The practice known as "souling” was later taken up by children, who would go from door to door asking for gifts such as food, money, or beverages, an early form of trick-or-treating. 

Today, Halloween is celebrated in many ways. People attend costume parties dressed in scary, cutesy, or anything in between attire.    There are trunk-or-treat events where vehicles are lined up in parade style. The children dressed in costumes move to each vehicle, shouting Trick or Treat to receive a treat from the trunks or back of the vehicles. Some people decorate their cars, dress in costumes, and play Halloween music, making the event more festive. Trunk-or-treat events are held in shopping centers, schools, churches, parks, and communities. 

Fall festivals are also popular, creating a carnival-type atmosphere with various games and food. Haunted House attractions offer experiences of being frightened by mummies, monsters, and ghouls jumping out to give a spooky thrill. There are haunted hayrides near wooded areas and farmlands. Theme parks decorated in creepy Halloween fashion offer double the thrill of fast-moving rides and a good scare. During the season, houses are transformed into Halloween sanctuaries, decorated most imaginatively. I have seen houses where the decorations were so elaborate and precisely placed that it took the owners months to decorate and cost thousands of dollars to create and keep the scenes going during the season. What a treat to go for a drive to see houses decorated with orange, purple, and white flashing lights coordinated with the rhythm of songs such as Thriller, Ghostbusters, Bloody Mary, and Somebody’s Watching Me, to name a few. Interestingly, consumers spent over $12 billion on Halloween costumes, decorations, events, and candy in 2023, which is expected to rise even higher in 2024. Some contributing factors are that Halloween is a pastime many people enjoy, and nowadays, it is celebrated in many ways. We can't forget to include our four-legged friends during the festivities. Pet owners dress their adorable fur babies in the cutest pet costumes and enter them in contests, hoping they will be deemed the best dressed, cutest, or spookiest. 

Another Halloween pastime is watching horror movies and reading classic stories such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Whether you prefer horror or comic and nonviolent Halloween stories, there are many movies and books for everyone to enjoy.

I occasionally enjoy watching a good scary movie or reading Halloween-themed stories during the Halloween season. Do you participate in any Halloween celebrations? What are your favorite ways to celebrate? Do you have any recommendations for Halloween-themed movies or books? 

THE 2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS by Sheryl Jordan

   

The 2024 Summer Olympics occurred from July 24 through August 11, as you have probably seen on news outlets and social media platforms worldwide. I enjoy watching the games as much as I can, and some would say I become a bit obsessed with them for the two-and-a-half weeks of full coverage. My fondest memories of the Olympics were watching the various events with my family growing up. I now enjoy watching them with my husband, daughter, and grandchildren, or alone late into the night.

Although I have always been a huge fan of the Olympics, I knew little about their history, origins, and how they have evolved. Here are a few fun facts:

Origin

Did you know that the first games, known as the Ancient Olympic Games, date back to 776 BC? In honor of Zeus, they took place in Athens, Greece. The games occurred every four years, known as the Olympiad. The last Ancient Olympic games recorded were in 393 AD.

 1,500 years after the last Ancient Games, the first modern Olympic Games occurred in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to 15, 1896. The games have continued every four years since then, except for three cancellations in 1918, 1940, and 1944, and a postponement in 2020. The 1918 Berlin Games were canceled due to World War I. The 1940 Tokyo Games were canceled because Tokyo's award to host was forfeited due to Japan’s invasion of China, the Sino-Japanese War, and the start of World War II.  The 1944 London games were also canceled due to World War II. The 2020 Tokyo Games were postponed until July 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Evolution of the Games

The Modern Olympic Games have evolved in many ways over the years. In the 1896 Games, approximately 280 male athletes from twelve countries competed in forty-three events.

Women first competed in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. Twenty-two women out of 997 athletes competed in tennis, golf, croquet, sailing, and equestrianism. Since 1991, any new sport that wants to be added to the Olympic program must have women's competitions. In the 2012 London Games, women competed in all sports events for the first time. In 2016, 45 percent of the participants were women. Gender equality was first achieved this year at the 2024 Summer Paris Games, where 50 percent of the 10,714 athletes from 206 countries were women. Wow, it’s about time!

The Rings

The rings representing the Olympics were designed in 1913. The original design was used on the Olympic flag, which consists of five interlocked rings in colors from left to right: blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white background. The renowned design represents the unification of athletes from the five inhabited continents of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South Americas, and Oceania. The colors represent almost all colors of most flags in the world.

 The Torch

The torchlight represents unity and harmony around the world. It is one of the most significant symbols of the Olympic games. The tradition of lighting the Torch began in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. It is lit in Greece and carried by renowned athletes to the host country, where the Olympic cauldron is lit and remains ablaze throughout the Olympic games. It has traveled around the world several times and through hundreds of countries.

 The Medals

The athletes compete for three medals in each sports competition – Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The medals are awards for the athletes' hard work, with the top three athletes winning the medal, but I wondered what metals they are made of. Each Olympic Games has variations on the medals. The medals for the 2024 Paris Games include a steel replica of the Eifel Tower. The gold is mainly made of 92.5 purity silver and about 6 percent pure gold. The silver medal is made up of mostly silver with the same purity rating. The bronze medal is made up of 95 percent copper and about 5 percent zinc.  Who knew? All these years, I thought the gold and silver medals were made of pure gold and silver!

Also, gold medals weren’t always included in the Olympic awards. In the Ancient Olympics, first-place winners were awarded the silver medal and an olive branch. The second-place winners were awarded a bronze medal and a laurel branch. Gold medals didn’t exist until the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.

The United States won the most medals in the Olympics' history, with 2,959. It was followed by the Soviet Union and Great Britain.

After the 2024 Summer Olympics, the United States won 126 medals, 40 of which were gold. They were followed by China, with 91 medals, including 40 gold, and Great Britain, with 65 medals, including 14 gold.

I enjoyed watching the 2024 Paris Olympics. My favorite competitions are basketball, gymnastics, track and field, and swimming. I was rooting for the United States, but I appreciated all the talented athletes from all over the world giving their all. There were victories, upsets, disappointments, and mistakes were made. Some competitions were allowed for the first time in history, but they will not return to the 2028 games. There were lots of surprises and famous entertainers and athletes from past games. I found the 2024 games to be very entertaining.

What struck me most while watching the Olympics was the camaraderie of teammates cheering each other on and the respect most athletes had for their competitors. This made me think of how authors support and encourage one another. Authors from different parts of the world and of different genres cheer each other on and celebrate each other's wins whenever a book or story is published and released, or when we finish writing a chapter we’ve worked on and have rewritten it over and over. And all the edits we do to make our stories the best they can be for our wonderful readers who anxiously await the next book. We are a team we all can win at writing!

Did you watch the 2024 Summer Olympics? If so, what were your favorite competitions?