News

By Lorie Ham

According to the online literary magazine LitHub, 35% more people are reading during the pandemic, which makes a lot of sense. Reading is something safe and fun that you can do at home. Thanks to libraries, and the ability to buy books online, you may not even need to leave your home to get a new book to read. Books can also be a way to “travel” to places you have never been to, learn new things, and get to know the perspectives of others.

But how do you decide what to read? There are many sources out there for book recommendations. There are Facebook groups for all genres of reading where your fellow readers share about the books they’ve discovered. There are online magazines and blogs such as LitHub, where you will not only find reviews and book lists, but also author interviews. If you are a mystery fan, Kings River Life has book reviews and giveaways every single week. Goodreads is also a great resource for finding new book ideas. In addition, they provide a way for you to keep track of what you are reading, your reading goals, and connect with others who like the same type of books you do. You can also find book reviews on Amazon, and they have book lists with suggested reading.

Once you have picked a book to read, there are also many choices when it comes to getting the book. Of course, there is Amazon—they have a great selection and good prices. However, if you are looking to support an independent bookstore there are options there as well. One great option that brings together independent bookstores from all over the country and makes them searchable in one place is Bookshop.org. If you are on a budget and looking for used books, check out Abebooks.com. Abebooks also makes bookstores all over the world searchable, focusing primarily on used books.

If you are an ebook reader, you really should check out BookBub! Sign up for a free account, set your reading preferences, and then get sale prices on ebooks that match your likes sent to your email everyday! Some books are even free.

Speaking of free books, there’s always the library. Most libraries are now offering curbside services where you can order a book sent to your nearest branch, and then when it arrives they will notify you and you can safely pick it up curbside. If you are an ebook or audio book reader, you don’t even need to leave your house! You can check out both formats right from your computer, phone, or tablet, through various aps. The Fresno County Library uses both Overdrive and Libby aps. Check out your library’s website and social media to see what they have to offer. Most library websites also have book suggestions for all ages, and some are even doing virtual programs.

Do you have a favorite book you have read during the pandemic or favorite place you like to get books? If so, please share on our Facebook page—maybe it will be just the book someone was looking for and didn’t know it!

By Lorie Ham

Another Valentine’s Day is upon us. This one will of course be different due to the pandemic, but it can still be fun. There are plenty of ways that couples can celebrate at home, or if they are separated right now, they can celebrate via Zoom, or by watching a movie “together” via Netflix Party.

The holiday is not only popular in the United States, but many other countries as well, including Canada, Australia, England, France, Mexico, and South Korea. In the Philippines, it is the most common wedding anniversary—mass weddings of hundreds of couples are not uncommon on that day.

However, in Japan their big romantic holiday is Christmas Eve. Just like many do on Valentine’s Day here, on Christmas Eve couples exchange gifts and go for romantic dinners. Making a dinner reservation way ahead of time for Christmas Eve in Japan is viral as all of the restaurants fill up quickly thanks to the happy couples (during none pandemic times).

Valentine’s Day however doesn’t just have to be for couples, it can be a time to celebrate love of all kinds, including friendship. You can find a few ideas for celebrating as a family in our Valentine’s Day article from last year. Celebrating with family and friends can also be done using Netflix Party, playing games together on Zoom, or you can share a special meal together virtually.

Something else we can still do this Valentine’s Day is give Valentine’s Day cards. Many of us first gave those to our classmates in school when we were kids. If you hurry, you can still order ones online at places like Walmart or Amazon. Better yet, check out these fun ideas for making your own Valentine’s Day cards from scratch! If it’s too late to send cards via snail mail, there are many places online that allow you to send them via email, and most are free. One of my favorites is 123Greetings.

According to the Britannica website, valentine messages first appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s printed cards were being used. The first ones printed in the United States appeared in the mid 1800s. Early valentine’s often depicted Cupid, the Roman god of love, together with hearts. Now you can find Valentine’s Day cards with all sorts of artwork! Especially popular are ones depicting cute puppies and kittens. For kids, and kids are heart, there are ones for every fandom possible—from Disney movies to Star Wars, to video games.

So, whatever your plans are for Valentine’s Day this year, why not send a Valentine’s Day card! We here wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day no matter how you spend it, and would love to hear some Valentine’s Day suggestions from you on our Facebook page!

Happy New Year from Mennonite Insurance!

We would love to quote your insurance for 2021, check out what types of insurance we offer to see how we can help you get your 2021 started off right.

By Lorie Ham

We all know that 2020 was a rough year, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. As we start a new year, everyone could use more positive things in their life to help lift their spirits. One way to help yourself and others would be to celebrate National Compliment Day on January 24.

According to TimeandDate.com, this unofficial day was started in 1998 by Debby Hoffman and Kathy Chamberlin as a way to tell people in their lives how much they appreciated them, and now people celebrate all over the world.

A compliment is a polite expression of praise or admiration. But what is a ‘good’ compliment? For a compliment to be good, it must be sincere. No one really wants to hear false praise, but almost everyone blossoms under a sincere compliment. It can be helpful though to keep in mind the personality of the person you are complimenting. Some people just find it embarrassing, and many people have a hard time accepting that it is sincere. So be sure to give careful thought to what and how to best compliment those around you.

If you are complimenting a friend, family member, or long time coworker, you probably have a pretty good idea of what type of compliment they will receive well. Unless you are also close friends, it is probably best not to compliment a coworker on their appearance just to be certain that it won’t be misunderstood. However, you can definitely compliment them on doing a good job at work. On the other hand, your sibling or your spouse might love to hear you tell them how nice they look today. In complimenting strangers, often you can once again use a compliment that refers to their job. Thank a clerk at the store for being helpful in checking out your items. Thank a deliveryman for wearing a mask when they drop off your package. Thank your local librarian for being so good at finding you just the right book. Thank your insurance agent for being helpful in finding you just the right coverage.

The website National Today has a lot of helpful tips and thoughts on giving compliments on National Compliment Day, and some very interesting statistics about different ways that people react to compliments. You can also find some great tips on Pinterest, and Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt has some great suggestions on her website.

Even if we aren’t able to give compliments in person, most of us are on social media and can easily find opportunities there to compliment others. You could also send an email, or make a phone call. You may just brighten someone’s very difficult day by doing so. We would love it if you would share with us on our Facebook page some of your ideas about giving compliments on National Compliment Day, and every day!

By Lorie Ham

This past year has been difficult for everyone, and our hope is that 2021 will be much better. As we look toward the future, we all have things we have really missed doing and can’t wait to be able to do again. Our staff and board wanted to share with you some of the things they can’t wait to do again, and we hope you will share with us some of the things you miss most.

Mennonite Insurance staff member Michelle Heinrichs can’t wait to have a family gathering where it is okay to hug again. “We are a hugging family and have been really struggling to not even gather since March. Cannot wait!!”

“We’ve been giving air hugs, fist bumps, and some hip bumps (gently),” shares staff member Stephanie Heier. “I have missed hugging and being together without worry. But after all the emotional stuff, we’re going to Disneyland!!”

Being able to get together with family seems to be at the top of almost everyone’s list. “When things get back to ‘normal’ I would immediately make plans for our entire family– kids, grandkids, and great grandkids, from Reedley, Madera, Fresno, Spokane, N. Carolina–[to get] together,” shares Jim Enns, who is a board member from Reedley. 

John Hochstetler is a board member from Salem, OR and he can’t wait to travel together with family. Normally on New Year’s several members of his family get together and take a trip to the coast. He looks forward to being able to reschedule that hopefully later this year. “Also, we enjoy going to eat out at our favorite restaurants.”

Dennis Langhofer, a board member in Spokane, also can’t wait to eat in restaurants, as well as go to church and sing in the choir again. And pastor and board member Alan Whaley in Phoenix is looking forward to being able to have a real communal meal at church again, where they can share both food and fellowship, “and even give and receive hugs. It’s been a long time. “

“Aside from being grateful for getting through such a pandemic, I would like to take a nice vacation,” shares staff member Yolanda Hernández.

Traveling is also on board member Larry E. Miller’s list as he hopes to travel and see  more of the country when this is over. “This year has been the first full year of my retirement and we only managed one overnight trip to Sacramento in February. Time to head out as soon as we have the vaccine!”

Like all of us, staff member Dalia Jimenez will just be thankful when this is finally under control. What is it that you miss most? What will be the first thing you do once it is safe? I can imagine many of you are like us and miss family gatherings, eating out, and traveling. We would love for you to share some of the things you have missed with us on our Facebook page. Here’s wishing us all a much happier new year and the chance to finally be able to do all the things we’ve missed!