Catch the Light by Veronica Jorge
September 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Writing
Art and books are, for me, an exhilarating combination. So, you can imagine my delight when I had the opportunity to see an exhibit of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s lamps and glass windows, marvelously all about the powerful combination of light and color. Reading, The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble, a novel about the women who were responsible for much of the design and construction of Tiffany’s glassworks, was icing on the cake.
As an added treat, the museum exhibit included an opportunity to create my own light catcher.
Afterwards, (while eating an actual piece of cake with chocolate icing, and a cup of coffee), I reflected on the importance of light. We seek clarity to dispel confusion. We shed light on a problem to clarify and solve it. We turn on lights in a dark room to chase out fear. Soon many peoples all over the world will be lighting their homes, villages, towns and cities to dispel the darkness of winter, and will celebrate a variety of cultural and religious festivals of light.
The exhibit and the book inspired me to dream bigger, reach higher, and dig deeper within myself to find the kaleidoscope of colors and illuminating power that can help to light up my world.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on October 22nd!
Books Reviewed by Veronica
Life Lessons from the Sea by Veronica Jorge
August 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Life Lessons, Seashells, treasures
Have you ever wondered why seashells blanket the seashore? Is it the sea that spews some of them out and they wash up on the shore? Or is it the shells themselves that escape and prefer to make their new home in the sand; choosing warm and dry or cool and moist?
Embedded in the dry grains or muddy wetness, they cling to the sand, refusing to be pulled back into the ocean. Hoping, perhaps, for searching fingers to gather them, then cupped in caring hands to be cherished in a new home, or adorned as a work of art.
Life is so much like nature. What we distance ourselves from, cast away, or try to forget. And what we cling to, keep, and cherish.
And maybe, if we take time to diligently sift and search the shores of life with great care, we may find something to treasure forever, like a pearl of great price.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on September 22nd!
Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Knowledge is Power
July 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Banned Books, books, George Peabody Library, St. Petersburg Florida, The Library, Veronica Jorge
Anniversaries are festive occasions marking milestones and accomplishments. We recount experiences and memories; some sad, but hopefully mostly joyful. We celebrate the depth and richness of our shared lives.
Anniversaries are also a time for looking back to where we have been and how far we have traveled. We also peek forward to catch a glimpse of that which is to come.
It seems fitting that the United States of America is doing the same in 2026 during its 250th anniversary. Documentaries, films, community activities, art, and books continue to explore the American experiment of democracy, freedom, and the equality and rights of all people as the nation, in its ever-changing cultural and political metamorphosis, engages in ongoing discussions of education, free speech, the role of the arts, and banned books.
So, I was delighted when on a recent trip to St. Petersburg, Florida, I chanced upon a restaurant named, The Library. Bookshelves lined the walls filled with volumes of books. Giant round lighting hung from the ceiling reminding me of the light bulb that appears in comic strips on the top of a character’s head when a brilliant idea illuminates them. The aroma of coffee and good food wafted through the air in this space modeled after the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Peabody believed in the power and importance of education and built an institute for the citizens of Baltimore dedicated for that purpose. What a great place for nourishment of body and mind.
At the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, The Last Library IV Written In Water, an installation by Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson, intrigued and energized me. On tilted shelves filled with banned books, the artists also placed fake archives, and political propaganda alongside the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Human Rights.
According to the information plaque, the installation, like a real library, honors the written word, but the artists challenge the viewer to find the truth among alternative facts, confusing sources, and language shaped by artificial intelligence. We are asked to think about how much we can trust the written word, and causes us to even wonder about the future of democracy.
Art and books reveal that these important topics will always remain relevant and are conversations worthy of continual study and exploration for a nation and its people to live up to its founding principles and values.
Happy Birthday, America. Keep the dream alive. Make it a reality for all.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on August 22nd!
Books Reviewed by Veronica
Birthday Dreaming
June 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as birthday, dreaming, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Veronica Jorge
Every once in a while I daydream about what it would be like to meet some famous individual from the past. And if I did meet them, what would I say? Once we’d get past the introductions, nice to meet you; how’s the weather? and other such polite niceties, what would I ask them or talk about? Maybe I’d freeze, and my mind would go blank transforming me into a banal idiot.
Well, I got to find out when my daydream recently turned into reality. No, I’m not crazy. I’m serious. Seriously crazy, you might mutter under your breath. But look, I have the pictures to prove it. Now listen. This is how it came about.
The other day I was minding my own business when I chanced upon an event at the library. Ah, books. (Audible dreamy sigh). They were celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary. That is the library was celebrating, not the books.
Or so I thought.
Because while strolling through the history section, books opened of their own accord and characters greeted me. One even invited me for a stroll and before I knew it I was whisked into the leaf of a page with…
You’ll never guess who it was.
Wait for it.
Drum roll please.
President George Washington!
I could feel the weight of his authority, but also his humility. I didn’t have to fumble for what to say because he did most of the talking. Mostly he asked me about my dreams and hopes for my century and then he took my hand and said, “Leadership is not only having a vision, but also having the courage, the discipline, and the resources to get your there.”
Before I could say or ask anything, I found myself back in the 900 section of the library aisle face to face with Aramita Ross, whom we all know as:
Harriet Tubman!
Her presence was so powerful, but I warmed up to her right away. I asked her how she had found the strength to risk her own life to help so many people. In a steady, kind voice, she said, “I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight, and that’s what I’ve prayed for ever since.” I hugged her and leaned into her strength. And then she was gone.
I looked around. All was silent. The books sat quietly on their shelves. I went home reflecting on the words of President Washington and Harriet Tubman, wondering within myself if I could ever be brave, strong, courageous, and dedicated like them. I smiled and wiped a tear as I thought of the last words Harriet spoke over me as I held her close. The words of her deep resonant voice will forever ring in my heart.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
That would be the best birthday present I could give them and they would, I’m sure, somehow know that their sufferings and struggles have not been in vain.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on July 22nd!
Books Reviewed by Veronica
Dreamers: A Review by Veronica Jorge
May 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as book review, Dreamers, SOÑADORES, Veronica Jorge, Yuyi Morales
DREAMERS
YUYI MORALES
Neal Porter Books
2018
ISBN 978-0823440559
SOÑADORES
(Spanish Edition)
Neal Porter Books
2021
ISBN 978-0823446735
Hopes and wishes: the stuff that dreams are made of. Remember hoping for the dream boat prom date? Remember hoping for your dream job? How many times have you wished upon a star with all of your heart for something that you truly desired to come true? Or wished that you could slide down the rainbow tasting all of the colors along the ride, and then discover the wonderful world waiting for you at the end?
In Dreamers, Yuyi Morales invites us to join her on the magical journey of a mother; a migrant traveling to a new land in order to find all of the hopes, wishes and dreams that she desires for herself and her son.
They pack up the life that they know in search for a better one while leaving their hearts behind. A new language to learn. Mistakes made. And incredible and surprising things and places to see. Like a library! They experience the thrill of learning to speak a new language, to read it and write it; to make their voices heard. With each passing day, they inch closer to becoming something new and good that they cannot yet even imagine.
Beautifully written and illustrated, Yuyi Morales shares part of her life when immigrating to the United States, learning English and realizing her own dreams. She has written many distinctive books for children, five of which have won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award with one title also receiving a Caldecott Honor.
Dreamers; the ones who prove that hopes and wishes do come true!
See you next time on June 22nd! Until then, pleasant dreams and keep on wishing and hoping!
Veronica Jorge
Books Reviewed by Veronica
Featured Books
SCANDALIZING THE DUKE
So far as the Duke of Wolveton is concerned, Charlotte Longborough is a scandal waiting to happen.
More info →
REMEMBERED: A Prelude Novella to The Existence Series
One invention and two men hoping to change the way humans connect—through memory exchanges
More info → THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE: NEW YORK CITY September 10th and 11th, 2001
Can, time-traveler, retired Brigadier General Daniel Rodin stop the terriost attacks.
More info → THE POETIC BOND V
Celebrating Five Years of Global Poetry Poetry that binds, Poetry that is NOW, Poetry that BONDS.
More info → 
