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A Gift About Gift-Giving Just in Time for Christmas

Linda Baten Johnson & Rachel Mood • Nov 21, 2022

Today I welcome fellow authors Linda Baten Johnson and Rachel Mood as they introduce their newest book, Care Packages for College Kids, Seniors, and Others You Love. While I think it's a great idea for Christmas, you can also use the fun and helpful hints any time of the year.


 

I wanted to share with you my latest book which I wrote with my granddaughter, Rachael Ann Mood. The title is Opening the Box: Care Packages for College Kids, Seniors, and Others You Love. The book evolved from one happy and one sad experience.

The happy experience was the connection my granddaughter (co-author Rachael Mood) and I developed after I began sending care packages to her during her first year at Baylor. Her roommates insisted making a video of her “opening the box,” which became the title of the book. I loved sending her packages and she enjoyed receiving and sharing the contents.

The sad experience involved my sister. She resided in an independent living facility when the pandemic started. To prevent the spread of Covid, the unit followed strict isolation protocol for the residents and the staff. They were successful, no Covid cases, but there was another result My sister, an extremely social person, began to manifest signs of dementia which progressed rapidly. Would frequent care packages in addition to visits through a window have made a difference? I don’t know, but I’ll always wonder if those who love her could have done more during that period.

We all became aware of how important personal relationships are when we experienced the pandemic. In the book, my granddaughter and I offer ideas and options for forging closer connections by putting together a package with practical, silly, tasty, and sentimental items. We include sections geared specifically to college kids, seniors, and those in the military.

If you're looking for a holiday option for an empty nester, military spouse, or grandparent on your gift list or if you’d like this information for yourself, purchase this paperback or e-Book on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

And don’t forget to purchase one for yourself. This is the book I wish I’d had earlier in my life.

May you and the ones you love be blessed.

 

Check out the  book here: Opening the Box Care Packages for College Kids, Seniors, and Others You Love

 

 

About the Authors:  

Linda Baten Johnson writes squeaky-clean romance and cozy mysteries, but this is her first nonfiction book. She loves writing, researching, and creating characters with a strong moral and ethical compass. She loves to travel and has visited all fifty states and over twenty foreign countries. Linda was mistaken for a tour guide in both Mexico and Russia.


Even though she can’t draw a passable stick figure, she loves art and visiting art museums. Her daughter tells the story that Linda kept her in an art museum in Amsterdam for over six hours with only a brief ice-cream break.


Linda and her husband have moved over thirty times and have served as volunteers in different U.S. National Parks. She loves learning about other areas of the country, meeting park visitors from all over the world, and sharing information with them. When she's not researching or writing, she serves as a docent in the local history museum.

Visit Linda’s website www.lindabatenjohnson.com.

 

 

Rachel Ann Mood is a college student studying Nutrition Sciences. She is currently a member of her university's marching band and has played the French horn for eight years. Other hobbies include thrifting, bullet journaling, baking, and working out. She also enjoys spending time with her family and attending her local church. Currently nineteen, Rachel is the eldest child of three, and her friends often dub her the “responsible one” of the group.


Looking ahead, Rachel has been selected as an RA (resident advisor) for her university in the upcoming semester. She will be continuing her marching band activities as well. Although Rachael is not yet sure what her path forward will look like after college, she is strongly considering becoming a registered dietitian. A fun fact about her is that she is currently learning how to drive a stick shift car. 


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