Launching A Teen Construction Tales Version Giveaway!!

Hello everyone! As I posted previously, I am going to support a Children's Book Festival being held in New Jersey on September 17, 2016. I took out an ad supporting the project. In addition, I am looking to launch a book giveaway in honor of the event. I am looking for eager teen readers at least 12 years old. These readers should write to me and tell me why they deserve a free copy of my book I am going to give out free copies (up to 5 books) to the most funny and creative writers. Potential winners may submit their work to any one of my social media pages or on this blog. You do bot have to be present at the book festival to win. I will be running the book giveaway until September 17, 2016. I will be announcing the winners and sharing their work on my blog and social media sites! I encourage winning participants to offer a review on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. I am looking forward to what is going to be offered by participants!! Good luck and start submitting your work!! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper

Sponsoring An Upcoming Children's Book Festival on September 17, 2016 in New Jersey!!

Hello everyone!! I am proud to announce that I am sponsoring fellow author, Melica Niccole, on an upcoming children's book festival. I will be working on other future projects with her- I am excited!! I admire her matching drive with mine and think she will be instrumental as our new team. I am launching a teen version of Construction Tales giveaway soon! I will be looking for very driven teen readers who can tell me what makes them my choice to send them a free copy of my book entitled, Construction Tales: A Young Person's Guide to Accomplish Anything in Life. Details soon to come!! www.lesliemjasper.blogspot.com I will be getting into more details about the event as well as what projects Melica and I will be working on very soon!! Cheers!! Leslie M Jasper

Photos of What Electricians Work On!!

Hello everyone! I wanted to share some photos of what electricians work on during the week. We move from job to job. Some I have stayed for a day. Some huge jobs I have been on lasted 2 years. I did a few different projects on the same site. I will see if I can dig up some old photos to scan. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to take. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper

A Picture Is Indeed Worth A Thousand Words-Published 3-4-16 & Updated on 1-23-21

Hello everyone! Part I: Published on 3-4-16 This photo represents my entire apprenticeship. Soak it in and I will try to get back to talking about it more in depth this weekend. Part II: Published on 1-24-21 I had previously posted this photo and had forgotten to return and explain its representation of my apprenticeship. After 20 years of successfully getting out of my apprenticeship to become a journeywoman electrician, this photo still resonates as a theme during that time as well as my entire career. Few people work in occupations where they must wake up and prove their worth daily quite like working as a female in construction. I never felt relaxed and that I was just able to just merely show up on a jobsite. I felt like I had to perform and there was always a spotlight on my head. I say that as a fact of life and not as a complaint. In my mind, it was all a part of the job. In the beginning of my career, I was eager to prove my worth each day. I even felt like I needed to go above the requirements just so I would not be on the jobsite’s first layoff. Over time, it becomes exhausting to maintain that high level of energy. I was even afraid to become friends with any females that were not equally hard working. I didn’t want the stains of their “laziness” to rub off on me. The guys knew that lazy, untalented women were a thorn in my side. I was often teased by my crew about putting the female on the job under my wing. In hindsight, I should have been a better trade sister for the woman that was struggling to find her way. I admit that I had caved into the pressure of putting in some distance. For many years, I felt like I was fighting to survive in longevity on the jobsite and fighting to maintain my reputation. It was hard enough to swim solo. Never mind having to help another woman swim to shore. I had no problem, however, helping a male on the job who needed help with various things on the job. My reputation on the jobsite preceded me. Typically, the crew knew of you and any following rumors, no matter who you are, prior to you coming onto the jobsite. I had strongly desired to keep my work reputation as clean as possible. It was not possible to be totally free of any vicious rumors or gossip. I never wanted to give a perception that I was associating with multiple men in a personal manner. I did not want to get a stain on my reputation as being a woman who sleeps with her coworkers. I was a widow and I didn’t have much free time to hang out. That fact helped my reputation tremendously. I did think about, during my early years, how a good reputation was important also for my son’s sake if they chose to follow me into the business. My son Tom did indeed follow me into the business over three years ago. I took great satisfaction in a project considered well done. I took any of the “not bad for a girl” comments with great pride. It was an honor to have a male coworker convert from having a negative perception of women to making the exception for me. I willingly became “one of the guys” on a jobsite amongst my crew. I never desired to stick out of force the men to walk on eggshells around me. I was always in favor of jokes being told on the jobsite and not holding back. I learned to have thick skin and some quite sharp retorts when I was on the receiving end of some chop breaking. I am so accustomed to the filthy exchange of jokes, I would feel weird working in a “clean” environment. I like coworkers who are direct with their issues, communicate, then move on and close the subject. A level of comfort evolved over time amongst my crew. I often became the gangbox psychologist telling my coworkers how to better approach their spouses. I have saved some marriages along the way. When I was pushing through my apprenticeship, I was not doing for the overall good of all women. It didn’t even occur to me that I was attempting to do something few women even tried. I was accustomed to exchanging with men as a far back as boys in the school yard. I was close with my father and grew up sweeping and sorting material and hardware in a truck shop where my dad worked. I reached a level of comfort along with motivational coaching from my dad. He used to tell me that I was strong and smart; capable of doing anything I put my mind to doing. It really didn’t cross my mind that I was smashing barriers. I was just doing what I wanted to do and chasing that dream with fierce determination. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized I was on a path that was unique. I see the value of it today as a woman and work to encourage other women to go on my same path. I no longer concern myself with a fellow trade sister’s reputation having an impact on my reputation. The mindset indeed evolves with age. What doesn’t change is my mindset that I can do anything I set out to do. It is helpful to have the long work experience behind me as proof that it can be done. What words or phrases come to mind when I see the photo? Strength. Deep determination. Perseverance. Hard work. Strong work ethic. Never giving up. Proving people wrong. Motivation. What do you think of when you see the picture below? Let me know your thoughts on that as well as the theme of my writing. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my work. The internet is loaded with amazing content. You took the time to read my content. You are appreciated. I thank you and have a great upcoming work week! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper #ConstructionTales #books #funny #podcast #VerballyDisastrous #Spotify #new #NextChapter #NYC #WomanInTheTrades #motivation #determination #YouCanDoIt #Amazon #BarnesandNoble #Audible #iTunes Cheers! Leslie M Jasper

Topic- Domestic Violence: UPDATED on January 25, 2020

*If you suspect someone is a victim of domestic violence, reach out to your local domestic violence hotline.* Hello everyone! I often promote #ConstructionTales on different Facebook pages and various media platforms throughout the internet. I stumbled upon one that dealt with the subject of Domestic Violence against women. I was pleased to see a page dedicated to giving solid advice on that subject matter. I have dealt with that as a child watching my father get angry and abusive towards my mother, sisters, myself, and my step-mom. I plan to write a book about it some day. An abusive home life had brought on a subconscious fear once I would hear a man's voice get louder in nature. I then would subsequently anticipate that violence was sure to follow. I usually kept my distance once I would hear the voice escalating to a deeper intensity. As a grown woman, it sometimes still bothers me to hear various types of yelling. It is something that once you experience that type of violence, it never fully goes away. However, I have grown into my strength as a woman over the years. Being in construction has built up the fire in my soul for many years now. As of today, not much rattles me. It is fair to say that I now have the heart of a lion. As an adult, that is still a hot button subject for me. I absolutely won't allow that in my home or in my life. I have two boys that I would not tolerate hearing any form of violence towards their girlfriends and/or future wives! I tend to look out fiercely for family members as well. Years ago, I had witnessed an episode, over the phone with a family member, where my family member was getting abused by a partner. It was thousands of miles between Oregon and New York. I couldn't handle the situation myself so I needed my mother to take care of it for me. I had gotten on the phone with my mother and made her go get my family member and pack up the belongings. I would have kept on my mother until the family member was out of the offending house. In hindsight, I didn't think about how uncomfortable this incident had made her feel. I didn't think about how the past trauma impacted her and put fear in her heart. At that moment, I was the voice of reason and the backbone for my mother to take a stand and get that family member out of harms way. I kept encouraging my mother to handle business and she would not get harmed for intervening. I most certainly would have jumped on a plane if anything bad had happened to my mother. Thank goodness that family member did get out of that relationship, after that explosive night, and has had a loving spouse for many years now. Domestic violence is an absolute deal breaker in a relationship for me! I have only been in one relationship that had turned sour like that. I was a very young woman with few relationships under my belt. I ended up getting into violent matches with him, a few times. I would never let a man just hit me without hitting him back. We would end up a bruised and a bloodied mess once we were done fighting. We both ended up with wounds from that since I would not back down. Initially, it was super hard to get away from that situation since I loved him with great intensity and passion. However, I ended up getting out of that situation. I made sure to get out of that situation and to never get into something like that ever again. I have never been in an abusive relationship ever since we parted ways. I think one of the best ways of avoiding those kinds of situations would be to make your own money. If you make your own money, you can be the captain of your own ship. Life follows under your own terms. Then you can screen men to see if they come from good backgrounds and don't have a history of violence. You can study their behavior and part ways when if the situation turns violent. Oftentimes, women get involved with a man since they must depend on them financially. When you make your own money, you can pick and choose who you want to be with long term. It is important for a man to know that you don't need him and he must put in some work to keep you. If a man puts his hands up just once in anger, he will do it again and again. It helps being strong too. I know most men would not want to get hit back by me since I do pack a mean punch. Seriously, you must be willing to look for signs and be willing to leave at the first sign of violence. It could save your life and the life of your children. Being in a violent relationship is not healthy and has long term ramifications for your children in the present and the future. I remember as a kid seeing my female role models being abused. Sadly, it almost felt like it was normal to expect in a relationship. I was accustomed to a man ruling the house and you do not question it. Despite the strict military style home life, I adored my dad. I rarely saw my mom or step-mom stand up for themselves. If they did, they would see the wrath of my father. As a kid, this environment stunted my social growth. I was very quiet and barely spoke unless spoken to in elementary school. I didn't find a part of my voice until I reached middle school. My parents divorced when I was in elementary school. Somehow that pivotal event caused alot of mixed emotions and some misguided anger as a teen. Despite my mom having a man that treated her better, I was angry and confused about the broken family. I moved in with my dad and step-mom when I turned 13 years old. The step-mom made the experience grueling to endure. They parted ways in the summer before my senior year of high school. Here comes a move to a different town and high school. The bright side of this change was meeting my first strong woman in my life. I moved in with this couple and my dad in the new town to start school. Any form of domestic violence had ceased to exist. I got to see with my own eyes a different type of husband and wife dynamics. I met my first strong woman; boy did I gravitate to her!! She was cut from a different cloth and originally came from Chicago. I remember her teaching me how to protect myself. She told me to put my key in between my fingers. If someone attacks you, you now have a weapon. It may have been at this moment that I blamed my mom for not sticking up for herself. Here is a woman that knows how to communicate, compromise, and never let a man push her around. Her husband was allergic to cats. She had a heated shed where she kept her cats; something my mom or step-mom could not get away with ever. I used to go to the shed and pet the cats with her and ask her many questions. It was at that moment in time where the family dynamics ideals shifted dramatically in my mind. I left that environment hopeful that my future relationship will not be doomed to domestic violence. I sincerely hope my story above will inspire at least one woman to evolve from any form of opression to an evolved position of a new self-suffient life. It all starts with figuring out exactly how you want to get out of the current way of life. You can reach out to the apprentice office of a trade you want to enter into for a career. Wait for the intake of apprentices and apply. Make sure you read and follow the instructions EXACTLY as stated. Then jump through the hoops and start your career in the trades. Once you finish your apprenticeship, you are on the road to independance and a life where you can call the shots. You do not have to choose only a trade to join. You can find financial stability from many other avenues. Then you can pick and choose who you want to be in your life as a partner. Having the financial independance to do as you choose is very gratifying and makes life enjoyable. I am rooting for you on your road to achieving independence and a better way of life! *EDIT:* I sat on this article debating whether or not I had given enough sound advice for a woman that is actively in the struggle of domestic violence. I want to add that you are stronger than you know. You do not know how strong you are until pushed to do so. I know I once had the love and the fear of God in my father. I put some distance between ourselves and developed that strength. You must be head strong with the purpose of not relying on anyone but yourself. There are places that can help you and your children. Surround yourself with strong women. Women who have previously experienced domestic violence and have rose above the ashes of old to form a new life. Each step into the path of independence takes time. Be kind to yourself. Write out a list of 50 goals and scratch each accomplished goal out. Then re-write your goals six months later. You do not need to have malice in your heart or hold an anger against the man who once tried to control you. Anger will only hold you eternally in that negative space. Pray for them and find peace amidst the storm. Find your voice and please do not lose it. Take your time and study men who cross your paths. If you sense any form of aggression or excessive anger in the man, cut your losses. You will know a good man when you see him. Your intuition, aka your gut, will tell you he is a good man. You shall gain a sense of peace in his presence. Take your time and choose wisely moving forward. You got this next chapter. Best of luck! Have a great Monday! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper *If you suspect someone is a victim of domestic violence, reach out to your local domestic violence hotline.* #Scholastic #nonfiction #bookstagram #DropEverythingAndRead #SpringBookFair2021 #LoveOfReading #Reading #ConstructionTales #books #funny #NYC #podcast #Spotify #VerballyDisastrous #bookfair #bookjoy #ReadAnywhere #LoveToRead #AllForBooks #Adult #FBF21 #LBF21 #BEA21 #IKBF21 #KLF21 #HKTDC21 #GBF21 #IIBF21 #LATFOB21 #SIBF21 #FILBO21 #EIBF21 #BAIBF21 #MIBF21 #BIDLDSP21 #BS21 #BBF21 #HIBF21 #IBTAF21 #IBBF21 #ITEF21 #JLF21 #JIBF21 #LBF21 #NDWBF21 #TiBE21 #TIBF21 #BCBF21 #LIVREPARIS21 #SDLDM21 #HBF21 #FIL21 #IIBF21 #SBF21 #BuchWein21 #VIBF21 #ADIBF21 #AIPF21 #bookstagram #book #bukuislami #b #bukumurah #islamicbookfair #buku #booklover #bukusejarah #buchberlin #booklove #cher #bookshelf #internationalbookfair #bookholic #jualbuku #jualbukumurah #reading #obralbuku #bukuindie #bukujogja #tokobukumurah #buchmesse #langka #pasarbuku #bukulangka #bhfyp #jualbelibukuonline #onlineshop #jualanonline #booklovers #anresbooks #readingbooks #booksofinstagram #boekuitstalling #buch #bookish #buchberlinkids #tokobukuonline #boimela #lesen #bookworm #poetry #gontor #fbm #bazarbuku #bookreview #berlin #read #writer #berlinerbuchmesse #buchmesseberlin #author #instabooks #boekverkoping #virtualbookfair #bookaddict

Construction Humor- Sunday Funday!!

Hello everyone! I wanted to offer some funny humor. Have a great weekend- what is left of it!! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper

Poems By Fellow Author Melica Niccole

Hello everyone! I am sharing poems offered by fellow author, Melica Niccole. My 10 year old son, Johnny, appreciated them. He was not happy they didn't flow like a normal poem. I gave her feedback and she said she did it on purpose- to be creatively different. Here they are from her Google profile. https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MelicaNiccole/posts/gLRFLk2HPcC?cfem=1#+MelicaNiccole/posts/gLRFLk2HPcC?cfem=1

I hope you all enjoy! Cheers! Leslie M Jasper www.lesliemjasper.com