About

Writing About Helen Antoniak
Helen had been thinking about creating a website when, in 2017, she had the opportunity of taking a 96 day cruise around the world! While she was on the cruise, Helen sent messages to her friend, Bonita Chamberlin. Bonita edited her messages and added wonderful pictures she found on line. The world cruise messages with pictures were sent to family and friends who liked them so much that Helen wanted to continue to share them.

“Helen’s Around the World Adventure in 96 Days” motivated Helen to share her other writing on line. Some of Helen’s writing had already been published. There were magazine articles she had written. She co-authored a book. She made contributions to anthologies. She had given speeches at Toastmasters and shared her writing with classmates in a writer’s workshop offered through the adult education system in San Diego. She hopes you will find her speeches and writing both interesting and enjoyable.

Magazine articles:

Helen work has been published in two travel adventure magazines. “How I spent My Summer Vacation” was featured in Sandal Prints magazine. In this article, she described her visit to a Franciscan missionary outpost in Nicaragua.

Motorcycle World magazine published an article entitled “Cyclemates” in which Helen described how she and her former college roommate toured Europe on BSA motorcycles.

Focus on Widowhood:
After Helen obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Diego State University, She founded The Widowed to Widowed Program. The not-for-profit organization was designed to help newly widowed people when they are going through the normal but difficult grief process experienced after the death of a spouse.
Helen co-authored Alone: Emotional, legal and financial help for the widowed or divorced woman. This self-help book evolved from Helen’s experiences directing the Widowed to Widowed Program. The publisher was Celestial Arts/Les Femmes Publishing located in Millbrae, California. The Library Journal Review stated “This book is one of the best on the subject.”
Today, the book is available through Amazon.

Helen produced a booklet entitled “My Most Recent Book.” This is a light-hearted look at the benefits of walking on the beach.

Helen’s experience through the Widowed to Widowed Program inspired her to create stress reducing messages for individuals experiencing the stress of grief due to the end of a marriage by death or divorce. With the collaboration of Dr. Anne Sturgis of the Stress Management Training Institute, Helen produced audio cassettes with seven separate messages, one for each day of the week. The messages are designed to help people get through the many stressful challenges accompanying the loss of a spouse. The cassette packages were entitled “Creative Widowhood Adjustment” and “Creative Divorce Adjustment.” The cassette packages sold for $50.00. Thanks to the internet and modern technological advances, the soothing messages may now be digitally downloaded through this website at a fraction of that cost.

Helen has contributed to several anthologies over the years. Her chapter entitled “The Power of Helping Others Through Grief” was featured in a book entitled Positive Power People published in 1981 by Royal CBS Publishers. More recently Helen has contributed to books published through a writer’s workshop class.
In Fruits and Fig Leaves she shared “The Third Time I Performed CPR.” In The Stories Start Here she shared “If You’re There, Please Pick Up!”

Speeches Helen has given
Helen has been a member of Toastmasters International since the 1970’s. Toastmasters give speeches. Over the years, Helen has spoken on a wide variety of subjects. Sometimes, she has given speeches based on material she has shared in her writer’s workshop. Other times, she has modified speeches she has given at Toastmasters, and then shared them at the writer’s workshop. The topics range from serious to humorous. Helen has put some of these speeches on her “Helen Antoniak” You Tube channel.

“An Abnormal Death on Normal Street” focuses on the death of a sleeping homeless veteran who was killed by a drunk driver. Helen explores possible ways to prevent such tragedies in the future.

“You’ve Come a Long Way Baby” focuses on the history of Toastmasters and the eventual inclusion of women in the formerly all-male organization.
“If Money Were No Object, Would You Take a World Cruise?” Helen shares information about a world cruise that her friend was planning to take. She also provides general information on cruising.

“Stress Management” is a basic overview on how to handle stress. “Ringbearers Revenge” is a humorously exaggerated account of some incidents which took place in marriage ceremonies which Helen tried to coordinate. “You Should Write a Book” is a brief overview of different types of books including one which Helen co-wrote. The book was published before the invention of the internet. “Rita Got What She Ordered” Helen eulogizes a friend who died just as she said she would like to die, comfortable and pain free. “Picture Widowhood” is a slide presentation with narration about the normal grief process after the death of a husband.

Jewelry Joy Calendar
Helen’s motto is “It all boils down to communication!” In light of her effort to facilitate communication, Helen joined pictures of whimsical handcrafted jewelry with the 365 dates in a year.
(There is also a picture for February 29!) The users can design calendars for themselves, use the pictures daily as their screen savers or add the pictures to emails to enhance their communication with colorful impressions.

Through this website, Helen hopes you peruse her writings, perhaps listen to a speech or two and choose to purchase stress reduction messages or Jewelry Joy Pictures.