Fortune cookies are cheerful by nature. Consider their crunch, their smooth surface, their mild sweetness. Note the way they can be snapped into neat halves in one smooth motion. More importantly, check out the incredibly upbeat messages inside. For years, every time I had a fortune cookie, I saved the little slips of paper. Now […]
I love organization books and tips. When my children were babies and I was dogpaddling in a sea of dirty laundry, I happened on an organization book by Pam Young and Peggy Jones called Sidetracked Home Executives. The sister authors recommended an index card system of chore scheduling and you know how much I love […]
Public opinion can be devastating. Remember the first time you realized someone didn’t like you? A classmate, or perhaps one of those playmates you had to get along with because your mother was friends with her mother. Maybe it was the neighbor boy across the street who always called you names while you waited for […]
Don’t Cancel Friday! Recently I drove by a local church which hosts an annual fair for the weekend. But this year the sign listed the times the fair was open with the following caveat: Friday has been cancelled. Really? Was my first thought. And then: is this a temporary cancellation or a permanent one? I […]
Book Review Wednesday strikes again! Whether I’m reading a romance, a suspense novel, a mystery or even non-fiction, I’m a sucker for good writing. Which is why this week’s book review is about Nick Petrie’s Burning Bright. I plucked it from the library shelf primarily because I am fond of Blake’s poem, The Tyger, which […]
Perfect is not the goal. You can learn how to write a perfect first draft by taking college level courses, by hiring a coach, by lots and lots of practice and, my personal favorite by going to a pub. Last week, my husband and I were on the road in Portland, Maine and happened to […]
Writing with Energy. Yesterday evening, energy flagging, I pulled my car to a stop at a deserted rotary. In the shadow of an overpass, a black sign board crouched. The letters, upper case for seriousness were picked out with yellow bulbs. They glowed in the twilight. Night Work Begins. I wasn’t sure whether the pronouncement […]
A book review on a Monday? Normally I do a book review, if I do one at all, on a Wednesday. But this one couldn’t wait. Because even two days without Joni B. Cole’s Good Naked on your shelf is too long. I generally borrow a book from the library and sample it before making […]
It occurred to me this morning how oddly vulnerable we humans must look to all the other animals. For all intents and purposes we are like turtles with clothes instead of shells. We are not equipped with fur, or scales, or leathery hide to protect us. More to the point, we humans don’t seem to […]
Secret Yearnings of Marigolds I planted a raised bed garden this Spring and made sure to include lots of marigolds. You would be surprised just how many articles there are online extolling the virtues of marigolds. Well, maybe you wouldn’t. But I was. Turns out marigolds, in addition to being sturdy and adorable and a […]