It’s a Sign. Of something. Every week on my way home from the supermarket I drive by an unpretentious dry cleaning establishment. It offers same day service. On the side of the building there is a startling banner which proclaims: Alterations Men Women Children. It’s not so much the punctuation issue, although that probably is […]
Every book review should incorporate a fun word like Knickerbocker. A book review a day later than expected is always tastier than one which shows up at the usual time. Well, that’s my rationale, anyway. And what’s on the menu today? Joanna Shupe’s Magnate, one of the four books in her Knickerbocker Club series. I […]
Turns out joining a group can be fun! I never had much experience with the benefits of group membership as a child. The groups I was acquainted with were the unpleasant sort. The kind which incorporated mean kids and ruled the playground with an iron fist. But as an adult, I have slowly come to […]
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 […]