As I write this, my country is going through the most stressful election in my lifetime. On top of an out of control pandemic that, despite whatever anyone says, is not “rounding the corner”, anxiety and fear are high in my little part of the world. A friend who is also stressing out about the … Continue reading Small Changes: How I’m Handling Election Anxiety
Category: Mood
Creating a Book Journal: How Do I Do That?
I have a confession to make. I’m a journal junkie. I can’t walk into Barnes & Noble without wandering to the back wall where blank journals are temptingly displayed. I drool over the hand-tooled leather journals, the handmade paper journals, the journals with funny covers, and the ones with images that calm the soul. I … Continue reading Creating a Book Journal: How Do I Do That?
Getting Along in a Time of Social Distancing
There is a difference between solitude and isolation. One is connected and one isn’t. Solitude replenishes, isolation diminishes. – Henry Cloud I think, if you have enough inner resources, then you can live in isolation for long periods of time and not feel diminished by it. – Aung San Suu Kyi When you’re obligated to … Continue reading Getting Along in a Time of Social Distancing
Mea Culpa and Thank You!
If you’ve read anything about writing a blog, the number one piece of advice is be consistent. Set a schedule and, above all, stick to it. Don’t let your readers down by dropping out. What did I do for the last couple of months? I dropped out. I owe everyone a big, slurpy apology for … Continue reading Mea Culpa and Thank You!
Diverse Reading Creates Empathy
The other day I chatted with another lover of books and, after we caught up on our latest reads, she asked a couple of questions that got me thinking about why I choose the books I do: Are the characters we meet in a book reflections of ourselves? Or do we select books to vicariously … Continue reading Diverse Reading Creates Empathy
Forced Unplugging: What Happened When the Lights Went Out
This post is not what I originally intended to write. Yesterday, as I sat at my computer composing my next article, the words flowed from my fingers as if the writing angels were whispering in my ear. Then the power went out. There was no warning flicker, no dimming of the lights. The electricity snapped … Continue reading Forced Unplugging: What Happened When the Lights Went Out
Am I the Pigeon or the Statue? Setting my Writing Routine
from Jane Austen Is My Spirit Animal (Facebook) Yesterday I ran across this meme after initially seeing it, oh, so many moons ago. At about the same time, I was reminded of the saying, “Some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue.” What’s the connection, you ask? If you look closely, both … Continue reading Am I the Pigeon or the Statue? Setting my Writing Routine
Can a Murder Mystery Be Comforting?
Well, life threw me a curveball again. One of my beloved brothers passed away unexpectedly and I have been visiting with my mother, keeping her company as she tried to come to terms with the fact that she just outlived one of her children. She has difficulty with her mobility, so we watched a lot … Continue reading Can a Murder Mystery Be Comforting?
Why does reading make me feel better?
Last week on a gloomy afternoon, I curled up in my reading chair and dove into the pages of a book. Ice cold raindrops trailed down the window as I switched on the lamp beside my chair. I was miserable after running errands in the freezing rain and didn’t feel like reading a grocery list, … Continue reading Why does reading make me feel better?
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