Comfortable. I even like the word. It makes me feel…well…comfortable. Just rolling the word around on my tongue evokes images of warm, fuzzy bedroom slippers and soft, cozy furniture. It makes me long for a field of wildflowers and a bed of green grass! Comfortable can be a real place or a euphoric sense of well-being. When we think of …
Never. Eat. Soggy. Wheat. Teachers and directionally challenged folks know what that one means. Can you guess? If you whip out your cell phone, compass, or other navigational device, you’ll see the earth’s reference points: North, South, East, and West. Or in school, some students might learn their directions the good, ol’ fashioned way—by coloring the handout with the pretty …
Woo-hoo! Today’s the day–I’m celebrating the kick-off of my first newsletter! Thank you, friend, for taking this journey with me! If you’ve subscribed, by now my (March 2015) newsletter should have reached your inbox. In my début venture, I shared something so poignant that the memory still lingers although the event happened decades ago. I also shared additional funsies and …
Feeling blah? Bored? A little down-in-the-mouth? Well, you’ve come to the right place—it’s time for your daily grin and your 60 second recharge! No need to comb your hair, brush your teeth, or put on your fancy duds. We don’t keep up with the Joneses here. Just settle back, have a swig, and take a minute to recharge. Feel a …
Wait! Don’t shake your head and say, “Nope! Not me!” Pause, take a deep breath, and let’s chat for a few minutes. Are you a writer? A creative? Someone with a passion for people? Do you like to share and encourage? See! I knew it. Today I want to talk about newsletters from a fiction writer’s perspective, but my thoughts …
When our children were little they enjoyed coloring, painting, and crafting. Creating. We encouraged this. Ordinary mashed potatoes became volcanoes. The “lava” was the gravy. We also made green eggs and ham (and yes, we ate them). Mealtime was always an adventure. During other creativity-bursts, we strung beads, built forts, fired pottery, wrote stories, and wove potholders. We colored, painted, and …
When I was a teenager I loved theme park rides. Fast, high, or topsy-turvy—didn’t matter. The rush of adrenaline and the thrill of the moment trumped any reservations or fear, and I loved the heady sense of accomplishment that came afterward. Ahhh. Youth. Today I go for rides that are much tamer in comparison. I’m less inclined to tackle anything …
Ahhh. Valentine’s Day. One of my favorite holidays! Just mention the word valentine and I go all mushy inside. Of course I would. (There’s a reason I live, breathe, and write romance. I’m a romantic! A huge one.) And I’m always on a mission. Remember that little pocket notebook I carry? Often, when I’m out and about and I see …
Well, after a delightful weekend with record-breaking seventy degree warmth, the Ozarks is in the clutch of winter yet again. The temperatures plunged into the thirties this week! Hmmppff. There’s still much to be thankful for. The house is warm, the coffee pot’s on, and there’s some tasty baked goods on the counter just waiting to be eaten. Come on …
Where I live, it’s not unusual for farm animals to occasionally wander off from where they’re supposed to be. Cows, goats, horses, and chickens have all made an appearance along the tree-lined lanes of our neck of the woods. Once when our daughter was about three, she stood at the window and clapped her little hands. “Mommy, come see the big birds …
