Sharing the Hair-Brush Microphone
I've always loved road trips. As a child, I looked forward to our family's annual vacation as much for the long car ride that would take us to our destination as I did the destination itself.In the weeks and months leading up to the trip, I would envision the...
A Tale of Two Guys
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two CitiesMy local big box pet supply store cannot by any stretch of the imagination be compared to France. But the French Revolution, or at least the famous opening lines...
Plantsing Along
Novel-writers tend to fall into one of two camps.Some writers have a germ of an idea and simply sit down and start writing. They allow the characters to reveal themselves and the story to unfold. Because they write by the seat of their pants, so to speak, they are...
One for the Books
Despite the fact that I'm not and never have been Catholic, I've been giving up something for Lent for most of my life.When I was in grade school, I gave up things like candy, bothering my older sister, and biting my nails. One year during high school I gave up...
Wrinkles and Time
Last week, when washing my face before going to bed, I was surprised to see that somehow, when I wasn't paying attention, one of my formerly-slight crow's feet had become much more distinct.It reminded me of the afternoon last summer when I looked at my face in my...
What Story Would Your Book Tell?
I stumbled across this image this past week and immediately saved it as my phone's wallpaper and screensaver.It appeals to me in part because I am a writer.But it speaks to me even more because I'm a reader. A reader who sometimes is frustrated by finding the...
One Year: What Would You Do?
What would you do with one year's paid leave of absence?That subject line in my email inbox made my heart kick up a notch for just a few seconds one day last week. A quick glance at the sender's name, however, informed me that the accompanying message wasn't my...
Keepin’ It Simple . . . Right?
According to many sociologists, the #1 resolution made by Americans every year is to get into shape.Judging by the number of folks I saw when I went to the gym today, that observation is true. By the way, I didn't make a similar resolution. No, I went to the...
The Path is Visible
I feel more than a bit pretentious as I draft this end-of-the-year post. I mean, seriously! I blogged so sparingly these past 12 months that I'm not sure such a post is warranted.Truth be told, though, my life has been a bit like the proverbial duck this past year....
Depleted
I am one of those people who processes issues by either writing or talking about them. As I journal or recount, sometimes ad nauseum (apologies to my kids, closest friends, and sister), an issue I'm grappling with, I find clarity.That was the case this...