by Patti Miinch | Mar 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
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 to...
by Patti Miinch | Feb 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
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...
by Patti Miinch | Feb 13, 2018 | books, Lent, reading, sacrifice
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...
by Patti Miinch | Jan 23, 2018 | aging, family, friends, laughter, smiles, sun, wrinkles
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...
by Patti Miinch | Jan 16, 2018 | book, boy, elements, feature, girl, ideas, Judy Blume, novel, plot, story, 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...
by Patti Miinch | Jan 9, 2018 | book, one year, write
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...
by Patti Miinch | Jan 1, 2018 | 2018, beliefs, gym, living, resolutions, simple, values
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...
by Patti Miinch | Dec 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
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...
by Patti Miinch | Nov 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
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...
by Patti Miinch | Sep 22, 2017 | new job, work
My oh my, but what a whirlwind these past 6 weeks have been!I started my new job and thought I was somewhat prepared for the change back to the high school classroom, 5 days a week, and all that entails. I wasn’t. It was less the number of classes and days in...
