One week ago today, I stretched way out of my comfort zone by participating as a vendor at the annual Women of Focus Trade Show. The one day event was the culmination of four months of expending time and money to prepare for my first big trade show. Why would a writer exhibit at a …
Valentina, A Dog.
My house is quiet. It’s been six months since we said goodbye to Elsa our cat, and just three months since we did the same for Valentina, our dog. Having for nearly a year nursed them both through their twilight, we knew when Elsa left us in August that Valentina would likely not be far …
Adventures in Babysitting: Echo of Summer
Nephews K. & D. are growing bigger every day. Spending a day with them now, at ages 8 ½ and 10 ½, is more like having play buddies than babysitting. Outdoor activities are usually good choices when it comes to boys who never seem to stop moving, and this past Columbus Day the weather was …
Controlling Substance
I quit you because we didn’t agree, At the gut level. Life was fine enough, and I was strong and resolved; You were close by, every day, But, I didn’t “need” you. Truly. Your Cousin Sugar still comes by, Ours a sweet, warm, pedestrian relationship. You, I knew, could slay me. With you, it is …
Ping Pong Challenge
Compliments are important in a business where client testimonials and referrals can make or break your pipeline. If my work is good and people like it, sometimes they tell me, and I smile over’a job well done.’ If my work is good and people like it, sometimes they will tell other people. When that compliment …
Elsa, A Cat.
As a writer and a storyteller, it’s hard to admit that I don’t know how to begin. Something is missing. Not something practical like a pencil or keyboard. Not something existential like creativity. This isn’t writer’s block. The something missing is more like having moved to a new house that is almost exactly like your …
Because, butterflies!
(Lots of photos in this post! Click the photos to enlarge!) Milkweed is an invasive plant, one that can grow to five feet tall and then releases its seeds in a late summer snowstorm of burst pods. They spread and their roots grow deep. I know this because I used to pull them out every …
What have I been doing?
Has it really been almost five months since my last post? What have I been doing?, you ask. Not writing blog posts, clearly. The short answer is just that I’ve been working: getting new writing work, maintaining recurring projects, and logging off at the end of the week to leave behind the keyboard until Monday …