Banned from Wal Mart, A Cautionary Tale
With Hurricane Sandy and the Frankenstorm coming to many of you, I wanted something quick and entertaining today, just in case you still have power wherever you are. Author M.J. Rose had the following on her Facebook Page, and I decided it fit the bill. She says a friend forwarded it to her, so, for…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: The Message of Winter
Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here. Since this is a time for ghosts and goblins, I wanted to share a Halloween poem with you. Halloween by Mac Hammond is about that age-old ritual of carving pumpkins — are you…
Read MoreWeird Writing Rituals: Wandering, Reclining and Drinking Your Way to a Better Novel
This week Copyblogger featured an article guaranteed to catch my eye: 8 Strange Rituals of Very Productive Writers. Seventy novels later I guess I think of myself as productive and possibly quite strange. So, of course, I had to find out what odd and amazing things my fellow writers do, just in case I want to add…
Read MoreThe Write Way: Writing The Novella
While I’m waiting for my real life to resume and house-sitting for friends, I’ve been working on a novella. A hundred pages is the perfect project for this interlude in my life. Short, like my stay here, and easier to interrupt if I don’t finish the book before I move again. The novella, tentatively titled…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: May We Seek a Vision
Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here. I stumbled on today’s poem while searching for a poem on another topic, and was struck how appropriate this one is as we head toward a presidential election. A Prayer Among Friends by…
Read MoreIf I Only Had the Internet
Every once in awhile, we’re reminded of how dependent we are on something we take for granted. This week I was reminded once again of how much time I spend on the internet. While we wait for our new house to close, my husband and I are housesitting for friends on the opposite coast. The…
Read MoreCatch-Up or This and That
In my quest to tie up knots and organize my in-transition life, lots of odds and ends today. We found a house! The house has passed inspection. So even though we haven’t signed the final check and moved our stuff from storage in Maryland, (that’s where the mover stowed our accumulated junk) things are looking…
Read MoreSunday Poetry: We Bend With the Season
Welcome to Sunday Poetry. If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration of my Sunday poetry blogs here. Today’s poem, Neighbors in October, by poet David Baker is a vivid glance at a familiar autumn scene. I love the image the poem immediately calls up. Can you almost hear a rake…
Read MoreWhat Does A Writer Do All Day?
After years as the wife of a minister it still always amazed me when people asked what my husband did all day. I mean, the ministry is a cushy job, right? Write a sermon, preach it and shake hands after church. Do the occasional wedding and hospital visit and spend the rest of the week…
Read MoreComments: Do You Really Want to be Heard?
Today I received an interesting newsletter from The Content Strategist, published by Contently. The topic was blog comments. You remember comments? That little link on the top right of each of my posts where you get to express your opinion about what I’ve said? The Content Strategist explained that some websites have removed their comment link.…
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