When the Soul Speaks
Here in the Midwest winter has been long and cold. Still it hangs on. Outside my windows the temperature hovers in the 40s, and the wind tosses my chimes about, filling the April air with a wild cacophony. But each year I look forward to April, not only because the...
Going Home!
I once told my husband--or so he claims--that I would never live above the Mason-Dixon line. After this winter, I think I know why I said that! Today, however, I am going home to Georgia after five years of being away. I've always gone back every couple of years, but...
No Complaints
This year for Lent I decided to challenge myself in a new way. Rather than giving up sweets, which I usually fail at miserably, I decided to give up complaining. Easy, right? Until I began this challenge on Ash Wednesday, I was unaware how many little annoyances I...
My Old Stuff
For all of you out there who have "old stuff." Enjoy!
Writing: Stealing Time
Yesterday it snowed again, just a dusting, but enough to make the roads slick. Of course, I left home later than usual and was worried about the time. I listened to my CD of the Civil Wars to relax and to think about the revisions I'm making on my novel. Their music...
Evocative Words
When I got my haircut yesterday, Claudia, my stylist, told me about her trip to Florida, a place we all would like to go when the snow still flies here in the Midwest. When she was there, she went out onto her mother's lanai and heard the crickets singing in the...
Why I Live in Wisconsin
This winter I've not had much good to say about the weather in Wisconsin. In fact, those of you who know me know I don't care for winter, so as the saying goes, if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. I was relatively quiet about my...
Writing Comes First
After the Christmas holidays I'm filled with new ideas and energy for writing, spring cleaning, organizing my house, crafting, cooking...you get the idea. I always overdo it with the new year's resolutions, but I'm eager to make 2014 the best year ever. Since January...
Remembering 9/11
On a beautiful September morning I went to school to teach my high school students. During second hour our principal’s voice came over the intercom and directed us to turn on the TVs in our classrooms. Something was happening, but no one knew what. My...
Is This Writer’s Block?
I've Hit the Wall I’ve hit a wall with my writing. Somehow I feel empty, as though the creative well has run dry. Maybe it’s because I’ve finally finished my novel and am in the revision stage—the hardest stage for me I’ve discovered. Maybe it’s because we went on a...