Blogs on Life
Life is an adventure which changes regularly for me, giving me much material for writing.
Dr. Maya Angelou—A Tribute
On May 28th we lost a woman to God who changed our writing world. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis, MO.
read moreWhen Life is Easy and Freeing
Have you ever felt something was so right it flowed out of you with little effort like water flows out of a faucet? Maybe you wrote something, talked with a friend who needed support, ran two miles, hugged a child, or made a fabulous dinner? Joan Baez said: “It seems to me that those songs that have been any good, I have nothing much to do with the writing of them. The words have just crawled down my sleeve and come out on the page.” http://tinyurl.com/bxyt4n There are days most of us feel accomplished at what we do, but how do we build the...
read moreFred Warren, A Speculative Fiction Author to Follow
I’ve found a new speculative fiction author—Fred Warren—to follow, well…at least new for me. He has three books published by Splashdown, and short stories in one of their compilation works, plus many magazine publications. It’s rare for me to read all the works by any given author, which goes to show I really like his writing. In Odd Little Miracles Warren fascinates the reader with short stories that contain unpredictable twists. The second short story, An Eternal, Unbroken Chain, is about space aliens appearing in a desolate...
read moreSlowing Down into Simplicity
Our culture in America dislikes the ordinary, instead people want fresh, exciting lives filled with bling. As Americans we count the events of our lives in the extraordinary—milestone days like our birthday, our first day of school, graduation days, our first job, and many other such days which stand out. We can’t wait for the daily grind of our job to be over. We impatiently finish the laundry, the dinner dishes, mowing the yard, or whatever so we can leave the drudgery and do something exciting. Take John and Sara… “I’m tired of running....
read moreSeptember 11th, 2001 in Zimbabwe
We were at afternoon tea on a terrace of the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe, Africa when our safari guide, Mark, quietly told us, “A jet plane just flew into one of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. It’s 8:46 am in New York.” Our hotel room TV carried a BBC feed as we watched the second tower invaded by another jet plane seventeen minutes later. It felt like a grade B movie. The images were surreal. My safari mates and I met up an hour later for dinner. Servers and buffet staff looked at us with pity and concern. They knew we’d be going...
read moreTouch the Silence
“Learn to get in touch with the Silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross It is hard to get in touch with my inner Silence. My mind keeps talking to me, even when I sit quietly. I have found that to find Silence, when I sit quietly, I must let the day wash over me first. Then the silence can begin…if I’m patient with myself. This is not easy.
read moreHave a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom, (ISBN-13: 978-0786868728) is a wonderful read. It has a bizarre premise—Mitch’s Rabbi, from his hometown, asked him to deliver his eulogy. Yet, his Rabbi lived eight more years. This allowed Mitch to spend time with his Rabbi, learning who he was and what his beliefs were. Imagine spending time with someone who changed your life as a child, yet…now you had to get to know this person enough to give a eulogy. Your childhood fear & respect would be difficult to overcome. Add to the...
read moreIs He Dead or Alive?
Snow is brilliant. It magnifies animal tracks. Glancing out the front window after two inches of snowfall, I saw numerous tracks. I investigated a hole under the edge of our porch similar to one we had two years ago. Time again to set the trap! What will we find this time? Should I bait with meats to attract possums, or vegetables for rabbits? I decided on sardines in oil – more smell. Evening. “What’s the dog barking about?” Dan yelled down from his upstairs office. “Crystal wants to go outside?” I answered, assuming I knew her desire....
read moreReconnecting
Made a connection last week with a friend, via her daughter, over Facebook. Call it the proverbial Blast from the Past. One phone call later and we were friends all over again. We were sharing stories of our current lives, as well as remembrances from over 30 years ago. I am reminded of a close friend from my fourth/fifth/and sixth grade who I would love to reconnect with today. Yet I do not know where to start. Maybe I never will. But with the advent of social networking on the computer and the World Wide Web – who knows. Anything is...
read moreListening to Love
After hours of working, I sat back in my chair and sighed. Tired, but pleased, I was close to finishing. Turning around in my chair I saw my dog, in her ‘den’. She had adopted the small space, where feet normally fit, under my desk. With sad eyes she gazed up at me hoping for a petting, but expecting me to ignore her as I had for the last two hours. Her adoration was compelling, and I reached down to caress her face, telling her she was special and loved. Her tail began to thump loudly against the wood. Listening to her love for me, expressed...
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