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Desperate Trek: Why I'm writing this novel

Desperate Trek: Why I’m writing this novel

Photo Credit: clas.berkeley.edu

Desperate Trek: Why I’m writing this novel

I have fond memories of regular trips to the public library when I was young. Like many young girls of my generation, I loved Nancy Drew and Walter Farley books about horses. I checked out 10-12 books at a time, especially in the summer, and devoured them as quickly as possible. When I went to the University of…

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#Immigration #writing

Geese, Herons, and Pollen: Spring Has Arrived!

“Sometimes i think there must be a sort of pollen of ideas floating in the air, which fertilizes similarly minds here and there which have not had direct contact.”

― William Faulkner

As I write this, I can see out of my window, across Manklin Creek, the ocean channel behind my house. Harriett, a Canadian goose, is sitting on her nest on the shore,…

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#blogs #Health #Nature #spring

Heart Healthy: It's Never Too Late!

Heart Healthy: It’s Never Too Late!

Photo: http://advancingyourhealth.org/heartblog/2014/06/03/10-tips-heart-healthy-diet/

Heart Healthy: It’s Never Too Late!

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”

–Oprah Winfrey

Jim and I will both turn 65 this year. We’re officially old! This hit us in a dramatic way when Jim suffered a heart attack a month ago. As I’m sure most of you can understand, the heart attack scared the…

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#Health #Heart Healthy Diet

Creative Writing: Finally!

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back

to see if we can find them.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

I guess it was inevitable that my first attempt at fiction would be based in reality. My dad was a newspaper reporter and editor. What is more surprising is that I’m writing at all. After all, I…

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#blogs #Creativity

Matters of Life and Death

Photo courtesy of Alcosphotos

Matters of Life and Death

“Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.”

–Thich Nhat Hanh

It started…

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#Buddhism #heart attack #mindfulness

What Inspires Me?

Photo: https://quotefancy.com/quote/958963/Mary-Oliver-The-sea-is-the-most-beautiful-face-in-our-universe

What Inspires Me?

“Tell me, what is it yu plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

–Mary Oliver

During this month of February, I am participating in a 28-Day Journaling Challenge. Kudos to Stacy and Victoria for leading this wonderful experience! Each morning, they send out the…

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#blogs #Inspiration #Journaling;

What Inspires Me?

Photo: https://quotefancy.com/quote/958963/Mary-Oliver-The-sea-is-the-most-beautiful-face-in-our-universe

What Inspires Me?

“Tell me, what is it yu plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

–Mary Oliver

During this month of February, I am participating in a 28-Day Journaling Challenge. Kudos to Stacy and Victoria for leading this wonderful experience! Each morning, they send out the…

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#blogs #Inspiration #Journaling;

How SHOULD a Leader Behave?

Photo: https://www.officevibe.com/blog/different-leadership-styles

How SHOULD a Leader Behave?

Leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work toward a common goal.”

― Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence

In 1977, when I was a graduate student at The University of Georgia, Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States. I have vivid memories of the celebrations…

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#Leadership #Politics

Let's Dance!

Let’s Dance!

Photo: http://www.ephesustoursguide.com/must-see-places-in-turkey/whirling-dervish-monastery-shrine-of-rumi.html

‘The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it,

move with it, and join the dance.’

–Alan Watts

I’ve been thinking about dance a lot lately. I think my contemplation began when I stumbled across an old and iconic YouTube video of Joe Cocker and Jim…

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#Dance #mindfulness

Harbinger of Hope

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”

–Robert Fulghum

The rustling coming from the corner of her bedroom was subtle but it woke Linda anyway. She sat up with a start but knew instantly what it was. …

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#Hope #Spirituality

A Bagel and...

A Bagel and…

“Smell the roses. Smell the coffee. Whatever it is that makes you happy.”

–Rita Moreno

Before I retired I rarely had time to enjoy a leisurely morning at a local coffee shop. Instead, I would stop at a Starbucks on my way to a morning consulting assignment or a university faculty meeting, wondering if the coffee order line would be too long for me to get my large skim latte and…

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#autumn #Coffee #friendship #mindfulness #Thanksgiving

Life with Spirit

Photo courtesy of Erica Lynn Imagur.com

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.

For me, they are the role model for being alive.”

–Gilda Radner

“It’s love-time, Spirit”! I had finished putting away the left-overs from dinner and cleaning up the dishes. The rhythmic sound of the dishwasher signaled that evening was upon us and Spirit sat patiently next to…

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#Memories #Spirituality

7 Ways of Thinking that Must Change

Photo Courtesy of Alcosphoto

7 Ways of Thinking That Must Change

“We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.”

— Albert Einstein, 1954

Lately, I’ve been both sad and angry with current thinking which seems to normalize viewpoints that, at least to my mind, are immoral, unethical, and even dangerous. When I read Albert Einstein’s quote, I was inspired to…

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#blogs #change #dialogue #New thinking

Clinging to Stuff

Photo from aspiremag.net

Clinging to Stuff

“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

For years, my late husband, Chris, and I tried to sell our townhouse. From the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties, in fact. We had many prospects – all of…

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#attachment #clinging #let go #Spirituality

Finding Joy in the Morning!

Photo Used With Permission by Alcosphoto.

Finding Joy in the Morning!

“Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing.

For to miss the joy is to miss all.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson

Is there anything joyful about our mornings? Or do we stumble to the coffeepot and wish we were still in bed? I remember the stressful mornings when I was getting dressed for work, getting a…

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#blogs #Joy #mindfulness #Nature

Have the Courage to Retire!

Photo used with permission from Vivian Spathopoulos

Have the Courage to Retire!

“Don’t think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. I hate a fellow whom pride or cowardice or laziness drive into a corner, and who does nothing when he is there but sit and growl. Let him come out as I do, and bark.”

–Samuel Johnson

I’ve been surprised at how many people my age are…

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#Reasons for Retirement #retirement

In Honor of Earth Day

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing this meditation in my class, The Artist’s Way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Leaf: A Meditation on Transitions

By Joyce Rupp

You will need to find a leaf for this meditation. It is best to find a green leaf or one that is still alive. Be sure to show respect for all of life by asking permission of the leaf before…

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#blogs #Buddhism #Meditation #Nature #Spirituality

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