I considered it a great compliment when my friend, Anne, said, “Your house is always so tidy.” And most of it is. But I have some “dirty little secret” areas (like my desk when I’m on deadline) that become cluttered and messy. Time to declutter. It happens on my kitchen table, too. I bring in the mail, but I’ve got to do something else, so I leave it on the table. For a few days. Where it piles up. This decluttering is ongoing. And our basement shelves. When we moved to West Michigan, those shelves were organized, things were in Read More
Category: Writer’s World
A Day in the Life of The Beatles
Often in my Finger Lakes Mysteries series, Jesse Graham listens to music as she drives along in “Bert,” her 1968 yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Usually, she is listening to The Beatles. That’s who my best friend Bernadette and I listened to on WBBF as we drove around in her yellow Volkswagen Beetle all those years ago. Rich and I just got back from a cruise to the United Kingdom and Ireland. One of the stops was Liverpool—home of The Beatles. In 1963, the British press coined the term “Beatlemania,” and I confess to suffering from that. Imagine my delight when we Read More
I’m the Master of My Procrastination
Scarlett O’Hara is famous for saying, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Can procrastination be a good thing? Dr. Diana Stout thinks it can be. Welcome to my blog, Dr. D. Thank you, so much Elizabeth, for inviting me to share what I’ve learned and am practicing. So, without any further procrastination let me proclaim that I’m the Master of My Procrastination! Once upon a time… as all the best stories begin, I was a solid procrastinator. But on this day, I was practicing procrastination purposefully. It was January 6, 2014, with two feet of snow outside and artic temperatures that Read More
My One Little Word: Ordinary
The past year has been far from ordinary, to say the least. You may recall that 2022 began with my husband Rich suffering a heart attack. After two heart catheterizations, he improved quickly, but other medical issues ensued throughout the year including COVID. Rich never complains, and his optimistic outlook is one reason he is back in good health now. In the midst of emergency room visits, doctors’ appointments, and fear, I discovered the sacredness of the ordinary. So many times, I prayed for just an ordinary day, and when we had one, I sent up prayers of gratitude. I Read More
My One Little Word for 2022: Pause
Pause seems like such an innocuous word. But I contend it has great power when we: Pause to be grateful Pause to reflect Pause to forgive Pause to listen Pause to enjoy Pause before answering Pause before reacting Pause to appreciate Pause to breathe In 2022 I hope my One Little Word will be powerful. Not in physical strength, not in intellectual prowess, not in a domineering or superior kind of way. Quite the opposite. I hope it will help me become more humble, grow in compassion, appreciate what is before me. I guess it’s another way of being in Read More