“Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the…
Category: Writing
What I’ve Always Wanted: An Inconclusive List in No Particular Order
I’ve always wanted to be fluent in Spanish and Italian. I’ve always wanted to go on trips to many countries worldwide. I’ve always wanted a simple and nicely tailored wardrobe with at least two cashmere sweaters. I’ve always wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I’ve always wanted a happy and fulfilling marriage that…
Poem: To My Sister, Leslie
I wrote this poem several years ago, just before my sister Leslie died. Her death anniversary is in March, so I can’t enter this month without thinking of her. She was eleven years my senior and carried me on her hip when I was little. I miss her often and wish she were still around…
My First Hot Yoga Class Today
My daughter Liz invited me to her weekly hot yoga class today. I haven’t been to a yoga class in a long time, and I have never been to one where the temperature is deliberately raised to encourage sweating. I was surprised at how full the class was at 11:30 this morning, and I was…
Flash Fiction: An Unexpected Destination
Sarah James hailed a taxi after finding herself in an unexpected rainstorm in New York City. Her clothes and hair were sopping wet when she climbed into the back seat of the yellow and black, and after giving the driver the address of her boyfriend’s apartment, she heaved a deep sigh. What a day. Who…
To Type or Not to Type
I am an excellent typist. I mean I can zip around a keyboard like nobody’s business. This is all thanks to learning to type on a typewriter in high school. We had actual typing classes back then and I can type without once looking down at my fingers. Yep, I am pretty good at that….
Then and Now: 50 Memories That Still Shine
Family & Parenting Childhood & Youthful Memories Education & Career Writing & Creativity Music & Singing Faith & Service Adventures & Travel Home, Heritage & Restoration Business & Entrepreneurship Love & Marriage Life’s Challenges & Deep Connections
Poem: The Place I’ve Always Been Headed
A window opensand my spirit slips outside I seecreamy moonlight slanting through leavessilvery moss growing on the trunks of old oakswispy clouds lingering on far-off mountains. I befriend red-tailed hawks,turkey vultures,two blue herons who live nearby,a gopher snake slithering across the dirt road. I feel no fear, no worryonly an explorer’s heartready for discovery.I knowthis…
Letting Life Get Messy
I have always hated what comes first when contemplating change: the ruin of what is, the demolition of the status quo, and the process of undoing in order to redo. This has caused me great discomfort as a person with a strong need for tidiness and order. “Let’s knock down that wall,” my husband might…
Flash Fiction: Family Legacy
She wasn’t happy, no she wasn’t. All this time trying to cope with the family problem – that’s what they called Randy’s addiction to coke these days – and at the same time, trying to study enough not to flunk the chemistry quizzes that came every day, relentless and unyielding, like a black boxing glove…
20 Minutes a Day 