Last month, I wrote about making your own luck, and when I pondered what I would write about this month, a Mel Robbins podcast came to mind. I remember where I was sitting and how I picked up a pen and wrote out some notes. What was being said seemed Read more
I turned 75 years old in June, a week after the launch party for my debut novel. I spoke in front of a U-shaped dinner table set up for a sizable crowd. I spoke of my journey of first claiming myself as a writer and then coming to the place Read more
Life Transitions: Last month, I wrote about the mother wound and how a parent’s parent shaped who they were and their capability and style of parenting. Those factors are true for fathers, as well. I had issues with my father. I never felt loved or accepted by him. Some of it was Read more
It’s Mother’s Day month, and since we have all had mothers, I thought I’d write on the topic of the “mother wound.” Let me first say that I believe there are no perfect mothers. In my mind, doing it perfectly is impossible. A mother will never know the life pressures Read more
When I look back on my life, during times of restlessness, when the need for change vibrated within me, I am glad I listened. As a young person, I looked outside myself for external support. I absorbed the words of Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, and other motivational speakers while taking Read more
Life Transitions: We recently had a stressful situation. Compared to some of the devastation in our country from fires and flooding, I shouldn’t complain. To lessen my distress, I often say, “This could have been worse.” To summarize, we came home from my publisher’s conference and found our hardwood floors in Read more
Small acts of kindness can transform your life and the lives of others. We need that more than ever right now. I don’t know about you, but what’s happening in the world can make me anxious about the future. So many disasters are occurring, there is an abundance of finger-pointing, Read more
As 2025 slides into focus, I felt the pressure to make a plan for how I wanted this new year to unfold. We might all be conditioned to set goals or make mission statements as one year ends and a new one begins. You also might have watched the New Read more
Book Review: The Wedding People by Alison Espach caused quite a lively discussion for the Camas book club I attended. The story is about Phoebe Stone, who books the only room left in a gorgeous boutique hotel. The rest of the hotel is rented for the week to the wedding Read more
Christmas is in full swing now. Almost every house on our street has Christmas lights up. Though I love the atmosphere those lights produce at night, I worry about the “gray-hair” guys putting up those lights on ladders. I understand it. They are fulfilling traditions, which can be a burden Read more