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There are at least 11 major holidays celebrated in December around the world (and several more). As someone who loves to travel and learn about other cultures, I want to wish everyone peace and happiness this holiday season as you celebrate with your friends and loved ones. As we move into a new year, may...
Several years ago, a friend was staying at my house. She decided to give her little boy a bath but I hadn’t set out enough towels, so she reached into the linen closet and grabbed one. Later, I noticed she had chosen an old ratty towel with holes in it that I keep off to...
As a lifelong watcher of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I caught Paula Abdul’s song and dance performance on the Jennie-O float. She performed her song “Straight Up,” which was released in 1988. There’s lots of praise for Abdul. Other people are noting the flaws in her lip-synching, the doctored sound on her tap routine,...
Buckle up, friends. The holiday season is upon us. This is a super busy time of year for artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives of all kinds. We’re working hard to meet holiday orders, we’re selling at more shows, we’re even creating gifts (often on request) for our families and friends. Put on top of that all...
I’m preparing to lead a discussion on the book, It’s Not Your Money, by Tosha Silver, for a local writing organization to which I belong. Money is a constant source of worry, debate, motivation, and frustration for artists of all kinds. How much do we give away for free? How high can we raise our...
A friend and I were reminiscing yesterday about what people in Idaho called the “junk room”; that room in an unseen part of the house where the door was always closed and the smell of mothballs was ever-present. I had two favorite junk rooms. One was in my grandmother’s house, an upstairs bedroom piled pell-mell...
This post was originally published March 30, 2019 It occurred to me the other day: – If I’d been more focused all these years, I could have written 20 books, not just 8. – If I’d been more organized, I might not have let so many potential prospects slip away. – If I’d been more...
The other day, a woman I’ve never met e-mailed me because she’d heard about the Little Free Library I donated to a local mobile home park. She wanted to know how to get me some books for the library. I thanked her profusely and in true pandemic-habit mode, I told her she could leave them...
As I mentioned last week, I broke my collarbone while vacationing in my beloved Ireland. In describing the accident and how it affected the trip, I’m tempted to call it a bit of a setback, but that doesn’t feel like the right word. Oddly enough, it was a step forward, not a setback. I won’t...
This post originally ran on August 27, 2016 We are bombarded daily with tips for how to live longer, healthier lives. How to treat our bodies better, bolster our minds and nourish our souls. We’re supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, get eight hours of sleep per night, eat our greens, meditate,...