Cheers for Elaine Marshall, who just won a primary runoff in the face of huge obstacles. Her opponent was the candidate of the party establishment (according to the News & Observer) and she was dealt a tremendous personal blow with the death of her husband during the campaign (which I only learned after the results […] Read More

Bold move for me: I put oil in my car, for the first time ever. The oil light on the dash had started to flicker late last night. I picked up a few quarts at a convenience store. A helpful guy there advised on what kind a ’92 Camry would most like. (This is a […] Read More

Good friend with bad diagnosis. Too much of this is happening and at an increasing pace. And I’m only 61. I’d always heard that old age was not for sissies; I thought that saying referred to coping with one’s own ailments, impairments and indignities. But, no — it’s a whole lot larger than that. I’ve […] Read More

This is a plug for the wonders of my magical husband. A clinical psychologist, Bob teaches self-hypnosis in an all-day seminar at our house about every three months. This quarter’s “all-day,” as we call it, is this Friday at our log cabin beside a pond in the woods. Participants learn to use self-hypnosis for whatever […] Read More

Handled horizontally, this is the new key to my office, freshly adorned with moon and stars. Vertically and pointing up, it’s now a key for opening my imagination. Pointing down, it goes to my unconscious. What a handy tool to have close by at all times! Maybe I’ll be more careful now not to misplace […] Read More

It's easy to doubt the effectiveness of one more small action toward a goal. Here's a light-hearted reminder that setting one thing in motion can make a difference. Thanks to Michael Lindsay of Inform Creative Services for sending this cheerful burst of creativity.   [youtube qybUFnY7Y8w nolink] Add to del.icio.us – Stumble It! – Subscribe to this feed – Digg it Read More

Reminders to persist toward your bold goals: “Colonel Sanders was in his 60s before he founded Kentucky Fried Chicken.…Stephen King wrote many novels before he had his first one published.Dolly Parton was told that she sang like a billy goat and had no chance of making it in show business.” Please note the source of […] Read More

Spiders aren’t a particular fear of mine, but I don’t love them. This one, discovered at night our semi-outdoor sink, was different from anything I’d seen before, its body like a small avocado. It was so unusual I decided to take a picture and wound up getting closer to it than I otherwise would have. […] Read More

I think they’re wonderful together. My husband thinks they’re wonderful separate. What do you think? Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it Read More

"The dear old human experience is a singular, difficult, shadowed, brilliant experience that does not resolve into being comfortable in the world. The valley of the shadow is part of that, and you are depriving yourself if you do not experience what humankind has experienced, including doubt and sorrow. We experience pain and difficulty as […] Read More