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Just as sure as leaves drop in autumn, advice flows in January. You may not set New Year resolutions, but I bet you plan to improve something over the next twelve months. I know I do. Yet it takes more than a simple flip of a calendar page for a fresh start. According to my …

Stumbling along the Path to Self-Improvement Read More »

I receive a new wall calendar each Christmas. It’s practical, yet pretty; sensible, yet satisfying. A year’s worth of blank boxes precisely organized into the weeks and months of the upcoming year. I feel a surge of mystical anticipation when I flip through the pages and contemplate what may unfold over the next 365 days. …

365 Pristine Squares Read More »

Those cute snow people in the picture above appear to be innocent, festive additions to my holiday decor. However, they represent the most frightening object in my house. Halloween decorations? The mark of an amateur. Skeletons, bats, or spiders can’t hold a candle to the unrelenting horror unleashed when this decoration emerges from its box. …

The Ticking Clock of Christmas Carnage Read More »

A messy desk signifies creativity or, so I’ve read. (See this post.) Stacks of files, overflowing garbage cans, and general disarray supposedly point to an imaginative brain. The occupant of such a desk, such as Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein, might be more likely to think “outside the box” and dream up innovative solutions. If …

Is your desk cluttered or tidy? Read More »

Even if your family serves a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, I bet there is at least one dish that makes your holiday celebration unique. You don’t have to take my word for it, just remember that first Thanksgiving away from home. What was missing? Unless that dish is served, it’s not Thanksgiving. For me that special food …

Thanksgiving Traditions Read More »

I recognize attitude when I see it, a teenager’s eye roll, a cat’s saunter, a waiter’s dismissive shrug. So, I received an unpleasant surprise when I evaluated my year-to-date writing progress. Instead of a completed novel, I found a big pile of ATTITUDE. I’ve written several posts about finishing my novel. (See here and here.) …

To Increase Word Count, Lose the Attitude Read More »

I reset my clocks on Saturday. A simple action that added an hour to my week. If I did that daily, I might complete my annual goal list, the uber-ambitious January plan. Instead, Halloween has already crept by, and Thanksgiving is lurking outside my front door. (That’s Christmas skulking on the street corner. Don’t believe …

Set That Clock! Read More »

I did. When the Mega Millions jackpot climbed over one billion dollars, I pulled two one-dollar bills out of my wallet, fed them into the machine, and tucked that ticket into my…let’s just say a safe place. (I won’t divulge the details. I may stash another ticket there in the future.) Did I win? Of …

Did You Catch Lottery Fever? Read More »

My phone beeps, so I check the message. Package delivered! I hurry to the mailbox and scoop it up. I know what’s inside. After all, I did place the order. Still a rush of Christmas-morning-like anticipation flows through me. (It can’t just be me. You get that too, right?) I tear open the mailing envelope …

I Will NOT Return These Socks Read More »