Category Archives: Uncategorized

Celebrate Life on Independence Day

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Happy Birthday U.S.A!

 Every 4th of July my faith in our country is restored when I see all the American flags and banners of red, white and blue and hear the patriotic tunes. It leads me to believe there are many in our country who have the same American spirit of faith our forebearers had when they built this new country. 

So, tomorrow on America’s birthday, celebrate the independence we have as a nation and all it stands for. As President Herbert Hoover once said, “Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”

On both sides of the aisles and 

our patriots serving near and wide.

Creative Play

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No matter how we play it is freeing to let go even if it is wild and crazy – especially if it is wild and crazy! That means one truly has let go of inhibitions. 

Even though I am now a grandmother of two,  wrinkled, scared and all, I’m still plenty agile enough to climb a tree and haven’t lost a playful spirit. There is plenty of life left in me and I am so grateful for that.

What caused me to climb a tree? I took one of my most loyal reader’s suggestions after she read my recent post about my summer’s writers nest and how it may inspire me to one day write something profound. She said “You may even start climbing that tree to go out on a limb!” And so I did and I felt free as a bird. We are all at liberty to create any kind of fun we want for ourselves.

 ‘It is a happy talent to know how to play.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The Golden Spiral Tree” pictured at the top of this post is by artist Gustav Klimt (1862 -1918)

Good Companions

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Literary and visual artists can be great companions and both involve forms of self-expression.

Both types of artists are essentially all about the story, yet the methodology is different in how it is relayed to the audience. When one looks at visual art, words are used to describe it. When one reads a narrative, visual images come to mind, such as what a character, place, or scene looks like. The co-mingling is there. The process of how the brain assimilates the two is understood by a few. It is so complex and how  words and images are interpreted is different for each of us.

The visible and invisible worlds are inexplicably intertwined…once you’ve opened your mind to this, you can dance between them. – Alberto Vilaldo

 

 

A View of My Writer’s Nest

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Today’s post is not quite as short as a tweet, but its about a sweet little thing that I am very grateful for!

I have a cool new summertime writing space, which gives me a bird’s eye view and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.  So, how I view life and the nature of people who exist in it is coming to you from a new vantage point. One day I might even be led by the spirit to go out on a limb and write about something existentially profound. 

It is a good day to settle in and ponder what that even means!

 

A Woman of Wisdom

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I am feeling most appreciative for time spent writing a memoir for an inspirational woman. As her memoirist, it was my duty to get at the heart of her life story and I hope I have adequately done so. There is a certain level of trust which goes along with this honor and privilege.

Yesterday one proof copy of the book arrived on my doorstep, which will give me one last chance to go over it before it goes to print. Hopefully, between myself and the editor, we have found all the oops between the dots and the dashes.

My client’s request for privacy is important to both of us, so the publication will not be sold in the market place, but, I’d like to give you a little insight into her story. So, I will share the summary which appears on the back cover.

My takeaway from her narrative is exactly as John Dewey stated it, “…education is life itself.” I gained insight into how very important it is to keep learning new things and growing throughout one’s lifetime.

 

Impressions of Community

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America’s love affair with it’s hometown communities still reigns in some places and I feel grateful and fortunate to be living in one town where I feel such a culture exists in this place.

Yesterday, two events took place in Bel Air, Maryland which celebrated the town’s 150 year history – a family fun run and an evening community choral concert for all ages. Anyone who wanted to enjoy could join in.

A song written especially for this year’s celebration of the Bel Air town anniversary called “A Special Place in my Heart,” as well as other American favorites, spirituals and Broadway favorites such as “Will the Circle be Unbroken”  and “Summer Time and the Living is Easy” all sung for decades now, were among the tunes of the warm evening. Voices Lifted, Concert #1 for the 2024 summer season was well-worth attending at the amphitheater in Shamrock Park. For the full listing of town sponsored concerts, visit the website.

 

 

 

 

 

Insightful Storytelling

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Today marks the very near conclusion of a writing project I have been working with a client on for about two years. The manuscript has just gone to the printer for a proof copy. It is a publication which you will not be able to find through internet searches because it was written to not to gain fame or draw attention, rather to share a retrospective look at one’s life with a select group of people – family, friends and personal connections.

The advantages of independent publishing led my client to chose this option because she has come to understand after a long life, the words of Robert T. Kiyosak who once said, “You and only you are responsible for your life choices and decisions.” These wise words are reflected throughout many of my client’s personal recollections.

Independent publishing allows for a book to be published and sold (or not) perhaps more uniquely and creatively without regard to certain traditional publishing standards. I am an advocate for it’s flexibility and I thoroughly enjoyed working with my client on this independent publishing project. I am most grateful for the time spent together.

My client and I look forward to holding the book in our hands and celebrating together when we receive it.

 

 

By Creator’s Design

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“The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.”
— Ram Dass

I’ve been doing a little experiment with one of my houseplants to give Chloe, my writers muse a more creative look. In my opinion, she is now looking rather jaunty with her tresses swept to the side! Her transformance has taken some months but now it is coming into full evidence. How timely! Her new look became apparent just as the horse racing season began when the southern-set women put on their fascinator hats, placement atilt on their heads. I didn’t rotate her position for many, many months, thus, her tresses have been leaning toward the greatest source of light – the nearest window.

Isn’t it wonderful that in our Universe, our Creator thought to give us both dark and light? The basic truth is most of us crave the light rather than darkness, it’s the reason why we are more joy-filled in the brighter seasons or when in life we are actively moving in a positive direction.

 

 

Wisdom of the Arts

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Today’s blog is simply food for thought. Does it ever concern you that too few testimonies are written about about man’s search for meaning and about finding one’s way through creative endeavors?

If so, give a nudge of encouragement to others to express themselves artistically or imaginatively without regard to their own opinion about their ability.