Put It Together
One of the gifts Dennis gave me for Christmas is a one-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. It was on my Amazon wishlist, because I’ve learned that not all puzzles are created equal, and if I want one that won’t drive me crazy,…
Be Who You Are
I used to struggle to call myself a writer, an artist, a photographer. Didn’t I have to make money at something to be that?Even if I did make money at it, did the label really fit? Sometimes I forgot that…
Free Yourself
Early in life, we build cages to protect ourselves. From the inside they look the way Wonder Woman’s jet does from the outside: invisible. Sometimes other people see what we’ve built and furnished and comfortably live inside, but in order…
Silent War
I have been engaged in a war since birth, as has each and every one of you. I bet you didn’t know that. Don’t feel bad; neither did I. The enemy is good. It has endless resources, recruits, and weapons…
What State Do You Live In?
My writing used to be characterized by perfect first sentences. Dennis would marvel at the way I’d struggle until a deadline to write something, then, at the last minute, craft the perfect opening line and have all the other words…
What We Carry
The biggest digital camera I own, an Olympus E-M1X, is on my desk (it even has a flash attached) because I didn’t put away last night after downloading the memory card. I had brought the camera to my son’s place…
Either Life is Precious or It’s Not
How can causing anything like this ever be justified? [Image shared on Instagram by @m.z.gaza]
Three Reminders
Conformity to a religion and adherence to its dictates neither indicates nor proves an authentic, healthy, loving relationship with God or with other humans (sometimes referred to as “neighbors”). Fear is not love. Sometimes ugly art is absolutely necessary.
Open to Life
As I’ve written previously, I was raised Catholic and tried most of my life to get the right answers so I could be an outstanding one, but that wasn’t the end goal. The end goal was to get to heaven,…
Boxer Brains
The Art Therapy Way: A Self-Care Guide by Kendyl Arden is the latest in the string of books on trauma and healing that I’ve acquired. Filled with 50 art therapy exercises, the book begins with a great explanation of why…
Are You Patient or Just Acting that Way?
Sitting at my computer with coffee still in my cup, I scrounged for a good title, telling myself all the while to just chill. You’ll probably change it anyway. That’s true, but I need to name the file so I…
Touching the Tangential
My husband is a good man with a great mind that he is constantly exercising. His daily workouts include writing, something each and every one of us should be doing. Did you know that writing things with a pen or…
