It is important to be descriptive. I work on my vocabulary. Not in a flash card sort of way, but I try to expand the way I express myself. This takes some effort because I want to stretch, but never go into territory that feels artificial. The words I use need to feel organic, so…
Silence. It is very quiet where I live. I have a clock in my office and there are days when all I hear is a light tick and the tapping of computer keys. I love those days. I like loud music, laughter, lively conversation, just as much as the next person, but silence is a…
I will learn Italian this year. That being said, let’s be very clear on the definition of “learn.” In my mind “learn” is that I can go to Italy and get around, I can speak basic phrases, order yummy food and ask directions. “Learn” may also include having brief and slow conversation, but that’s about…
Ink. It is one thing to sit at a computer and type words on a screen. I will admit that takes discipline and a mind for creating something out of nothing, but putting ink to paper seems like more to me. I know I tend to glamorize the past, but when Jane Austen sat down…
Albert Einstein said, “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Michael always says, “There is a yin and a yang for everything. You can’t have good without bad, we’d never appreciate the good or even recognize it.” I’m certainly not comparing Michael to Einstein. Although they…
I’m going to do this post a little backward. Normally, I write and then I choose a picture, but today I have nothing much to say. So, I chose the picture above and the post that follows is what looking at this picture stirred in me… All dressed up and nowhere to go. When I…
The last few days of the year always feel like the back pages of a notebook. The are still useable, but there isn’t enough room to start a project or even write a full chapter. It’s the end, time to wrap things up. I often use this time to look back over the previous pages,…
I had to go to shopping yesterday. Time was running out and things just had to be done. I went to an outdoor shopping area, so it wasn’t the horrible mall yucky that I make a point to avoid every year. As I was finishing up and walking toward my car, there was a man…
I like to wrap presents. It’s my favorite part of gift giving. There’s nothing like finding that perfect gift, but some years nothing really clicks. The wrapping is what’s consistent for me. The time spent putting together a surprise for someone is always special. The details say something and I have been know to create…