penny's pages
purposeful ponderings
In my personal Bible study, I was encouraged to give up all media for 24 hours. I read through the list. Television: I can avoid television. As a young mom, I used to crave the noise and fake interaction. But, as a middle-aged woman, I find I have to be working on a project or […]
Three Stars I felt like The Eighth Sister by Robert Dugoni was a bit of a slog. Maybe it’s because I’m not an espionage fan. I have read more than one book about communism this year, and I watched Chernobyl around the time I read this book. I think I was overloaded on oppressive regimes. […]
Several years ago, I created a soundtrack for my few-and-far-between writing moments. For poetry, it was a compilation of Jim Brickman songs. For The Forget-Me-Nots, it was Chopin because Aunt Minnie played Chopin. But, now, I just don’t know. While Brickman’s “The Road Before Us” still launches me into a writing mode, I’m thinking I […]
Recently, my husband and I ventured to a nearby violin shop in search of a viola for me. Several reasons played into this decision to upgrade. After thirty years of playing my current viola, I needed a change. Sometimes a different resonance and tone is required to meet new challenges in life. I realized that […]
Four Stars I decided I wanted to read the book before I decide if I want to see the movie. I listened to Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain on Audible. It took a bit to get used to the narrator and to a dog who swears. Compared to other books I’ve […]
I have to admit, I’m obsessed. My family shudders every time I bring up the topic. I truly can be obnoxious about it. But, I have found that in life and in writing the study of personality is fascinating and essential. I’m going to use https://www.truity.com–one of my new favorite sites that my youngest son […]
I have a daily obsession. Like most obsessions, it is something some will admit to doing themselves and wonder why I could consider it a detriment. Others won’t get the allure and will count me in with fools before reading to the end of this post. But, admitting foolishness is often the beginning of obtaining […]
Five Stars I love dogs. I love a good who-dun-it. And, I have to admit, I love a good pun. Spencer Quinn’s Dog On It, the first book in the Chet and Bernie series, is the solution to all three. Quinn does a superb job of creating a believable first-person narrative from the perspective of […]
I never quite know if I want to participate in National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo. My guess is that for many writers it has become an annual tradition after its twenty years of existence. I don’t know that for certain. I do know that by 1999 I had started The Forget-Me-Nots before it […]
I sort of got lost the other day. When I’m in unknown territory I need a map and a navigator. I had those. So, why did I get lost? I assumed there was only one parking ramp on University Avenue. So, I ended up smack dab in the middle of the university campus. I realized […]
