purposeful ponderings
We moved at transitional times in my growing-up years. This topic and the theme of home have shaped my writing since I was fourteen. That was the year I began writing poetry. That was the golden year writing refined part of who I am. Since then, there have been other refining moments. I consider those […]
What is the best road trip or vacation you have ever taken? When I was a little girl, my family took several road trips. A few of these trips centered around traveling from where we lived in St. Louis to where we considered to be home in Minnesota. After we moved back to Minnesota, we […]
Four Stars The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin takes readers on a generational journey into the far-future and the not-so-distant past. I found the characters unforgettable, though not altogether likable. The premise and secret within the family made it readable to the end. The poetic licence with the future and one discrepancy diminished the legitimacy […]
Write about something you would still buy if it cost twice as much as it costs today. I learned this sage advice in one of my college classes: “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”― Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/706620.Erasmus I imagined Erasmus tromping […]
What do you think is the most important thing for today’s children to learn in school? Hands-down, I think one of the most important things today’s children need to learn in school is handwriting. Especially cursive handwriting. Because of a rise in technology and a reduction in curriculum standards, cursive handwriting is no longer an […]
Five Stars Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors. I wait with anticipation for her books about Inspector Gamache to be released in August and often pre-order. Her mystery writing is unique because it is character-driven. Most mysteries rely on the plot, and the characters seem inconsequential. Louise Penny weaves a backstory that causes […]
On this last day of January, I am reviewing my goals for the month. What has been completed? What still needs to be done? What ought to be reevaluated? What needs to be crossed out? Not because it’s done, but because I know it’s not going to happen. At least, not yet. And then there […]
Complete this thought: “I wish an alarm would notify me whenever…” “I wish an alarm would notify me whenever…” I am about to experience social fatigue. Sometimes I can anticipate–based on my schedule, the activity, or the group–whether I am going to be energized or exhausted after social interaction. I know that there are times […]
Five Stars The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson was one of my favorite reads of 2019. Set in the Kentucky during the Depression, this story tells of a woman of a different color–blue. But, not only is Cussy Mary a unique individual, she is one of few willing to brave the […]
When I was in third grade, I wrote my first poem–a haiku about the color yellow. I’m certain I did not choose the theme color of my poem because yellow has never been my favorite color. I remember struggling with yellow things I liked and words that fit the 5-7-5 syllable form of a haiku. […]
