Category Archives: Feminist Fun

Love Between The Covers

Okay.  This is cool.  I seriously love Love Between The Covers and am so happy to share some info with you about this film project. Those of you who love romance novels–whether you are readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, agents or editors–will love this documentary, too.  If you have a moment, check out the video clip and discover Love Between The Covers. [youtube NhoAjOEWVkA] And why am I bringing it to your attention before its made?  Because Laurie Kahn, the filmmaker, could use some support to make sure the film gets made.   And I want to see this film get made.  I’m tired of romance novels, romance readers, and romance writers being mocked and belittled.  I don’t engage with folks … Continue reading Love Between The Covers

Those Folks at Citibank

While Mac napped this morning I sat down and paid my bills. I’m late paying this month due to me focusing so intently on my book. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t paid bills until the morning we were to fly to Hawaii and I was still frantically writing. Beneath my manuscript was a stack of papers, and in all those papers were unopened bills. I brought them with me to Hawaii and I got online with B of A and paid. I then went over my various credit card statements since I had time, noting with some shock that my boys have been making a lot of purchases at iTunes. I sent both older sons texts that said no … Continue reading Those Folks at Citibank

An Afternoon With The Girls

I’ve been in Hawaii a week today, but before I left Bellevue last week, I had the chance to spend part of the afternoon with some very smart, very literate young ladies who attend Seattle’s French-American School together.  I’d met one of the moms at a fundraiser back in April (at least I think it was April….) and she invited me to join the mother-daughter bookclub for an afternoon discussion of books, writing tips, and insights into the writing life. The girls shared with me some of their favorite authors (Rick Riordan and JK Rowling) and I shared some of mine from when I was little (Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder).  Most of the girls had read the … Continue reading An Afternoon With The Girls

Little Steps

January 18th I changed the way I worked out.  After getting on a scale and seeing that I’d only lost two pounds since August and I was working out nearly every day–and the workouts were grueling, too–I made a decision to go back to what I knew.  What I loved.  And what I enjoy. I love weights.  Lifting heavy, fatiguing at rep 8, or 11 on the way to 12.  I love doing three sets, and struggling to complete each set.  I love resting 30 seconds to a minute between sets, or immediately shifting to an alternating body part.  Leg extensions and dead lifts.  Bench press and seated row.  Bicep curls and tricep push dows. I have a garage full … Continue reading Little Steps

Beautiful People

It’s been a week of challenging circumstances and life stories. Not necessarily in my immediate world, but with friends and neighbors. To protect my friends, I can’t share details. But I will ask everyone to continue thinking not just positive thoughts, but compassionate ones, too. We don’t always know what’s happening behind the scenes, behind those proverbial closed doors, and lots of people are struggling, and lots of people are hurting, and lots of people need our love. Fortunately we can do that, and love doesn’t cost us anything. Love is just a choice, like choosing to see the good instead of the bad, or refusing to give in to panic or doomsday thinking. I wish I could tell you … Continue reading Beautiful People

Hard Times

We are undoubtedly in the middle of hard economic times. I’ve heard from a number of readers who are struggling right now. Some of my readers have a husband out of work, while others are out of work themselves. I know some of my readers have had to sell their homes like Taylor in Mrs. Perfect, while others are having to return to the work force for the first time in fifteen years. When I write about thinking positive thoughts like I did in my last blog, I am not making light of our country’s economic woes, or about the very real loss of homes or lifestyles. I’m actually saying–yes, things are hard, but don’t let the difficult things and sad things … Continue reading Hard Times

February’s Here

As many of my friends and long-time readers know, I love the month of February.  February is my personal month, the month I just love best.  It may be due to Valentine’s Day and the associated colors–reds and pinks and luscious corals–or the fact that it’s the shortest month of the year, or the gorgeous bulb flowers that begin to bloom, or that it’s my birthday month and I’m quite proud of being an Aquarius (we are apparently mad or brilliant, or a little of both…).  Regardless of the reason, it’s a month that always cheers me and I enjoy it, and celebrate it, to the fullest.  Which will mean lots of fun contests this month here.  As well as … Continue reading February’s Here

Resolutions

I’m not big on making New Years resolutions anymore.  Once upon a time I did.  I made lists of all the ways I’d try to change, and all the things I’d do differently– eat better exercise more lose weight read more classics take vitamins join a Bible study pray daily I was going to be a better, nicer person.  I was going to be healthier and stronger.  I was going to be leaner and fitter.  I was going to be improved. I’m mid forties now and wise enough to know I shall never be vastly improved.   For better or worse, I am who I am.  And it’s a good person, even though flawed.  But what I’ve learned in the past … Continue reading Resolutions

Cool Thoughts

I think I’ve shared this site before, I have to share it again. Talent Development Resources is such an incredible place for writers, creative thinkers, and curious, positive people. It’s probably my favorite place on the web. In one of the current articles, Embracing Our Positive Abnormality, (of course that would appeal to me!!), there’s a couple paragraphs I have to include here: Psychologist Timothy So notes in his article Positive Abnormality that “many great names in history, such as Benjamin Franklin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, and still many others, all recognized their own strength and interests, believed they are unique and enjoyed being unique.” He adds that they “put extra … Continue reading Cool Thoughts

Shut Up And Sing

Every year for my boyfriend’s birthday I make him a scrapbook of the past year. While working on the scrapbook at a card table in the living room last night I watched the film, Shut Up and Sing which follows the Dixie Chicks from 2003 or 2006. It was an amazing documentary and extremely powerful in that it just sneaks up on you. I’d never been a huge Dixie Chicks fan and Natalie’s comment in 2003 on the eve of war that she was ashamed President Bush was from Texas didn’t impact me one way or other other as: 1) I like country western music but am by no means a die-hard 2) I am used to entertainers sharing their … Continue reading Shut Up And Sing