Personal
My Eye!
So, I just had eye surgery. Not cataracts, something trickier and scarier. I will spare you the details except to note that the surgery is called a “vitrectomy.” Those who want to look up the icky details are welcome to. It took almost a year from my initial diagnosis to get my surgery—and not so…
Read MoreRIP Billy Dawg 2003? – 2019
We lost our cherished Billy Dawg last week. He died at home, surrounded by love. Here is a picture his dog sitter sent us. She captioned it: “Here he is motivating me to complete my senior project!” (Like mom, like pup!) Billy was (we think) at least sixteen years old with some of the usual…
Read MoreSlow Down to Speed Up! Also, Bonus Moving Story.
Sorry for the hiatus – we wound up moving on somewhat short notice. Now we’re (mostly) settled in a bee-you-ti-ful new apartment (still in Kalamazoo), so it’s time for another newsletter. After the move, I was surrounded by mountains of boxes, mountain ranges of boxes. It would have been easy to get overwhelmed, but I…
Read MoreFurball Friday: Billy’s Studio Shots
So, we hired a professional photographer to capture Billy in all his furball glory. I’ve hired a pro for my business, but never personally. The things we do for our dogs! It was a bit of a splurge – $250 for everything including some prints – but worth every dime. Not only are the pictures…
Read MoreTips for a Distracting Time
It’s been a crazy and, in many ways, difficult week here in the U.S. If you’re having trouble working (as I am and I know many others are), grab your timer and do short intervals. (Even a minute or two!) You will make progress and, perhaps even more importantly, keep the material fresh in your…
Read MoreUpdate! And Why Self-Censorship Doesn’t Work
I hope everyone had a great summer! I continue to thrive in Kalamazoo. You haven’t heard much from me, lately, for a few reasons: I’ve been busy working on my next book, a version of The 7 Secrets of the Prolific just for undergraduate students. (More on this in future newsletters.) The local vegan group…
Read MoreThe Joys of Being a Late Bloomer
This piece originally appeared on the blog of The Woman and the Owl Foundation, a fantastic group that, “explores and encourages the development of women spiritual leaders of all faiths and backgrounds through education, community, and support.” I also did a video interview with them which you’ll find here. Many thanks to Jessamine Dana for…
Read MoreWhat is the biggest barrier standing between you and greater productivity?
In my case, it used to be perfectionism that shut down the creative process before it started. I spent nearly five years writing and rewriting the same novel chapter because I was terrified of having others see it and judge it. Then – as I got less perfectionist – my biggest barrier became time management.…
Read MoreCheck out my BoomerCafe piece!
For BoomerCafe I wrote a piece on how, in my fifties, and in the face of a growing realization of my mortality, I’m finally learning to play defense in terms of my ambitions. All this would be a bummer if I didn’t have so much to be grateful for and defend. Check it out!
Read MoreHomage to Rosie and Cinnamon
One of the events that most moved me over the past year was the tragic and joyful life and death of Rosie the Chihuahua. Rosie was the victim of a backyard breeder/hoarder who made money selling puppies, including from fashionable “designer” breeds. In their quest to create “teacups,” “merles,” and other designer dogs, many such…
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