This is a plea for me to myself and a reminder for me to act. The saying I am using today is "If you aim at nothing, then you are sure to hit it." What I am trying to cure is the fact that I love to read about writing. I love to read how to write the great American novel and all the cute contests in the magazines. I love to teach others to write as best I can. But, I CAN'T GET MYSELF TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE ! It is not because I am lazy. I am your typical Type A individual... [More]

I wrote my philosophy of life, made it into a poster, and put it on my classroom wall. It says: WITHOUT PASSION THERE IS NO LIFE! I never bring the subject of the poster up until some wiseguy thinks he'll be smart and comment on it in the only way his mind is capable of thinking.....sexually, of course. Then, we discuss what my saying means. I try to impart to them that if they have no interests in anything worthwhile, they have no life. We discuss some stereotypes such as the kid who ... [More]

I have a few questions I would like to ask and if anyone out there has an answer, I am ALL EARS. 1. Why would a person list their writing and ask for a review, then, in essence, tell the reviewer it was written such and so because they wanted it that way? Well, good for you. If, however, you do not have an open mind, why would you ask for reviews? If you wanted to make your writing polished, why not at least try a few ideas out? 2. Why would someone say in response to a review: Well, tha... [More]

I would suppose a diary is a cute little book with a lock on it that I wrote in when I was in middle school. Dear Diary: Today I ate hot dogs, flunked a pop test, slapped Johnny, kissed Donnie, and watched I Love Lucy . Talk to you tomorrow. Me I have no clue what a blog is. I have no idea how it is supposed to be used or why someone would want to read mine. Having been a motivational speaker for several years and as a teacher, I tend to give advice. Or, I might just tell you about t... [More]

Whomever came up with this saying is a genius. What Would Jesus Do? For those of you who are not believers in a higher power, I pity you for every question, situation, or problem can be solved by simply asking yourself, What would Jesus do? Unlike our judicial system there are no gray areas or excuses that work if you truthfully answer this question. There is always and right way, several wrong ways, and several excusable ways to solve life's questions, but there is only one corre... [More]

When did I become a writer? As well as I can remember it was because my mother told me I was a writer and then led me down a path that resulted in my own sports column for the Arkansas Gazette for several years. Up until then, I never really thought of myself as a writer and am not sure I ever wrote.......Oh, yes, I remember that in 8th grade to pass the time of day in math class, I would write little stories. THey all had twists at the end...that's what I liked....and all the kids hated... [More]

A new year begins today. As I think of the list of things I want to try to be better at this year, I am also aware of the fact that I rarely keep New Years Resolutions. Instead, I would like to recite the Serenity Prayer each morning when I first get up. If I am granted strength and knowledge and wisdom, I'll be a better person. I pray for the new presidency in the US and hope that he will be safe and given the chance to make America a better place in all areas of life. To my friends... [More]

Sydney Elise and I had the whole day on Monday to spend together. We sorta slept in and then hit the stores. She has inherited my shopping gene. Syd is 11 and in her first year of middle school. We had to have a muffin at Mimi's Cafe in the new shopping center we visited in Bentonville, AR because Mimi is who I am to them. Yum-m-m. She sure knows her muffins! We looked more than we shopped and Sephora--I hope that is spelled correctly--was our favorite. We got to play in all the make... [More]

I forgot what being in a large city was like. I don't like it. Cars, cars, cars, and people impatiently honking their horns. Hundreds of people out shopping and not being particularly courteous about it. I think I will be glad to return to nowhere. Today was my grandson's--Spencer's- Day Out with Mimi. We bowled in the same bowling alley I first bowled in 47 years ago.....how amazing is that? Our scores were 91-63 and 64-61. He won both. He wouldn't shut up about bea... [More]

I have made the long journey to see my grandchildren and enjoyed my second oldest grandchild today. I came up with a new plan of attack this year: Take each grandchild out one-on-one for a day. They get to choose what we do......the sky is the limit. Today is Taylor Michelle's Day. We shopped....didn't buy much. Had ice cream for lunch and some great tacos for an afternoon snack. We thought we were in a tornado for a bit. I have never seen it rain so hard or seen such wind shea... [More]

Friends are amazingly wonderful. They are like the chocolate chips in your cookies, the whipped cream in hot chocolate, the cherries in your cherry limeade, the new flower blossoms in your favorite flower bed, and they are the light at the end of a dark tunnel. Friends can always sense when you are down, they can put you in your place when you need to be, they always accept for who you are, they argue with you until you are both blue in the face and still love you. Friends ... [More]

Well, here's my first entry. A small one just to test. My day consisted of deep cleaning my shower, putting lattice work around the porch to keep my guineas from coming to visit and leaving an unwanted calling card, and walking a couple of miles with the dogs, cats, and my honey.... [More]