“Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk (1962-), American novelist & freelance journalist It has been a haphazard summer. “Haphazard” is just a three-syllable word for chaos. And “chaos” is a two-syllable word for “Would somebody please tell me when I’m going to have …
In Others’ Words: Art & Life
“You don’t have to make something that people call art. Living is an artistic activity, there is an art to getting through the day.” ~Viggo Mortensen (1958-), actor Friday is always a look-back-over-my-shoulder kind of day for me. The week has finally run into the weekend — hooray! — and I mentally shift gears from “weekday” life to “weekend” life. …
In Others’ Words: Choose
By Max Lucado, best-selling author & preacher “I Choose Love… No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. I Choose Joy… I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. I will refuse to see people as anything …
In Others’ Words: Tomorrow
“The long-lived books of tomorrow are concealed somewhere amongst the so-far unpublished [manuscripts] of today.” ~Philip Unwin, author Tucked within today’s quote is both hope — and the promise of hard work. Every writer I know has at least one manuscript waiting to be published … one story waiting to be told. Some writing friends have two finished manuscripts. Or …
In Others’ Words: Rain
“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” ~Roger Miller (1936-1992), American singer & songwriter My husband Rob and I went for a walk last night, which is one of our favorite things to do. Heavy grey clouds hung overhead. And as rain dotted our driveway, Rob ran back inside our house and grabbed our all-weather coats. A …
In Others’ Words: Plans
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” ~John Lennon (1940-1980), English musician, singer & songwriter If I told you what kind of life I’d planned for myself versus the life I’m living now … Wait. Let me do just that. Life I’d planned for myself: Single woman. Hotshot reporter for the Washington Post. Living in …
In Others’ Words: America
“The cement of this union is the heart-blood of every American.” ~Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third president of the United States Celebrating America … and Americans. Happy Birthday to us! A friend sent this music video to me last week as an encouragement while my family waited out the Waldo Canyon Fire. It’s a perfect song for today! httpv://youtu.be/5JXWXhteJ30
In Others’ Words: Beauty in Unexpected Places
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” ~Anne Frank (1929-1945), victim of the Holocaust Many of you know that my family evacuated our home last Tuesday when the Waldo Canyon Fire erupted in the Foothills several miles from our neighborhood. We packed our cars with some precious family items — photos, a few …
In Others’ Words: Heart
“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.” ~James Earl Jones (1931-), actor I call myself a wordsmith … and yet there are times I find myself at a loss for words. This is one of those times. On Tuesday I crammed a few belongings into my car and left my …
In Others’ Words: Trust
“Know that even in the midst of your worst circumstances, you can be still and calm and at peace … because God’s got you.” ~Source Unknown A monster of a wildfire forced my family from our home yesterday. I typed this blog sitting in one of my “adopted daughter’s”* living room, safe, but oh so aware that homes were burning …