Category Archives: Advice
Blame
An old friend from work is in a very messy situation. She’s a wreck. Her family is a wreck. And there is no way to get around it – she brought it on herself. I’m sure you know someone like Maggie. If there are two choices, she will pick the worse one every time. It’s …
‘Not Quite Old’ Is Now Quite Old
Another birthday. A big one. I’m 70. Dear God – could that even be true? Seventy. I’m not sure what 70 is supposed to feel like. But I didn’t expect it to feel like this. Like … Nice. I just received a card in the mail from a sweet cousin. It made me laugh out …
Facing Reality
My latest novel, SISTERS, SECRETS, AND THE JUNIOR PROM, is set in high school in 1969, which, by sheer coincidence, is where I happened to be in 1969. The book is fiction. Untrue. Made up. Has no basis in reality. Except, of course, like all fiction, pieces of my life weave in and out of …
Lifting Up
There is a Facebook page that I follow for its kindness and optimism. I am not alone. More than 5 million people have liked this page. There is never any criticism in its posts. There is just support, understanding, and acceptance. For example: Recently, they posted this: More than 9,000 people responded. I read the …
Losing Control
This week the carpenter came to do some repairs. The dogs did their typical thing. Theo was all over the carpenter, insisting on attention and constant petting. Henry stood four feet behind the guy, barking his silly protective head off. Which one was annoying? Both, of course. Too much love gets in the way of …
Cheating
I confess. I like computer games. I do crossword puzzles and play Gin and Cribbage and even the dreaded Candy Crush. A few years ago, I played a lot of online Scrabble. But after a while, I got very frustrated with all the cheating. I knew that some of my competitors were using apps that …
Expertise
As I was trying on outfits the other day – for God knows what reason, I have nowhere on earth to go – a sweet memory surfaced – also from God knows where. I attended a parochial grammar school, where I wore the typical Catholic school uniform. Navy jumper, white blouse, little navy bowtie. Oh …
Proud Mary
Like everyone in the world, I love music. But I am not a connoisseur. I don’t collect music. I don’t have a fancy music-playing thing – are people still using ipods and mp3s? I don’t even know. The last time I bought music it was The Best of James Taylor. I listen to the radio …
Leaving It Behind
I’m in the editing process for my new novel. My narrator, like myself (what a coincidence), digresses quite a bit as she tells her story. One story reminds her of another story, which reminds her of another story. But all these little side trips advance the plot or reveal her character or someone else’s. But …
