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“Viva la Dragonfly”
Before the Golden Heart® class of 2015 named itself the Dragonflies, I hadn't thought much about that particular insect. I hadn't had a positive experience with dragonflies, but I hadn't had a negative one either. Dragonflies were simply peripheral to my life.Much has...
Celebrating heroes (and dads)
Sometimes it seems anti-heroes are everywhere.Many are in our workplaces, as the recent #DistractinglySexy Twitter campaign in response to sexism in science illustrates.Anti-heroes also appear on public transport. Like the man in a suit and carrying a laptop bag who,...
Hope…in life and writing
I've thought a lot lately about my mission as a writer. What do I want readers to take away from my work? To answer that question, I keep coming back to the angel teddy bear perched on the bookshelf beside my writing desk.The bear was a gift I gave myself many years...
Ten things I wish I’d known about the writing life
A friend working on her first fiction manuscript emailed me this week to ask if I had "any words of wisdom" to share. I answered her privately, but her questions made me think about the things I wish I’d known when I started writing in pursuit of publication.Find your...
Finding goodness
As regular readers of this blog know, goodness is my word for 2015. My last post focused on a bend in the road, and how hard it was to find goodness in a difficult life situation.The response to that post overwhelmed me and, just when I thought goodness was scarce, I...
Wisdom for a bend in the road
Sometimes the path of life stretches in front of me straight and smooth. I know where I’m going and how to get there. Far more often, though, that path twists and turns. It has stones, even boulders, which seem insurmountable. I stop, worry and wonder. Then I take a...
‘Alice down the rabbit hole’ days
Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, was one of my late dad’s favourite books. As a result, many ‘Alice’ expressions became part of our family’s life. I've thought of my dear dad even more than usual recently, as the past two weeks have had a decidedly 'Alice down...
Happy Birthday…to my blog!
A child’s first birthday is a special milestone. A whole year of 'firsts' culminates in one special day for family and friends to celebrate. I have that birthday feeling because 28 March is this blog's first birthday. Every two weeks since March 2014, I've reflected...
Thanking mothers everywhere
Sunday, 15th March, is Mothering Sunday in the UK. For Christians, it falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Historically, it was when people attended their "mother" church, and domestic servants were given the day off to visit family. Since I grew up in Canada where...
Photo by Robin Spencer, Spencer Studio