f) practice using new corkscrew, make sure it works on reds, whites, as well as blushes
g) clean out dryer lint filter, put lint in all of hubby’s jacket pockets
h) phone long lost friend, sing carols to them
i) see if cinnamon bears float in bathtub
j) tape mini lights in spiral on carpet, making a yellow brick road
k) try moonshine pickles, eat with chopsticks
l) make pickle ornaments
m) write ugly letter to Santa
n) set fire to letter using fumes from pickles
o) play Here Comes Santa Claus on keyboard using meow meow sounds
p) write Christmas cards on pieces of burned toast
q) use blow dryer to clean burned crumbs off kitchen counters
r) apply spray glue to dog ears; glitter
s) wear headlamp over Santa hat to set trash out for the night
t) write country song about being left alone on a December night with dogs, moonshine and a Jeep
u) make wreath of pickles, dry with blow dryer, add glitter AFTER blow drying
v) make YouTube video on perils of laying electric lights on carpeting
w) decide broken glass ornaments can be finely crushed to make glitter — roll out with rolling pin
x) bandage hands when bleeding stops
y) eye moonshine cherries . . .
z) go to bed early with a book
Mary O’Brien is a Retired Trophy Wife (RTW) from the Pacific Northwest. She has volunteered for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, founded local therapeutic hospital humor programs, and supported various other non-profits and do-goodery.
Enjoying the artistry of music, the music of words, the words of healing, and the healing of art, Mary is spending her pandemic hibernation immersing herself in art journaling, watercolor and writing.
She lives in Idaho with her tolerant husband near her comedic grandchildren, and is managed by an elderly, sugared golden retriever (send treats).
“To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands . . . The dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them are miracles!” — “Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life,” by Thich Nhat Hanh
Prompt: Write about a mundane chore, or something you routinely do, that has a meditative quality.
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.
Make Light in the Dark
A Letter of Forgiveness to Myself
by Caryl Sherman
Dearest
pale, broken, and lonely
sit up
stretch out your arms
take a deep cleansing breath
You don’t have to hold
yourself apart
from others anymore
Cradle your intention
slowly rock away the fears
long to see the light
listen to the raindrops
splash away the tears
Forgive yourself
be a better purveyor
of your own destiny
Ever changing and growing with age
intentionally litter your psyche
with sprinkles and
multi-colored streamers
Dance
Make light in the dark
hold yourself
in the palm of love
Your humbled heart
is right here…
in the best place
at the right time
in our mutual care
Live joy no matter what
reminisce in laughter
forgive again
You are renewed, refreshed, and emboldened
have trust and solace in your self pride
rest easily
cast away all doubt
throw kisses to the wind…
Caryl Sherman: In the words of the very famous, and beloved cartoon character, Popeye the Sailor Man, “I y’am who I y’am and that’s who I y’am”.
I am the artist, and musician, formerly known as Leigh Anne Caryl. I thought using a pen name would give me the veil of protection and credibility I needed to write authentically; but that turned out NOT to be true. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
My authenticity is in who I REALLY am, just as honestly flawed and mismanaged as I was meant to be all along.
So, I start anew, shape shifting my writings, in all its tempestuous glory; by my given name, in the hope that you accept me for who I really y’am!
“It’s just the programming.” Ted A. Moreno offers these words for contemplation:
We believe what we’re told. That’s what we do as little kids. From the time we’re born until 8 or 9 years old we take in everything as absolute truth. So when people come to my hypnotherapy office because they don’t feel good about themselves, or they feel less than, I tell them “Hey, It’s the programming. Just the programming. The mind viruses you caught from someone else. It’s not your fault. It’s not who you are, it’s just how you are thinking and what you believe, and the good news is that you can change your thinking and what you believe.”
Ted A. Moreno is a hypnotherapist, success performance coach, published author, educator and sought-after speaker who helps his clients become free from fear and anxiety, procrastination and bad habits such as smoking.
He is a Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified NLP Practitioner, and holds the Master Certification as a Therapeutic Imagery Facilitator. In addition, Ted is an Honors Graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute and a recipient of the Director’s Award from HMI, awarded for exceptional professional achievement during clinical residency.
Ted’s book, “The Ultimate Guide to Letting Go of Negativity and Fear and Loving Life” is available on Amazon.com.
Yesterday I drove to Larsen’s Christmas Tree Farm, about two miles from my house. It was a balmy fall afternoon, and the road to the farm was lined with poplars and willows dappled in gold.
Up ahead, I saw the red and green sign pointing to a narrow driveway which led to a dell where a yellow clapboard house and outbuildings gathered. Just a normal, traditional Petaluma farm — except when Christmas tree season opens. Like an explosion, the quiet dell surrounded by acres of orderly pine trees becomes a bustling hub of people and cars. As if by magic, gossiping groups of pre-cut trees have popped up while a tree-bagging station, ticketing station, and cookies-and-hot chocolate stand wait nearby. The barn has become a Christmas wonderland of sparkling trees and lights and ornaments. In the background, Christmas music weaves through the fragrant scent of pine trees.
It’s the scent that gets me. So fresh and pure. Timeless. Like being in the middle of a mountain forest on a sunny day.
I stroll along soft dirt through the aisles of trees. Voices float and mingle with the sunlight in the needles. Kids play hide-and-seek, parents discuss the merits of one tree over the next. Dads stand by with measuring poles and saws. Couples with their first babies. Grandparents and dogs. It feels all so safe and glad, and serene. The excitement of Christmas — the feelings that start to swirl and take on energy during the holiday season — is still on the horizon. This day is simply about strolling on a sunny fall afternoon through pine trees destined for felling with people you love, or like.
I was not sorry to be alone. I enjoyed it. I paid my $95 (including shaking, bagging, trimming, and sales tax) and then watched my tree go through its handling: A quick shake on an old metal compressor to remove dry needles, then onto a rectangular table and into a funnel where it gets bagged in netting. A fresh cut to the trunk with a chain saw, and it’s ready for my car.
I can hardly wait to get it home.
No matter what I say about not caring about Christmas “this” year, about not wanting to make a big deal out of it, don’t believe me: I’m a liar. I can’t help myself. No matter how cranky I can be, every Christmas I temporarily forget any resentments I have, about how I don’t want to spend money, or don’t want to bother with decorations because nobody helps me put them away. When I hear the first Christmas songs, when I see the first decorations, when leaves start to fall and days get short and nights beckon for a fire, my resolve weakens.
And when the Christmas tree lots appear, it fails. Every time.
Trees beckon from parking lots, stores, and farms, and I’m powerless. ‘Oh screw it,’ I say to myself, ‘This year I want a really big, beautiful tree!’ And off I go to the Christmas tree farm. The floodgates open, my heart expands with warmth and joy in anticipation of another Christmas.
Forget the thoughts of putting everything away in January, ignore thoughts of paying my credit card in February, now is the season to draw together, to love our lives, our homes, our friends, and even the worst family member. Let the house fill with the scent of pine and fake pine cones, cookies baking, hot roasted vegetables and meat. Let the pitter-patter of lights everywhere gladden our hearts. It’s Christmas.
Sus Pareto writes and lives in western Petaluma, California with her dogs, cat and husband.
“It is a relatively little-known fact that over the course of a single year, about twenty million letters are delivered to the dead.”— “The Girl With No Shadow” by Joanne Harris
Prompt: Write about a letter delivered 25 years after it was written.
Or 33 years after it was sent.
Or 18 years.
You can write from the point of view of the recipient, the sender, or both.
Or write about the unintended recipient . . . the person who now lives at the address the letter was sent to.
Does the letter reveal disturbing or euphoric news?
Poems people will want to share with family and friends, neighbors and co-workers.
Poems people will remember for the rest of their lives.
Many people today are of the belief that they don’t “get” poetry, regarding a poem with almost the same trepidation they might regard, say, a complicated physics equation.
In fairness to those many people, some poems are dense. Or cryptic. Or full of confusing words. (Or all three.) Such poems can be intimidating. Such poems can sometimes dissuade people from reading more poetry . . . more.
Guest Blogger Dr. Doreen Downing talks about public speaking, especially for writers.
As a writer, you may be able to put words on a page, but … do you have the confident voice to access your words when you must speak in public?
If you don’t feel confident, and if you feel anxiety, doubt yourself, hold yourself back, then what you write won’t reach as many ears or as many hearts as you’d like.
When I ask my clients what holds them back from feeling at ease speaking about their work, the answer is always fear.
And, bottom line, it’s the fear of being judged.
It’s true that a judge could be sitting in the audience, listening for your mistakes, and counting your um’s, but more likely than not, the judge that criticizes you the most is perched right inside your own head.
In fact, you could be your own worst critic.
Ask yourself now to listen to what you say about public speaking. Note if you hear a voice telling you something like this…
… You are going to forget what you have to say, go blank, and mess up… or
… Your nerves are going to show, and everyone will notice.
I know I can’t tell you to simply disregard the thoughts in your head.
But I can suggest a way that will lead you to the amazing voice that comes from your true self, the Essence of who you are.
And once you learn how to drop down and tap into the strength that comes from your Essence, you will be able to speak with a natural confidence.
I’ve taken this inner journey to find my true voice, and I wrote about it in my book, “The 7 Secrets to Essential Speaking: Find Your Voice, Change Your Life.”
As an author, I know what it takes to find my words and put them on a blank page, but I also know what it takes to find my words and share them in public, on podcasts, radio shows, videos, book events, and conferences.
If you see public speaking as an avenue that will help you bring your passion out into the world, then you’ll want to make sure you have the confidence to be in the spotlight.
Where do you find this confidence? The answer lies within you. In other words, confidence is an “inside job.”
Going within means you must first face your fears and explore their roots. In early childhood, were you welcomed and celebrated by your family? Did you get their applause when you danced in front of them?
Even if you had favorable reactions as a child, other influences outside of family dynamics that shape your self-confidence include cultural messages, personality, trauma, and experiences during your school years, with peers and with teachers.
Once you’ve uncovered the root cause of your fear, you’ll feel the relief that comes with knowing why it’s been so difficult to control your nerves.
And, this is the moment where the transformational journey of “fear to freedom” really begins. You realize your authentic voice has been buried underneath your fears. Now you are ready to unlock this voice so you can speak in public and share whatever you have said in your writing.
Two of the secrets I reveal in my book, Presence and Connection, are keys to speaking with ease.
With Presence, the idea is that when you are fully present in the moment, you are not thinking about negative speaking experiences from the past, nor dwelling on the future with its possibility of failure or disapproval. You are unafraid and more self-assured.
Likewise, with Connection, you may already be comfortable speaking one-to-one which makes this natural ability so powerful when you apply it to a group. Being with and speaking directly to one person at a time creates a genuine connection with an entire group.
In addition to guidance and instruction on how to be more Present and Connected, you’ll find my book takes you beyond scripts and performance techniques to connect to your authentic voice.
If you are ready to overcome anxiety and empower yourself to speak in front of groups, the one step you can take right now is to download the 7 Secrets to Fearless Speaking.
She once suffered from stage fright. In facing this debilitating condition, she discovered a unique and simple way to connect to one’s authentic voice, the very Essence of who we are.
