Happiness 12-31
nestled in the branches of an oak tree; leaving a gift on a stranger’s doorstep; two plane tickets to the Bahamas.
Year: 2009
WriteSpa #18 – Pictures, Scissors, Glue
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
It may be just too hard to write this week. This feels like an out-of-kilter time, this week just before the New Year kicks in, and before we’re back to the routine of daily life. So instead of writing, try this instead…
Paper, Scissors, Glue
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a peculiar one. Some of my friends are in Florida, basking in the sunshine. Our president is on beautiful Oahu, where I love to imagine him in peaceful sunshine, with the trade winds to soothe and rejuvenate. I have friends from long ago who still gather every year at the castle they own on the west coast of Scotland. Still others are stacking wood for their wood stoves and cozying up in intimate family togetherness. Others are partying and feasting in the city.
Pictures, Scissors, Glue
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a peculiar one. Some of my friends are in Florida, basking in the sunshine. Our president is on beautiful Oahu, where I love to imagine him in peaceful sunshine, with the trade winds to soothe and rejuvenate. I have friends from long ago who still gather every year at the castle they own on the west coast of Scotland. Still others are stacking wood for their wood stoves and cozying up in intimate family togetherness. Others are partying and feasting in the city.
Happiness 12-30
a herd of giraffes in the Kalahari; analyzing your handwriting; the Emerald City of Oz.
Happiness 12-29
a friendly celebrity sitting down at your table; ice-skating on a frozen pond; self-confidence.
Happiness 12-28
fragrance from a pikake lei; hope springing eternal; Artemis.
Happiness 12-27
fragrance of pine; red and green stoplights reflected on rainy streets; the sweetness of a baby’s kiss.
Happiness 12-26
baby tigers playing in the jungle; a friendly gleam; shiny new bicycles.
Happiness 12-25
An ancient petrified forest; the mystery of love; a waning half-moon floating on its back low in the sky.
Happiness 12-24
the fragrance of beeswax candles; unexpectedly kissed by your crush under the mistletoe; winning a polo tournament.
Happiness 12-23
heading to your Scottish castle for the holidays; speaking from the heart; the cool of a cathedral on a hot day.
Happiness 12-22
a silver letter opener; collecting honey from a hive; letting go of an opinion.
WriteSpa #17 – In the Garden
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Why do we garden? Gardens are backdrops to every Arabian Night tale, crucial to Alice in Wonderland’s mysterious adventures, vital in some Shakespearean dramas. Whether it is a miniature nature corner in a city apartment or a famous estate designed for an emperor or a queen, the garden is a symbol of something internal and eternal in each of us. Ideally, of course, the whole world is our garden. But it’s also one of the most personal, daily aspects of our lives.
Twittership
This morning I was engaged in a particularly spirited intriguing Twitter connection – a highlight being introducing two fellow authors to each other.
I wondered afterwards why I am on Twitter and why people think I am. Pretty much everyone I know who tweets regularly is selling something. They are not explicit sellers, they’re implicit sellers. They have wonderful websites that engage, expatiate, offer, market… in a word: they sell. […]
Happiness 12-21
reading a compelling biography the stillness after a snowstorm the thrill of seeing someone reading your book on the subway
Happiness 12-20
the pleasure of satin and lace undergarments; a waterfall at the head of a fjord; unable to stop laughing.
Happiness 12-19
discovering a hidden limestone cave in your backyard; a fox in the snow; Finn Family Moomintroll.
In the Garden
Why do we garden? Gardens are backdrops to every Arabian Night tale, crucial to Alice in Wonderland’s mysterious adventures, vital in some Shakespearean dramas. Whether it is a miniature nature corner in a city apartment or a famous estate designed for an emperor or a queen, the garden is a symbol of something internal and eternal in each of us. Ideally, of course, the whole world is our garden. But it’s also one of the most personal, daily aspects of our lives.
Happiness 12-18
flamingos at sunset; roof gardens; encountering a friend in a meadow.
Happiness 12-17
the straits of Gibraltar; making sure; a long snowy tramp through the woods.
Happiness 12-16
finding the key to a mysterious locked chest; the fragrance of balsam pine; knowing something in your heart.