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In Gratitude for Beauty
Now and then I am astounded anew by the incredible beauty and unimaginable complexity of the world around me. I feel awe and appreciation and gratitude for being allowed to be a part of it. I experience a closeness that gives me peace and a sense of purpose like nearly no other thing can. It…
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Memoir vs Autobiography
Some years ago, I read an article in an AARP publication about writing a memoir. The takeaway was that the author thought everyone should write a memoir and that if you found it interesting, chances were that others would find it interesting too. I’m not certain that is always true, but decided to give it…
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Jigsaw Puzzle Mania
Jigsaw puzzles! Hoo boy. I get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from putting jigsaw puzzles together. Nerdish? Probably. My husband, Bernd, enjoys it also, but not nearly as much as I do. We’ve only recently begun doing jigsaw puzzles again. When we first moved to Arizona, we’d spend our evenings working on one together.…
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Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
“Dog On It” is the first novel in a series written by Spencer Quinn. The series is known as the Chet and Bernie Mysteries. At a glance, it might seem like a run-of-the-mill mystery novel, but that notion is soon dispelled by the disclosure that Chet is a dog. Bernie Little runs the Little Detective…
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Weird Words
It’s said that the English language might possibly have more words in it than any other comparable world language. People are always qualifying things and I have no idea what might be meant by comparable. Unless they mean a marginally (qualifier) related language like German or Dutch. In any case, most accounts put the number…
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Writing and Letting Go
Quite a few years ago, I did a lot of writing for a website that, in exchange for content, allowed me to advertise my own website. It was a great arrangement. I got to hone my writing skills and, ideally, drive buyers to my jewelry “shop.” I received a comment on one of my articles…
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C. J. Box and Joe Pickett
A few years ago, I thought it might be nice to move to Wyoming. I looked at housing and income information, weather, and the availability of the basic necessities of life. For one reason or another, I shelved the idea. That was until I discovered C. J. Box and his Joe Pickett novels. They have…
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Five Things I Look for in a Good Read
It doesn’t really matter where I’m reading what. It can be on my desktop PC from the Internet, in a magazine, or a paper book (I still don’t own a tablet, iPad, Nook or Kindle but my husband does). To get my interest and keep my interest the article, poem, story, or book has to…
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There’s Nothing to Figure Out
For the most part, I spend my days with people very near to my own age. I do get the opportunity now and then to spend some time with people considerably younger than me. I’m not talking about ten year olds. I’ve reached an age where I think thirty is pretty darn young. Oh my!…
Maddie's Mom Writes 