Writing or creativity of any kind is a mysterious process, a journey into deep and unchartered waters. What you need is a compass… the Tarot.

Category: Family

Creativity Means Broken Rules

Recently, Bob and I spent a weekend in Virginia with our grandsons and son Stephen and daughter-in-law Mindy. The two boys, Andrew and Ryan are now 5 ½ and 3 ½ and our interactions with them has changed. Instead of bouncing, lifting, carrying, swinging and all those other physical actions

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Will You Play with Me for 10 Minutes?

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves. ~Carl Jung~ Bob and I spent this past weekend in Virginia with our oldest Stephen, his wife Mindy, and their two

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Overnight Success—Are You Pursuing It?

People seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most significant success is achieved. ~Annie Sullivan~ Recently, I attended our village’s annual lawn party fundraiser for our small but excellent library. A friend who now lives with her husband year round in New Orleans, attended the event after

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The Power of Story to…

After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. ~ Philip Pullman~ This past Thanksgiving, Bob and I traveled to Virginia to be with our oldest son, his wife and his two sons, all of whom were struggling with a virus that resulted in

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Are You Hatching or Smashing?

The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. Arnold H. Glasow, business man and humorist I have a new respect for caregivers, professional and otherwise, after spending a week providing care and support to my 85-year-old maternal aunt who recently

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Can You Say, “I Do”?

This weekend, I will officiate at a wedding. The bride is a young woman I’ve watched grow from infancy, so this is especially meaningful to me. Her mom is a dear friend. So you can imagine that weddings, love and commitment have been on my mind. Years ago in 2007,

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The Power of Your Story

The Universe is made of stories,/ not of atoms. ~Muriel Rukeyser Our oldest son and his wife came for a visit recently, bringing our grandsons, one-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Andrew. Andrew went home at the end of his visit with us with a fine collection of stories. Stories about roasting

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Are You Dreaming of the Dead?

Halloween, Samhain, and Dia de Muertos, All Saint’s Day. These holidays mark the time of year when the veils between the worlds are thin and dreams of those who have died are common. So, not surprisingly, I dreamed a few nights ago of my mother who died in 1984. I

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Ode to a Detroit Van

After nine years, our reliable Chrysler Town and Country van is giving up the ghost. Although the engine is still solid, the body is rusting and other maladies afflict it. We are so ready for a new car. Still, I’ll be sad to see the van go. That van was

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What Kind of Mother Are You?

The most important thing she’d learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. ~Jill Churchill This past Sunday was Mother’s Day here in the US and I noticed on Facebook the comment from several

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From Bird Watching to Muse Catching

This past Sunday was Father’s Day here in the US. But I called my dad on Saturday because I didn’t want to deal with busy phone lines or trying to catch Dad when he was home and not at church or on the phone with one of my other three

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Following the Path of Story from Antique Mall to Home

On a recent vacation, Bob, his friend, Bill, and Bill’s wife, Patty and I walked into an old building in a run-down area of Indianapolis. It was an antique shop called Audrey’s Place. Walking through the back door where stuff was pile high for loading or unloading, a guy who

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Andrew and His Balloon: 3 Joyful Lessons on Creativity

Andrew, my grandson, was here for a visit with his parents last week so that we could celebrate his first birthday. We invited some close family friends over to share in the celebration and cake, and they brought Andrew three Mylar balloons. I now have a cherished memory of watching

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Are You a Good Parent…for Your Creative Work?

Raising children is like baking bread: it has to be a slow process or you end up with an overdone crust and an underdone interior. ~ Madeline Cox Last week, I spent hours every day on my feet, in a chair, but mostly on the floor trying to come up

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