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Monthly Archives: March 2014
“Conscious Uncoupling”? Good Luck With That.
News of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s impending “conscious uncoupling” hit the internet this week. I thought I’d toss my opinion into the mix, ‘cause it’s super fun to comment on other people’s failing marriages, particularly when one lacks all … Continue reading
Prompt Writing: A Line From Margaret Atwood
One of my writing partners suggested using the first line of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace as a writing prompt. Talk about pressure. The sentence in quotes belongs entirely to Atwood. The rest is mine. ————————- “Out of the gravel there … Continue reading
During Our Lives
I considered several topics for today’s post: 1) The glorification of violence in Young Adult books. (overdone) 2) The effect of the weather on my ability to think creatively. (again?) 3) A dystopian YA short story entitled “Detergent”. (oy) 4) … Continue reading
The Six Stages of Minnesota Winter
I vowed to avoid writing yet another post about the weather. My resolve dissolved when confronted with more SNOW on this the “first day of Spring”. Using Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ model for the stages of grief, I will outline typical behavior … Continue reading
Meet the Wildlife
From my inbox this morning: “Anne – I need the contact info for your taxidermist. I have a FB friend who needs a stuffed chicken repaired. Really. … Continue reading
Miss Edna’s Feast
Every six months, my mother and I make a pilgrimage to Costco in the northeastern suburbs of Saint Paul. For my family of three, Costco seems a crazy enterprise. We simply do not need a gallon of pickles. Target and … Continue reading
The Joy of Text: How Diana Gabaldon Changed My Life
I’m not a bookworm. I did not spend childhood with my nose buried in the pages of Harry Potter or the Magic Treehouse series or Wimpy Kid. Sure, plenty of great books existed in the dark ages of my youth. … Continue reading
All We Are Saying…
My son writes in a journal each week as part of his homework. The teacher gives the children prompts, much like the prompts used in my writing groups. This week the eight through eleven-year-olds will tackle “What is peace? What … Continue reading
Spring Was Here (And will be again. Eventually.)
My mind is entirely blank, wiped clean by perpetually subzero temperatures. The bright sun mocks me: “Come play! Ha ha!” One step outside and any exposed skin shrivels up and falls off. I used to peruse Botanica’s Annuals and Perennials … Continue reading