Blog posts update

Did you miss it on the blog?

Here's a round up of some of the posts I've shared on my new website and blog (which you can visits here) in case you've missed them:

BI-YEARLY CHECK-IN: WRITING VS. JOURNALING  

I've discovered the messiness of life and my muse don't co-exist all that well, so on those days when my creativity is hindered and I'm unable to write stories, it definitely helps to journal.

This is what I do to release the messiness on my mind so that my creativity agrees to come out and play.

Click here to read further...

PODCAST INTERVIEW...CHECK!

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Vikki J. Carter as part of her Authors of the Pacific Northwest podcast.

If you've read the Jorja Matthews mystery series, you're aware the protagonist is a bookstore owner and also a private investigator. You may be aware of my background as a P.I. and my writing process, but if you're curious to hear more, you can listen to my author podcast interview because it's now available!

Click here to read further...

QUARTERLY CHECK-IN...AND A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

The first few months of 2020 made my head spin.

Here I discuss how I'm going to take the opportunity to appreciate slowing down, focus on what matters and discover what I can do to be better prepared when life gets busy again, so that I can continue to focus on what will benefit me the most, both personally and professionally.

Click here to read further...

MY #STAYHOME MONOTONY BUSTERS   

There's been so much uncertainty about how to manage a new routine when our lives changed so drastically so quickly.

Here's my take on how I tried to break away from the monotony. I shared this post with the idea that I'd only have to break the monotony for a month...having no idea that our days wouldn't return to normal in just 30 days! However, the ideas I share will continue to be useful now and for however long I'm going to need them during these challenging times.

Click here to read further...

I'll continue to update my blog feed on my website, which you can visit here, and remember you can always find the latest blog posts here.

Until next time...take care and happy reading!

How I appreciate the last lazy days of summer

The weather has given us a break for a bit so that it hasn’t been as warm, while giving us a taste of what’s to come when the seasons begin to change. I like summer but I adore fall so I don’t mind the change in season as the trees shed their leaves, the evenings become cooler and socks and sweaters become the norm.

Of course, during the coldest days of winter I can’t wait for spring, but that’s how I roll. J

But even as I look forward to fall, I still appreciate the last lazy days of summer; even the cloudy ones. Summer offers longer daylight hours, plenty of opportunities to find new parks to visit for walks and hikes, and more time outdoors relaxing or playing in my herb garden. I do mean “playing” since my garden doesn’t demand as much of my time these days. I decided to give up growing vegetables after I injured my back a few years ago and the garden became too much for me to tend to. Besides, the deer were always up earlier than me and took advantage of sampling all the good stuff before I could. I finally had to give in to defeat. And even now that my back has almost healed, I’m opting out of a vegetable garden because herbs are much easier, the deer don’t bother them and I love their usefulness and wonderful smells.

Besides the daylight hours and outdoor fun, there are a few other things I enjoy about summer…

Summer allows me to enjoy a cup of coffee on the front porch as I’m warmed by the rising sun before the day gets too hot. I enjoy watching the deer wander around as they nibble on blackberries and plums on our property (they also nibble on my rose bushes when I’m not looking…another lost battle). I adore the bunnies (we have so many this year!) and love to watch as they chase each other in the yard without a care in the world. I laugh at the raccoon who has come back again this year, also for the plums, and who works his way past the deer and bunnies on his trek to climb the trees so that he can spend as much time as he needs tossing plums down to the ground (he hasn’t hit any of the others, yet). 

I smile as I watch the chipmunks compete for space with the birds in the bird feeder, or when they run back and forth along our front porch.

But I shake my head each time I discover that one of those chipmunks has yet again dug a hole in one of my flower pots displaying gnome houses and other miniatures. I guess they feel left out and would also like to live in the gnome’s neighborhood.

I enjoy so many things about summer but what I enjoy most of all is the fact that I can decide to focus on what brings me pleasure and let go of what is, really, only a temporary annoyance. If the deer eat most of the blackberries and plums, so be it. If I’m only able to enjoy a few roses in bloom during the season, at least I was able to enjoy a few. If the chipmunks continue to dig holes, I’ll just fill them in. If the birds lose out on feedings due to the chipmunks, I’ll add another feeder for them. I’d prefer to focus on what plasters a smile on my face over what might frustrate me if I gave it too much of my time.

And to me that’s what summer is about; it’s the season of connecting with nature and savoring each moment rather than adjusting the moment to meet our perceived needs and expectations.

Fall will be here soon enough and there are definitely plenty of reasons to enjoy the current season so I’ll sit back, relax and enjoy the lazy days of summer as they continue to wind down.

I hope you’re also finding ways to enjoy these last days of summer, whether with wildlife critters or not.

Until next time…have a great week!