The Other Beau In My Life
90 minutes a week spent learning about and riding horses significantly lowered daytime and afternoon stress hormone (cortisol) levels in participating 5th and 8th grade students…. The 12-week program taught students how to care for, groom, handle and interact with horses. Researchers surmise that working with horses holds potential as a therapy to improve mental health. It was quite by accident…and rather timely…that I read this in a health magazine one week after I had...
Read MoreWhat If…
Just a week ago I spent three great days at Write Canada, a conference for writers who are Christian. Approximately 200 of us not only reacquainted ourselves with those whom we see only once a year but unabashedly soaked up the energy and expertise of those skilled in the world of writing. One workshop introduced me to the concept of what if in fiction writing. Although not new, it was new to me. What made it even more exciting was to hear it so easily used by one of our plenary speakers, Ted...
Read MoreImagination and Worry…When They Clash!
I own the DVD, Inkheart—the family-friendly film of Cornelia Funke’s bestseller. The story focuses around a man’s ability to read a story and cause the characters to leap off the page, literally. The New York Times Book Review described Inkheart as “sprinkled with magical fairy dust,” while Kirkus Reviews declared it “a true feast for anyone who has ever been lost in a book.” Part of a trilogy—with Inkspell and Inkdeath the following two—Inkheart is exceptional...
Read MoreService…The Way it Used to be
“Life is Service. Service is Joy” On the way to a much needed and overdue chiropractic appointment, I heard the following on the radio, “Have you noticed lately how much service is not as prevalent as it once was?” The first thought that came to mind was my job in my late teens as a clerk for Eaton’s in downtown Toronto. I sold hankies! Men’s. Ladies’. Linen. Silk. Lace. White. Ecru. Some with embroidered flowers, others plain and practical. There wasn’t a hanky we...
Read MoreThankful Every Day
Would you agree with me that everyday should be Thanksgiving Day? Perhaps that might seem easy for me to say as I sit in the warmth of eighty-degree sunshine in Florida while my family and friends continue to battle winter…although it is now spring! I feel privileged to be here but don’t discount the discomfort others are facing back home. The ‘thanksgiving’ thought occurred to me just now as I continue developing a two-year old manuscript. I’ve just written a Thanksgiving scene...
Read MoreFriends…All Shapes, All Ages, Famous or Otherwise
Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the great Polish pianist…let me tell you how a little boy met him…. I am blessed to have many friends, too many to count; but one in particular I’d like you to meet. Elda is a sweet, generous, petite widow, and is a self-appointed fan in my writing world. We have tea together on occasion, and share our interest in poetry, music and, of course, reading. I took a banana loaf on my recent visit—just for her, not to be shared with me—so she made bran...
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