Most of us are great with change, as long as it was our idea. Still Life Louise Penny A dear friend gave me the first book in the Inspector Gamache series, by Louise Penny, for my birthday, this year. I immediately fell in love and have read  twelve of the fourteen books in the series.…

She did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition. Sense and Sensibility Jane Austin   I find as I become older I am less inclined engage in discussions I realize will go nowhere. Someone with more time than I can wage this war. You’ve probably been there. You’re talking to someone who you realize…

What do we say to the god of death? Not today. Game of Thrones  George R.R. Martin Coming a little late to the party, we just finished watching all the seasons of Game of Thrones. As I thought might be, it was very violent and a touch misogynist. I’ve heard some viewers didn’t like the…

You learn to write by reading and writing, writing and reading. As a craft it’s acquired through the apprentice system, but you choose your own teachers. Sometimes they’re alive, sometimes dead. Margaret Atwood. Like most writers I am a voracious and sometimes indiscriminate reader. I do find as I become older I’m a little less…

There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots; the other, wings. Hodding Carter The summer before his senior year of high school, my son told me he and a friend wanted to fly to an FAA Fly-In at Yellowstone National Park. He wasn’t talking about booking a seat on…

Forgive yourself for the decisions you have made, the ones you still call mistakes when you truck them in at night. Sarah Kay I’ve been thinking about forgiveness. Actually, I’ve been thinking about forgiving ourselves. In my late 30’s and early 40’s, I took myriads of classes and read stacks of books relating to spiritual…

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. Henry Ford I am all for staying young for as long as possible. I believe, in many ways, it’s a state of mind. You’ve probably heard the old cliche, “You’re as old as you feel.” I would say,…

Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more and don’t get so worked up about things. Kennth Branagh Just enjoy life. Often easier said than done. Too often, other thoughts get in the way. We start to worry about a myriad of things, money, family problems, our health  and suddenly our day is ruined.…

Every neighborhood should have a great lady Jane Austen If you notice an abundance of Jane Austen in my writing it’s because I admire her artistry  and I recently bought a book of quotes from her work. She was a successful author at a time when it was not an easy thing for a women…