… you know that, of course, because I’ve been working so steadily on a new project for the last few weeks I haven’t had time to blog. I’ve been at it full days, I worked right through one weekend, a fair bit of the long weekend and part of last weekend. Which I’m fine with me, because I am loving this project. In fact, I’ll be sorry when I’m done — which I almost am (snivel).
I don’t want to jinx anything, so let’s just say my trusty old MacBook Air is hanging in. But I’ve gone Continue reading
To some degree I think we all fall into patterns. You know, keep doing the same thing, the same way, day after day, week after 
week, month after month, even year after year. I don’t think we’re always even aware of it. It just becomes part of who we are. Part of our routine.
For example, I do the same thing every morning. I take my shower first, then wash my face and then brush my teeth. I’ve been performing these tasks, in this order, for as long as I can remember. I feed my cats first, then I have breakfast. Then I clean Continue reading
I have a confession to make. 
The Daily Posts have been piling up in my inbox. It’s also been a couple of weeks since my last blog post so I decided to read through them. This one certainly struck a chord: “Sometimes, we all need a break from these little glowing boxes. How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?”
Well …
As most of you know, I’ve been blogging every day for 365 days. My goal was one year. I reached it on August 6; and since then my blogging has been very sporadic. Unintentionally. Continue reading
I read on Facebook yesterday, a cousin of mine was celebrating her tenth anniversary of not smoking. Good for her! It’s quite an achievement. And I know, because
I quit. It’s got to be twenty-five years ago. Long time.
Of course when I started to smoke we had no idea it was bad for us. Actors smoked, even in movies. My parents both smoked. Probably most of the people I knew, smoked. Although I didn’t start when all my friends did. I was on one of those teen tours and got terribly bored with one of our stops.
Kenora, Ontario. Nothing to do on a good day, and it rained for the two or three days we were there. That was when I started smoking. Not the smartest move I’ve ever made, but I was a kid.
At the beginning it wasn’t too bad. But as time went by, I smoked more and more and more. Until I was up to Continue reading
I’ve never given much thought to my writing habits. Have you? Then the other day a former colleague posted a really interesting piece , from Brain Pickings, on 
Facebook. The particular story I’m referring to, is about famous writers’ daily routines.
Ray Bradbury, for example, wrote everyday. And he wrote everywhere. He didn’t care where he was. He could be wrapped in total silence, or the radio could be blaring. It made no difference to him. He was oblivious to all of it. On the other hand, Jack Kerouac wrote by candlelight, with a drink close at hand, from midnight until dawn.
He also got down on his knees and prayed before getting started. I think most of us say a little prayer, every time we look at a blank screen or sheet of paper. Even if it’s a silent plea, and we do it from the comfort of our desk chairs.
Hemingway was very disciplined. He woke, every day, at 7 am and he’d write between 500 to 1,000 words. Every day. He needed a schedule. And did you know? Supposedly because of a leg injury sustained in the war, he wrote standing up. It’s said (not by him) it increases productivity, fights fatigue, stops you from wanting to nap and helps you ignore distractions.
Just sounds bloody uncomfortable to me.
Do you know who said, “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a
365 And Counting 