I learned a lot during the year and a half my family lived in Colorado more than 25 years ago. Watching a sunset that seemed to color the entire sky, I learned what John Denver meant when he sang, “I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky”—although I’ve since learned that he was actually singing about a meteor shower. While baking a birthday cake for one of the kids, I learned there’s a reason for “High Altitude Directions” on boxes of cake mix, and I [...]
I can’t tell you how many times in the last four days I’ve heard someone start a sentence with those—or similar—words. It all began last Thursday. I turned the TV on around noon, shortly after white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney indicated that a new pope had been elected. But as yet, no one knew who he was—and no one would, until he came out onto the Vatican balcony for the first time. Although I had other things to do, I stood there, mesmerized, [...]
The last real dress-up event I can remember going to was my son’s wedding. But that was eight years and more than a few pounds ago, so even though my dress from that day has been hanging in my closet ever since, I didn’t think it was a viable option for today. Unfortunately, I was right. The reason I needed a fancy dress now is that I’m going to a black-tie event organized by Georgia Writers Museum, which is a co-sponsor of the Townsend Prize [...]
When my kids were little, I always enjoyed taking them to the library, and realized early on that the Children’s section had a wealth of information and ideas for adults, too—especially those who were considering starting a new hobby or activity, like gardening, painting, or making gross-looking snacks for Halloween. Children’s books were quicker to read and easier to understand than the “How-to” books in the Adults section, and provided a basic overview and instructions for getting started. This, of course, was long before YouTube [...]
This blog post was written by a human. I never thought to say that before—never thought I needed to—but, as Bob Dylan once sang, the times they are a-changin’. I’ve been concerned for a while now about the use—and misuse—of artificial intelligence (AI). Especially when it comes to writing. As a writer, editor, and occasional judge of students’ writing competitions, I’m especially concerned with AI replacing the work of human hands. Not just because it raises the issue of plagiarism to a new level, but [...]
It wasn’t a very romantic start to Valentine’s Day. But then again, I didn’t expect it to be. I was at an early-morning appointment in Atlanta with one of the doctors I see for annual checkups. The exam room I was in was right across the hall from the door to the general waiting room. After I watched a few people come and go, I saw a deliveryman come in, carrying a bouquet of roses, a stuffed teddy bear, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, and [...]
I’m sure most of us are familiar with some variation of the story about a reporter who once asked Thomas Edison how it felt to fail so many times while trying to invent the lightbulb. Edison replied, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I can relate to that. It’s how I felt while making a loaf of sourdough bread. I actually tried making sourdough bread a few years ago, after reading that it’s a healthier bread choice for diabetics. [...]
I first met Jeannette when we both lived in Roanoke, Virginia, and were members of the Newcomers Club. In addition to attending the monthly luncheons, she and I were both avid readers and were members of the Newcomers’ Book Club, as well as the “Stitch ’n’ Chat” group, and a few other Newcomers small groups. When my family moved to Colorado, she sent me a letter telling me about an author who was local to my new area, and whose books she was enjoying. “I [...]
So here we are, a week into the New Year, and I’m still working on my New Year’s Resolutions. I guess that means “Quit procrastinating” is off the table. Actually, I haven’t been procrastinating. I’ve just been changing my mind a lot. Which means “Be more decisive” is probably also off the table. Here’s the thing. At Mass on New Year’s Day, our pastor’s homily touched on New Year’s Resolutions. As you would expect, he didn’t focus on losing weight or cleaning out closets, but [...]