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Writing Home: My annual shameless plug
“A book has no unwanted calories and you don’t have to worry about sizes as long as the subject matter appeals to the recipient.” ~Sue Grafton If there’s a reader on your gift list, I’d be honored if you’d consider my essay collection ($16.95) this Christmas. The 93 previously published pieces in Writing Home first appeared in a variety of national magazines and newspapers, including Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, Reader’s Digest, Country Gardens, and The Christian Science Monitor. These essays were written during the years I worked from home while raising my son. The late Detroit News columnist, George Cantor, wrote about the book after spending a day visiting my favorite hometown haunts with…
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Getting over ourselves
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” ~Rick Warren Socrates said that “the unexamined life” isn’t worth living. But self-absorption isn’t such a good thing, either. Self-absorption can be a symptom of living in fear or uncertainty — or spending too much time alone. And there was plenty of that going on during the first year of the pandemic. Thankfully, we finally started rebooting our social lives this year. We’ve had to step outside our pandemic comfort zones, reach out to others, and renew our sense of community. We’ve had to brush up on our conversation skills again. When I stop obsessing over my own concerns,…
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When you need time out
“I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” ~Audrey Hepburn The holidays are in full swing, giving us plenty of opportunities to gather with others. And that’s not a bad thing. Current research shows that maintaining an active social life is essential to our physical and mental wellbeing — right up there with exercising and eating healthy meals. Spending time with friends lifts my spirit and helps dispel my worries for a while. But as much as I enjoy good company, sometimes I get drained or overwhelmed by other people’s…
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Thanksgiving
“We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~John F. Kennedy Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I’m very grateful for all of you and for the opportunity to share Life Lines. Your comments and emails keep me going — even when I think I’ve run out of things to share. If my writings and photos make even a small difference in your days, I’m twice as grateful. I hope you have many blessings to count today! ~Cindy La Ferle
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The smallest victories
“Letting go of big expectations allowed me to celebrate even the smallest victories, to be utterly in the winning moment and thankful for my current state.” ~Hillary Allen, endurance athlete A workshop student recently told me she experienced an epiphany after starting her daily gratitude journal. When she first began the practice, she struggled to find things “worth listing” at the end of each day. Then she remembered that small perks and simple pleasures deserved her appreciation. Once she started writing them down, she noticed that her days were filled with them. The beauty of a morning sunrise … A quiet hour of reading with a mug of coffee ……
