Featured
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“Object Lessons” writing workshop
“A photograph is an honest shortcut to remembering who we were.” – Julian Pope If you’re not sure how to begin writing your memoir or family history, you won’t want to miss this free community workshop at Clawson’s Blair Memorial Library in June. “Object Lessons” will help you craft a short essay or chapter for your memoir using a favorite family photo, souvenir, or a small heirloom as inspiration. I promise you’ll enjoy the process, meet new friends, and be inspired to keep writing after the workshop ends. This is a two-night program — so plan to attend both sessions. Our first night of “Object Lessons” will cover the basics of good writing…
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The remedy for loneliness
“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” ~A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh By now, you’ve read the news reports citing loneliness as a health crisis in America. According to medical experts, the lack of in-person social activity leads to serious outcomes, including heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. Ironically — despite our many social media connections — Americans aren’t fully engaging with others in reciprocal, three-dimensional ways. Relationships are built on initiation and effort. Too often, we hang back in silence and wonder why we’re bored or lonely or overlooked. All too often, we wait for others…
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The family columnist
“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” ~Stacia Tauscher Using our kids as fodder for Facebook, Instagram, or blog posts is hardly new. Rare are the parents (or grandparents) who don’t share adorable photos of their kids and celebrate their latest achievements online. Before social media took over, I wrote a family column for our local newspapers. Since I was a work-at-home mom, my Sunday column topics often included details about my school-aged son. So it was a thought-provoking exercise for me to revisit those column-writing days in an essay I wrote a few years ago for The Christian Science…
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How to fix things
“Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” ~Maya Angelou Self-improvement involves effort as well as introspection. But when something is broken beyond repair, or a bad situation seems totally out of control, the best thing I can do is adjust my attitude. I can change how many calories I consume in a day, for instance, but I can’t change the weather report. Likewise, I can’t change the rude behavior of strangers, but I can make a bigger effort to practice courtesy and kindness wherever I go. I’ve wasted a…









