I have worked in the motivation field all my professional life — BIO: My professional credits are many. I have four books in print. I have written a nationally syndicated and award-winning column. I have worked as a motivational speaker addressing every sort of group from PTAs to Procter & Gamble. And I am a professional quilt artist. In all of these endeavors…

Lots to learn from her 50+ year career — When my daughter was nine or ten years old, she had a moment of bliss brought to her by Dolly Parton. As a fourth grader, Lisa was required to read lots of library books, and that’s how a biography of the performer entered our lives. The book was called Coat…

Life lessons from nature plus a wonderful story… — Where the Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya, the so-called Marsh Girl. At a young age her siblings and mother abandon her leaving her with an abusive and alcoholic father who ultimately abandons her too. Thus, at the age of ten (10!) she is alone in the marsh to…

One Woman Show by Christine Coulson — This was a five-star book for me. I really loved it and found it to be laugh-out-loud funny at times — and there are not many books that strike me that way. And yet, I’m not sure to whom I’d recommend it. It is an odd book — a.k.a. unique…

A meaningful way to spend twenty-five minutes during the holidays — Countless studies and extensive clinical research have found there are links between our parents’ behavior during our childhood and how we act as adults. So, in understanding our parents, we better understand ourselves. No that’s not quite what I want to say. Let’s try again. In early November, I was…

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane — This book was moving along smoothly and engagingly until it got to page 140 (out of 296) when a new story line was introduced. OK, I could handle that. But then, on page 220, still another plot line entered the picture. This one was insane! The proposed plan would have…

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge — West with Giraffes is a work of historical fiction, set in 1938 as the Depression lingers and as Hitler is threatening Europe. It tells about two giraffes on their way to the San Diego Zoo where they will be the zoo’s first giraffes. Getting there is tough. It involves a…

Parenting Tips from Five Odd Sources — A year ago, I wrote a blog called “Adulting: Like Folding a Fitted Sheet, No One Really Knows How to Do It.” A reader wrote and said, “I enjoyed this one immensely. I suppose it would take a much, much longer blog to discuss ‘parenting,’ another topic we have never…

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella — In A Quiet Life, a main character, Chuck Ayers, is floundering significantly after his wife’s death. In such a chaotic time emotionally, it is true that people often act in odd ways. Even knowing this, I almost closed this book when Chuck was on the verge of adopting a pet…