A "midwest mandala" and view from Crown Center. White and brown train cars at center right move along tracks. Bottom left is "The Link" which is an elevated walkway connecting to Union Station. Read full article, Meditation on Mother's Day, to learn about the midwest mandala. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . #kansascity #unionstationkc #mandala #midwestmoment #midwestmandala #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #prosepoet #memoir #warriorpoet
May has been wet and dreary, cool. The leaves are not fully in at the TreeHouse because I can still see the black asphalt of the lane. It's a seasonal trade-off, clear view in winter, green privacy in summer. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #seasons #treehouseletter #prosepoetry #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #mayshowers #memoir #writersofig
Even though it's Tuesday. Call again anyway. Flowers, words, an embrace are nice, but to hear you and be with you that is all I want. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #callyourmother #mothersday #whatislove #whatloveis #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
I didn't know this when I was young, but I knew I was supposed to let my mother know I loved her. In my 50s, I am lucky my mother is part of our life. As a mother myself, it's nice to know my children are out in the world and OK. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #mothersday #onlove #grammar #wordnerd #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #memoir
We laughed and I sipped my cappuccino. Then he talked about his tour in Vietnam in Hue City. He told me how beautiful it was, hospital and university, everything there. It was the imperial city, he explained. I asked him to say the name again. Hue. He was there during the Tet Offensive when the city was destroyed. Then I said, I have been there. My mother is from Hue. I blinked and looked away. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #vietnamveteran #tetoffensive #vietnamwar #memorialday #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #Warriorpoet
We realized around the same time that Brian buried his father’s remains in the cemetery near my father’s grave. We’ve lived parallel lives, I say. We’re related. We know each other in this intimate yet most universal way: the care and love of a parent. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #deathofaparent #caringforagingparents #memorialday #memorial #treehouseletter #memoir #creativenonfiction #caregiving #writersofig
At least for me it has been, because it often takes three times to get my attention. Repetition helps me see patterns, so here’s a pattern I want to share for its timeliness. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #thepowerofthree #holytrinity #patterns #threetimes #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
Until the funeral home workers put my dad’s body on a gurney and wheeled him out of my house and my life, S---- stood ready, a sentinel and a guardian on that day, hour, and moment of irrevocable change. His haircut, his bearing were unmistakable. He was a Marine veteran and he was there with us, with my father on his final departure. His decency and his kindness sustained me. Sustain me still. Read full article on site, Semper Fidelis. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #marines #marinecorps #semperfidelis #death #caringforparents #memorialday #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
Nature is in transition. She has pushed forth from a barren grave, flowers in bloom, petals swept along by our feet. Breathe in its sweet fragrance. Life is in transition with cleaning, the airing of rugs, the setup of patio furniture, the hauling out of stuff. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseletter. . . . . . #spring #poetry #prosepoetry #warriorpoet #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
I picked up the Tao Te Ching–often referred to as "The Way." Like Spring it does not fail to give counsel and comfort. Read full article at site to study verse 66 about "excess" and "extra" from Professor Mair's translation of the Ma-Wang-Tui text discovery. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #taoteching #tao #transitions #moving #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #warriorpoet #writersofig #writersofinsta
Oh, the weight of things. Mary Oliver writes of things. Read the full poem at my site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #poetrymonth #prosepoetry #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta #memoir #transition
First four lines of "Storage" by Mary Oliver, a poem suitable for spring. Read full poem and article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . #prosepoetry #warriorpoet #treehouseletter #writersofig #writersofinsta #creativenonfiction #memoir #springcleaning #maryoliver #storage
I imagine a fellow reader who laughed and sighed, at the sad and lonely characters in this village by the sea, a world divided in two as Florence Green describes: exterminators and exterminatees Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #prosepoetry #warriorpoet #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #penelopefitzgerald #onbooks #writersofig #writersofinsta
Small Delight: the Unexpected and the Good. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #penelopefitzgerald #thebookshop #onbooks #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #writersofig #writersofinsta #creativenonfiction #memoir #prosepoetry
After a few chapters, I looked closely at the scribbles. Go figure. It was a character list for the book. . . The Scribbler writes in No. 2 graphite pencil. It reflects an even hand and a thorough mind, starting with the story’s protagonist: the bookseller. The order is logical. Each word is in cursive. The daughter, Christine, has the mother’s name beneath it, Mrs. Gippings. The words and the order tell all. The spelling is exact, correctly transcribed from the text. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #penelopefitzgerald #treehouseletter #prosepoetry #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta #bookclubbook #thegood #theunexpected
The Scribbler writes in No. 2 graphite pencil. It reflects an even hand and a thorough mind, starting with the story’s protagonist: the bookseller. The order is logical. Each word is in cursive. The daughter, Christine, has the mother’s name beneath it, Mrs. Gippings. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #penelopefitzgerald #handwriting #secondsale #bibliophile #bibliophagist
The package arrived as media mail and I set the used copy on the counter. A week or so later, I began to read it, The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta #theunexpected #thegood #philosophy #penelopefitzgerald
Army professor tells it like it is. "Why did we have an Earthquake over 1K miles from a tectonic plate? "Learn from LTC Rich Knox [Dirtman] Geography instructor in @usma_gene ! "First 👉 Fault lines are more common than you think! "Second 👉 While unusual, since most earthquakes DO occur on plate boundaries or near ‘hotspots’ like Hawaii, they do occasionally occur on faults that are NOT along plate boundaries. Examples include the 2011 5.8 magnitude quake in Louisa County, Virginia, and the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes (7.2-8.2 magnitude) in the central Mississippi Valley (which are considered two of the most powerful quakes in US history), that extensively altered the local topography, including the path of the Mississippi River!" Read full article at site, Dirtman and Dillard on Signs of the Apocalypse. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #eclipse #solareclilpse #earthquake #westpoint #geomorphology #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #treehouseletter #memoir #creativenonfiction
One of the key messages behind why I write TreeHouseLetter and my experience as a writer. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #prosepoet #writersofig #creativenonfiction #onwriting #philosophy
When I first read this koan, I thought it said: Is the HELL outside or inside your mind? Which, for some days and some situations, may be true. KOAN is a "paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning." vocabulary.com Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #koan #buddhistwisdom #nonduality #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #warriorpoet #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
The reaction to trains or alarms even when there’s risk is rote, awareness on autopilot. UNTIL last Friday. Read full article on site, Dirtman and Dillard on Signs of the Apocalypse. Like this? Follow me Better, sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #revelation #apocalypse #philosophy #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #earthquake #quake #eclipse #anniedillard
What is astonishingly clear is that we are all just visitors here on earth, in this space of time. My house is a mere bit of bricks and sticks. Read full article on my site. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #earthquake #quake #philosophy #warriorpoet #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir
As I was leaving, I pulled up behind a stopped car on the main road. The occupants were outside with hands up to slow traffic. Crossing the road was a turtle, the size of a small helmet. It may well have been the first terrapin I’ve seen. They live in the coastal, brackish waters. Read full article, Wild Horses Dragged Me Away, at my site. Like this? Follow me Better, Rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #makethetime #maketime #philosophy #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #wildhorses #writersofig #writersofinsta
Wild horses dragged me away. In earnest. My road trip had a detour to Assateague Island off the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, just 10 miles off my route. They were ponies actually, at 12 to 13 hands tall, just shy of the size of a horse. I’d grown up in Maryland hearing about the horses made famous in the children’s book, Misty of Chincoteague, so it was a good to see them after all these years. Their heads were down, eating the grasses, stationary for the most part, like cows. They reminded me of painted ponies, pintos, one or two were solid brown. Cars were parked along the marsh with people watching and taking photos. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #wildhorses #assateague #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #writersofig #warriorpoet
I came across a story about a jazz guitarist who was working with Miles Davis. The guitarist said Davis advised him how to play a certain song, “Play it like you don’t know how to play the guitar.” And he admits that he had no idea what Davis meant, but he proceeded to play the piece better than he ever imagined he could. I thought about creating music, about how it is similar to writing. These feel related, the idea of going slow and trusting yourself to the process. Read full article at site, Go Slow to Go Fast. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #makingmusic #goslow #milesdavis #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
My nephew plugged in the hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar then put the speed on high, moving it around fast, bits spitting onto the counter. “Whoa! Slow,” I said. “Let’s keep it in the bowl. You have to go slow to go fast.” He looked at me. “Slow to be fast?” “Yes!” I said. It’s a concept I told him about, kind of like the carpenter’s proverb to measure twice and cut once. “Take your time and move slowly, starting at low speed and moving up.” We rolled the dough and he tossed it, molding and playing with it. Getting the consistency right. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #goslowtogofast #goslow #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
Eclipse redux. August 21, 2017. GEEK OUT. Rally point now on south lawn …. Belle epoch when boxers roamed the lane. . . . . . #eclipse #newcanaan #connecticut #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #boxer
Leaning back and fully aware, I remained completely still and in so doing hoped to hold on, to will time to stop. On most days when skies are clear at dawn, a rose light creeps along the floor and brightens the room. So, what made this morning particularly stunning? Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and signup for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #beauty #bluehour #thebluehour #twilight #nauticaltwilight #astronomicaltwilight #bmnt #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
It may be slow, but the sky at the margins–that transition period from night to day–is a magical time photographers call the blue hour before daybreak and the golden hour after daybreak. And I realize something nearly as startling as the visual beauty: as the earth moves so do I. I may be seated and still, but the changing colors of dawn prove beyond a doubt that I am moving. I move because the earth moves. Gravity holds me here, but the earth rotates at roughly 1000 miles per hour. And, the earth moves around the sun at 66,000 miles per hour.* I am part of all this magnificence, a small piece of the cosmos. Spring is here and with it the trees will fill out and grow dense with leaves. The dawn light will no longer break through bare branches. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #thebluehour #bluehour #philosophy #warriorpoet #prosepoetry #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofinsta #writersofig
I finished the book I was so engrossed in during the blue hour, and found this line towards the end. Read full article at site, The Blue Hour. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #mindful #mindfulness #meditation #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofinsta #writersofig #bluehour #thebluehour
The third reason why the morning was particularly stunning: Third, the earth is moving. It may be slow, but the sky at the margins--that transition period from night to day--is a magical time photographers call the blue hour before daybreak and the golden hour after daybreak. And I realize something nearly as startling as the visual beauty: as the earth moves so do I. Read full article at site: The Blue Hour Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #theprosepoet #warriorpoet #treehouseletter #prosepoetry #creativenonfiction #writersofig #memoir #writersofinsta #bluehour #thebluehour #philosophy
Each day grows longer and spring feels as if it has arrived. Fools for April. April come she will. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #aprilfools #spring #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #aprilcomeshewill #creativenonfiction #writersofig
I was curious about the modifiers on the mixed nuts label. On August 18, 1981, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published Standards for Grades of Mixed Nuts in the Shell which include: (1) U.S. Extra Fancy. (2) U.S. Fancy. (3) U.S. Commercial or U.S. Select. The definition for fancy as an adjective -- of particular excellence or highest grade -- fits well here. (Merriam Webster) But these grades describe nuts in the shell. Readers of a certain age may remember the party bowl of nuts with metal cracker, right next to the glass ashtray. If you don't, check out the eggnog scene with cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's a modern classic, with moose cups for eggnog and tinsel strands on the tree. As it turns out, modifiers "fancy" and "extra fancy" don't carry any legal meaning for mixed nuts. My guess is that companies are riffing off USDA grades for in-the-shell varieties to help with sales. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for treehouseletter. . . . . . #nationallampoonschristmasvacation #nuts #cousineddie #nonsense #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir
If you don't, check out the eggnog scene with cousin Eddie. It's a modern classic, with moose cups for eggnog and tinsel strands on the tree. Read full article on my site and check out National Lampoon's classic clip with Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie. It's nuts. Figuratively and literally. ;-) Like this, follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #mixednuts #nuts #nationallampoonschristmasvacation #cousineddie #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
Another secret is that laughter is carbonated holiness. Anne Lamott The people's author, Lamott, says it like it is. Though, I haven't heard laughter described this way. Read full article at site, Deez Nuts.* Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #thepeoplesauthor #annelamott #laughter #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #nuts #mixednuts #secretoflife #philosphy
It's a sad and messy corner of misfit morsels and add-ins. The photo is taken AFTER the purge. Farewell open bags, rock-hard brown sugar, and expired bits. Far from Pinterest-worthy, this small step towards order and away from chaos gives me comfort. Oh the little things. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #nuts #deeznuts #mixednuts #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #organization #pantry #bakingsupplies
It may be simple, like what to wear to a formal event and a mental review of my wardrobe. It may be complex, like distilling a life of someone I do not know into 400 words for an obituary. I wake with a sense of the way forward. On occasion, I dream. Sleep on it. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #sleep #philosophy #dreaming #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #writersofig #writersofinsta #onmymind #thewayforward #obstacle
And yet. Suggestions and nagging, as it turns out, fall short as remedies. Doing–my work and hobbies and actions–is a better model. This is no epiphany. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #thefourloves #storge #cslewis #warriorpoet #philosophy #onlove #writersofig #writersofinsta #creativenonfiction #memoir
The vernal equinox is here -- when day equals night and we welcome more light as we wake each morning! Snow and ice settled on my car last night, but I have faith in the tulip shoots and forsythia that winter is behind us. As for civility and barbarism, turning such references to youth from their elders on its head, CS Lewis describes the bad manners of parents towards children. "Who has not been the embarrassed guest at family meals where the father or mother treated their grown-up offspring with an incivility which, offered to any other young people, would simply have terminated the acquaintance?" Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. photo: The Parthenon, Nashville . . . . . #cslewis #theparthenon #nashville #civility #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
This passage explores a hideous misinterpretation of one type of love, Affection, which is common between a parent and child. Of the four types of love discussed, Affection is the most informal, casual, the least discriminating, and the humblest. "We hear a great deal about the rudeness of the rising generation. I am an oldster myself and might be expected to take the oldsters’ side, but in fact I have been far more impressed by the bad manners of parents to children than by those of children to parents. Who has not been the embarrassed guest at family meals where the father or mother treated their grown-up offspring with an incivility which, offered to any other young people, would simply have terminated the acquaintance? Dogmatic assertions on matters which the children understand and their elders don’t, ruthless interruptions, flat contradictions, ridicule of things the young take seriously–sometimes of their religion–insulting references to their friends, all provide an easy answer to the question “Why are they always out? Why do they like every house better than their home?” Who does not prefer civility to barbarism?" Affection, The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis I have seen such behavior. Have I been guilty of it? Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #affection #love #cslewis #thefourloves #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta Not that I care to admit, but if I look back over the years, see myself squarely as my child saw me: maybe. The self control needed to avoid habits of correction or nagging my adult children demands a conscious effort.
The author has lived as I have lived. Seen as I have seen. She gains credibility and authority as I turn pages. How will it work out? What is less than pleasant is that slow, creeping awareness of characters whose less than admirable qualities bear similarities to my own. Peculiarities aside since they are neutral, for this point I mean to focus on the flaws, the negatives. Read full article on my site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #onreading #readlikeawriter #onwriting #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta #classicliterature #literaturelovers
The three words are specific traits Confucius observed over a long life. The order is intentional and Good has a capital G because it is primary. The translator Arthur Whaley annotates this verse: Goodness, wisdom and courage are the Three Ways of the true gentleman. . . Confucius always ranks courage below wisdom and wisdom below Goodness. Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #confucius #goodness #wisdom #courage #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofinsta #writersofig
To err is the way. Today is the Ides of March which makes me wary. My current TreeHouseLetter had 29 revisions and I still found a typo after I published. Ah. The Word Press default editor does not have a spell or grammar check, so I must catch my own mistakes. That is good practice. I know, I know. I can write offline or use a plug-in. I kind of like this, in the way that I do for running the numbers in my head at check-out and for the restaurant bill. Read full article on site. Like this? follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #revision #rewriting #onwriting #onwritingwell #revise #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
"Make the effort to use exact words. It is common for me to have ten to twenty or more revisions per letter. Is this my best? No. But is it good, good enough? Maybe. "Be honest about your writing. Does it have trash words and vague, fuzzy modifiers and verbs?" What are trash words? When everything is awesome and beautiful, and totally or actually, you know, literally epic, then nothing is. These words are ok for the Java House with Jack. They are not appropriate for a college essay or a business memorandum. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #onwritingwell #onwriting #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
Set it aside for an hour, a day. Then read it to find out what it is you care about and wish to focus on. Write three drafts: first, second, and final. Read full article at site, How to Improve Writing - Part 2: from Confucius to Lincoln. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #onwritingwell #onwriting #firstdraft #writersofig #writersofinsta #warriorpoet #treehouseletter
Typed on my Royal manual typewriter and if you look closely you will see the whiteout beneath the apostrophe where I typed a comma. This is a line from my recent TreeHouseLetter which follows this paragraph. "What is it you want to say? If you know the structure, an outline is helpful. Start simple and draft main ideas. In creative writing when you have little to no structural requirements, begin by shoveling the sh*t from your head to the page. Dictate into your phone then send it to yourself. A topic or kernel, even a prompt you devise, are starting points. ChatGPT or AI may be useful, but beware! Such answers are easy to spot because they draw on existing sources. "So be you. There's no one else like you." Read full article on site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #treehouseletter #typewriterpoetry #typewriter #improveyourwriting #onwritingwell #onwriting #warriorpoe #creativenonfiction #memoir
This is from "What Men Live By" by Leo Tolstoy. Yes, he wrote SHORT works. I read this collection, Walk in the Light and 23 Tales, straight through recently and came upon tabs and highlights from a few years ago. The stories were the same and they were different, because I'm different. Read full article at site above. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #leotolstoy #onlove #philosophy #godislove #1John4 #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #memoir #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
So, I hadn’t recognized the reference, 1 Epistle St. John, to be the same as, 1 John. My mind was slow to catch the exact verbiage but I did grasp the idea, the broader theme about love. And then I began to see it, and not for the first time that day. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #1john4 #1john #godislove #philosophy #treehouseletter #westpoint #funeral #militaryservice #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta #memoir
The verse arrives in triplicate: 1) The first time from Hailey’s mom in the morning. 2) The second time from a lecture in the car. 3) The third time from a book that evening. Stunned, I fell back in the sofa. Clearly, the Christian is familiar with St. John’s ideas of love and God. But for me, this seemed personal. This was a message. And it is one that has slowly taken root, not over years, but decades. Love is God. God is Love. Read full article at site. Like this? Follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #godislove #1john4 #treehouseletter #nightstalker #militaryfuneral #westpoint #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
The book is the only professional recording of C.S. Lewis in his own voice. And, I wanted to listen to him since these were lectures he had given. He discussed with inimitable wit and charm the four types of love: Storge, Philia, Eros, and Agape. The Greek terms roughly equate to, Storge for affection, as in the parent for child; Philia for friendship; Eros for lovers, and Agape for Christian love or charity. Read full article at site. Like this, follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #cslewis #fourloves #warriorpoet #godislove #greaterlovethanthis #1john4 #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
"I got back in bed, still no sleep. I rested and did a mental scan of my wardrobe. Black was the color of the day, so . . . black turtleneck, dark print skirt, warm boots, with hat and gloves. Military funerals mean being outside, for a while." Read full article at site in bio above. Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter.com . . . . . #militaryfuneral #160thsoar #nightstalker #sacredoath #warriorpoet #bethouatpeace #godislove #treehouseletter
Fairly free from error. I appreciate this....and will carry on. Like this, follow me. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #confucius #nomistakes #philosophy #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig
Great advice when I take it. What to do on Leap Day? Stepping away from the screen! Don't ever regret taking a walk or going for a run. In this case, learning the dos and don'ts of decoupage. Lots to learn about glue and getting the air bubbles out. Like this? follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #decoupage #cigarbox #stepawayfromthescreen #useyourhands #leapday #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig
My craft corner in the TreeHouse where I'm working on decoupage--paper cutouts-and old boxes. Austin Kleon's little books do wonders for me. Steal Like an Artist has a chapter called, Use your hands, and he tells readers to Step Away From the Screen. The opening line is from his favorite cartoonist, Lynda Barry who says, "In the digital age, don't forget to use your digits." I need to use my hands and I've waited too long to get to this project. The papers feel good to touch, each with a different texture from smooth stock to fabric-like with fraying threads. My oldest daughter and I picked them out together years ago. And because of my fascination with boxes, I received a huge lot of cigar boxes as a gift. I've prepped the boxes by removing gum labels with warm iron and towel, and took off paint with nail remover. It's good to get out of my head and use my hands. Definitely recommend anything by Austin Kleon for creative folks. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter . . . . . #austinkleon #useyourhands #creative #treehouseletter #decoupage #papercraft #cigarbox #creativenonfiction #writersofig #stepawayfromthescreen
Whenever you look at this watch, the time is now. The only time is the present. This was a popular item for purchase at Thich Nhat Hanh's lectures. When you consider the idea of time as a human construct, the past and future are ways which help us understand life. Yet, NOW is the only moment over which you have any control. Leo Tolstoy's story about the Three Questions explores this idea of time as well. Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up at TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #thichnhathanh #time #leotolstoy #treehouseletter #warriopoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
I read this [work] some time ago, but remembered the passage, hoping that it would inspire me to be a better mom. Maya Angelou writes about her mother when they were out walking together. On the corner of Fillmore and Fulton streets her mother says: “Baby, I’ve been thinking and now I am sure. You are the greatest woman I’ve ever met.” Read full article at site link above, Belief is a Powerful Elixir. Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . #mayaangelou #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
It is a truth universally acknowledged... if you must write you better find another job to fuel the habit. Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #onwriting #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #writersofig #writersofinsta
A huge shout-out to Nancy who got me on to this book: The Novel, Who Needs It? It may have even stirred up interest in my reading group. How to pick serious and good books is its mission after all, if not friendship. The modern equivalent of Bible Study, such fellowship and enrichment over reading broaden our lot in life and the sobering realities of the day-to-day. Oh to read of another’s day-to-day and her triumphs, failures, frustrations, friendships. Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #toread #whyiread #novel #treehouseletter #bookclub #readinggroup #writersofig #warriorpoet
Learn to write one good sentence. Sometimes that means vomiting on the page. Ray Bradbury had great advice when it comes to writing. Just work, relax, and don't think. Do NOT think. Writing is revision. Plan at least 3 revisions for formal writing, such as resumes, essays, and college papers. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #sentence #onwriting #onwritingwell #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #writersofig
George Washington, “To the Hebrew Congregations of the City of Savannah, Georgia,” May, 1789 [His letter follows in full, a timely read given Washington's Birthday and the October 7 attack on Israel.] Gentlemen: I thank you with great sincerity for your congratulations on my appointment to the office which I have the honor to hold by the unanimous choice of my fellow-citizens, and especially the expressions you are pleased to use in testifying the confidence that is reposed in me by your congregations. As the delay which has naturally intervened between my election and your address has afforded me an opportunity for appreciating the merits of the Federal Government and for communicating your sentiments of its administration, I have rather to express my satisfaction than regret at a circumstance which demonstrates (upon experiment) your attachment to the former as well as approbation of the latter. I rejoice that a spirit of liberality and philanthropy is much more prevalent than it formerly was among the enlightened nations of the earth, and that your brethren will benefit thereby in proportion as it shall become still more extensive; happily the people of the United States have in many instances exhibited examples worthy of imitation, the salutary influence of which will doubtless extend much farther if gratefully enjoying those blessings of peace which (under the favor of heaven) have been attained by fortitude in war, they shall conduct themselves with reverence to the Deity and charity toward their fellow-creatures. May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors, planted them in a promised land—whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation—still continue to water them with the dews of heaven and make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah. G. Washington Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for Tree HouseLetter. . . . . . #president #georgewashington #hebrew #israel #treehouseletter #warriorpoet
Definitions abound on this with the final measure of taste going to the reader. Critics have pontificated. One suggests simply: a good book must be interesting, memorable, and re-readable. Works for me, as “interesting” means that I learn about the world, compelling characters, and a good story. Such a novel lets me see characters change AND, as a result, how I change by the time I’m finished the book. I have “grown” into nonfiction in recent years. Why? because I believe truth is stranger than fiction.** And I like reading about factual stories, real events, and learning what the author believes and how she has lived. I have begun to second-guess this belief and broaden my thinking, or my attitude, at the very least. I credit or blame–depending on how you view it–this to the pivotal essay and book Epstein wrote, The Novel, Who Needs It? Read full article at link above. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #onreading #novel #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
"I am man alive, and as long as I can, I intend to go on being man alive …. For this reason I am a novelist. And being a novelist, I consider myself superior to the saint, the scientist, the philospher, and the poet, who are all great masters of different bits of man alive, but never get the whole hog. “Why the Novel Matters” (1936) by D.H. Lawrence Reading important novels enriches life through the exploration of fate and revelation, moral conflict, and ultimate truths. Such an experience is unique to fiction, more specifically, to great fiction. Is the novelist superior to those most vaulted of personages: saint and scientist, philosopher and poet? Whether or not you believe this, there is good reason to agree that the novel is one of humanity’s highest achievements. Read full article at site in link above. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #dhlawrence #thenovelist #novel #philosophy #greatworks #treehouseletter #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig #writersofinsta
This has taken time for me to grasp and more time for me to practice. To just BE with family or friends. Pay attention to them. Turn off my motor-mouth (I check the time to make sure I keep quiet!) And that lets me find stillness and take in who they are. The only love you can be sure of is the love you give. So give love to someone else, listen and cherish them. Just be with them. That's easy to write and hard to do. Happy Valentine's Day. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #valentine #onloving #theartofloving #erichfromm #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #writersofig #writersofinsta #memoir #creativenonfiction
Thoughts on love which I learned at a memorial service I attended for our friend, Garrett. Seems fitting to share it here and now, this humbling lesson. Read full article at my site in link above, Giving Thanks for a Man I Never Met. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #valentine #valentinesday #onloving #theartofloving #writersofig #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir
Thoughts on love, or in this case, from a man who loved. I first learned of these 3 rules at a funeral mass for a friend's father. The teacher appears when the student is ready. Read full article at site in link above. Giving Thanks for a Man I Never Met. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #rulesforlife #philosophy #onlove #lovingwell #valentine #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #memoir #writersofig
Simba joined us on Valentine's Day and the family did not want to name him after the Saint. I'm not sure his name makes sense for a dog, but I can see us dancing around the kitchen and listening to his 'song', with hands in the air, the wee pup hiding under the table and watching his new family. "From the day we arrive on the planet And, blinking, step into the sun There's more to see than can ever be seen More to do than can ever be done There's far too much to take in here More to find than can ever be found But the sun rolling high Through the sapphire sky Keeps great and small on the endless round It's the circle of life And it moves us all Through despair and hope Through faith and love 'Til we find our place On the path unwinding In the circle The circle of life" Circle of Life, Elton John and Tim Rice, 1994 Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #lionking #simbadog #petnames #yearofthecat #lunarnewyear #catanddog #writersofig #writersofinsta #creativenonfiction #memoir #warriorpoet #treehouseletter
My friend sent me this paper dragon, which is a 'wood' dragon of a kind, I guess. I hadn't been in Chinatown (Flushing NY) for a long while, but it was a delicious visit and I brought home roast duck, suckling pig, and Boba Tea. And a lot of pastries. There are more bakeries and tea shops. If you are a fan of such food, you will find more sesame balls, pork floss buns, and bubble tea vendors. As a Hapa, I felt pretty tall, like a middle-blocker in Lilliput. We dined at Pho Bang, a Vietnamese noodle place, and I had Bun Bo Hue which is the spicy beef soup speciality from my mother's home town. She ordered classic Pho Thai with a rich and fragrant broth. Wishing you and yours prosperity and good health. Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Like this, follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for Tree HouseLetter. . . . . . #lunarnewyear #yearofdragon #bunbohue #writersofig #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #creativenonfiction #onwriting #tet
The guitarist let loose on a solo, the spotlight on him, a half dozen guitars lined up behind, like rifles in a rack. He shot his arm into the air and snapped his fingers towards the audience. Like stardust the speck arced out and I put up my hand. My husband did the same and closed his as I closed mine. “Got it!” He opened his fist and there it was, in his palm. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #theeagles #onwritingwell #songwriting #onwriting #writersofig #writersofinsta #warriorpoet #treehouseletter
I sit in silence and can still hear it. Writing for the senses and a classic song do that for me. Read full article at site in link above, An Alabama Road. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #theeagles #7bridges #sevenbridges #onwritingwell #whyIwrite #writersofig #writesrofinsta #warriorpoet #treehouseletter
Writing about the senses breathes life into words, making this song a modern classic. Read full article on site in bio above: An Alabama Road. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #theeagles #songwriting #onwritingwell #onwriting #treehouseletter #memoir #creativenonfiction #warriorpoet #7bridges #sevenbridges #alabama
I hadn't thought of geography when I was young and I suppose I figured it out over time. Nature is vital to my soul but so are friends. Read full article at site like above. Like this? Follow me here. Better, rise above the tedium and sign up for TreeHouseLetter. . . . . . #townandcountry #treehouseletter #warriorpoet #writersofig #writersofinsta #creativenonfiction #memoir