My kids were playing Jenga this afternoon. You remember that game, right? It’s the one where you remove a block from a tower of blocks and add it to the top of the tower. So the tower always has the same number of blocks. Since you’re taking the blocks from the lower parts of the tower…
For some reason, I’m participating in a Christmas cookie exchange. I’m not entirely sure how that happened. It’s like waking up to a new life truth spoken into my dreams. You will now bake cookies and share them with your friends. So be it. Yes. Cookies. Friends. It has always been. *bangs gong* Being the…
This post isn’t really about cheese. Though it would be nice to see cheese in my tag cloud. It’s about opinions – more specifically, it’s about others’ opinions about something you produced. Earlier this week, my friend posted a video of a Christmas light display (don’t try to play it; this is a pic of…
There currently isn’t snow where I live, but it seems there is in other parts of the country. That can’t be fun as an adult. Driving in it sucks. It makes a mess when people drag it inside on their shoes. Shoveling it causes muscle strains and tendinitis. But kids love it. Know why? Because…
I seem to write about problems with writing as they’re occurring. Right now, I’m struggling to fix a section of one of my novels. The section begins right after the middle plot point, or the point that forces the characters into action, which eventually leads to the climax. Here’s the problem: the middle plot point…
Ah, Christmas. That magical time when for four weeks out of the year, we cover our houses with all manner of lights, inflatables, and nativities that somehow capture the wonder of the season. Followers of my Facebook page know I’m not a big fan of Christmas. It feels like a lot of clutter and tolerating…
I’m visiting family for Thanksgiving week, so I’m a little surprised Funny Friday is happening. I didn’t have an idea, until my mother-in-law literally placed one in my lap. The dog’s name is Daisy. She’s my brother-in-law’s pet. My brother-in-law is a fifty-year-old landscaper. I’ll just let you chew on that for a moment. The…
Readers choose a story because they think it will hold their interest, so why do they sometimes skim or stop reading the story? There’s probably a variety of reasons, but I’ve noticed a few trends in comments in my critique group and from my own reading habits that may offer some insight. 1. Long, elegant…
I was recently discussing wine with a few friends. Don’t worry; the words “oaked” or “bouquet” didn’t enter the conversation. We were mostly telling funny wine stories. For example, on one wine acquisition outing, I was approached by an employee who seemed to know a thing or two about the more popular wines sold at that…
I had a pretty unusual day. School was delayed on account of the too-far-below-zero temperatures, and since I work in a school, so was work. I had time to run errands before work, and afterwards I decided to have lunch at a full-service restaurant by myself (note to fellow introverts: do this! It rocks!) and go sweater shopping before…
Allison Maruska 