I came across this list of the Definitive List of Black-Owned Wineries Around the Globe this morning and thought it worth sharing. Far from being only a list of South African wineries with a smattering of others, which I expected, there are also a lot in the United States and in France as well as…
Today’s Nibble
The beauty of my neighborhood here in New Mexico always fills me with joy, which is a great thing since today was a hard one to get up and get out for the morning walk. But once I was out in the sunshine, smelling the sweet fragrance of the trees, I was happy to be…
Streaking Through Life
Dean Wesley Smith swears by the power of streaks. Here is his post on how to make streaks work for you. This morning I completed an eight day streak tracking what I eat and a 6-day streak getting out each morning to add steps. I’m working on my diet and exercise habits, which has been…
Physical and Mental Improvement
This month we’ve had two hikes, which is fantastic! I’ve been struggling with an ankle injury for almost two years. Last year around this time I could barely walk and couldn’t sleep well, so I went to a doctor and he diagnosed me with achilles tendinopathy, gave me a walking boot and a sleeping boot…
Our Rise Garden Experience
One of the many things we wanted for our house was a beautiful built-in tansu-style bookcase for the living room. This was our inspiration: Photo by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects – Discover living room design ideas Unfortunately, we ran out of money in phase 1 of the renovation and so we couldn’t do that….
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Today is Christmas and tonight is the last night of Hanukkah. I like to think that the holidays coming in this convergence represents the hope for greater amity for the coming year, but I know there is no magic in the calendar. Instead, we are the source of kindness and goodness. My prayer for you…
A Planner for Writers/Indie Publishers
I received a beautiful new planner from Mark Leslie Lefebvre yesterday. The planner is the JoZie planner by J.C. McKenzie and Jo-Ann Carson and it’s made specifically for writers. I showed it to Steve and we think that we can really use this for our writing/planning meetings in 2023. It has the normal things that planners have: calendar pages, places is for your goals, and so forth. But what makes…
Holiday Reading: WMG Holiday Spectacular
Every year Kris Rusch and WMG publish a short story a day for those who subscribe to their WMG Holiday Spectacular, which starts on Black Friday and continues through New Years Day. For the last several years and friend and I have been getting it and reading the stories together. It’s a fun way to…
Why 2023 Won’t Be Like 2022
Each year at Thanksgiving we start the Goal Analysis of the previous year and the Goal Planning for the next year. The process culminates on New Years Eve when we embrace the new Plan and the New Year with optimism and hope. We also give a name to the new year to inspire and focus…
Art and Joy
It’s been an exhausting year for many of us. Steve and I discovered that renovating a house was like having a part-time job that interferes with the other work we needed to do. But we are seeing daylight now and it’s no longer through holes in the roof. We feel blessed. Some of the most…