Books of January

Late this month--just getting to January.  Here we go.

 Hidden Sins by Selena  Montgomery aka Stacy Abrams.  Yes, that Stacy  Abrams.  She wrote this romantic suspense while she was a student at Yale Law School.  Impressive.  She did a good job.  You just have to suspend your disbelief, but, don't you have to do when reading any fiction?  

War:  How Conflict Shaped Us.  Written by a prominent historian.  About how and why wars begin, how they are fought, the aftermath of war.  Interesting reading.

The Price of Time,  What would be the consequences of discovering a drug that could give you eternal life? 

The Storm Ended!

 Last week we thought the storm would never end, but it did and now it looks like spring.  Here are some quotes to keep in mind:

Writing Legacy Letters: How to Express Your Love for a Family Member, Friend, Mentor or Those You Leave Behind

 I'm going to be teaching a  three-session course on writing legacy letters for Story Circle Network starting the first Monday in March.  I'm very passionate about the importance of sharing your love, wisdom, expreience, thanks, or hopes for the future with those you care about.  That night be for a special occasion--wedding, birth, graduation, retirement, etc--or you may want to leave this as a special, lasting gift to those who come after you.    If you'd like to enroll in this course--and I hope you will--you can check with Story Circle at  www.storycircle.org (Sorry, couldn't get the link to show up).  I've presented this course at senior loiving facilities, women's organizations and my Zoom group and I'm looking forward to my class at Story Cricle.

 

Living on COVID Time

 

 We've all lived on COVID time.  Will it ever end?  I hope so, but meanwhile, enjoy this anthology from women around the world about their COVID experiences.  Mine are included, so I'm especially pleased to publicize this book.  It begins with a COVID fairy tale, (not my piece).  

This book is published by Story Circle Network.  It's an organozation for women writers and would-be writers at any of experience.  There are classes, writing circles, opportunities for publication and more.  See the logo below and check them out.

More About Co-Housing

Here's an excerpt from a post about co-housing:\

Have you ever met someone and feel like they've been a friend you should have had for your whole life?  That is the feeling my husband and I have about the folks in Co-HOusing Houston,  The two of us, now in our 60s wanted to live closer to town.  We also wanted a stronger sense of community. We wanted not only to be able to run next door for a cup of sugar but also to ask that favor of people who knew what our cookies tasted like because we had shared them together over a cup of coffee or tea.

There would be no gates on the community so that we did not see ourselves apart from the wider community in the historical Second Ward just East of Houston.  There would be community spaces for art, for gardens, for bike storage and swimming and music and exercise and community-wide meals.  There would be hike and bike trails nearbyThere would be public transportation available for when we grew too old to drive.  All this and there would be just the right amount o private space with our own family in our own wholly-owned private unit. All ages are welcome.  Decisions are made together, with care for one another's opinions.

This group is truly special!  I agree because I know one of the founders, Lynn Morstead, and I know how committed she is to this community concept.

 

quotes for the week: writing

 Writing is like driving at night,  You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.   E.L. Doctorow

Writing books is the closest men come to childbearing.    Norman Mailer

A sentence should read like its author, had he held a plough instead of a pen, could have drawn a furrow deep and straight to the end.      Henry David Thoreau

A writer out of loneliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals, he seeks to establish a relationship.    John Steinbeck