I have leaked out on a recent Instagram post that I am starting a new blog called “57”. Look for an announcement of the first installment. I am very excited about this new project because it entails a lot of topics of the middle life that I want to share with my future readers. We will have a virtual discussion, of sorts, as we soldier through our lives together.

In the meantime, I have two events going on this summer that I want my Pittsburgh family to know about. I am teaching two summer writing camps, one for middle schoolers, and one for high schoolers. The middle school camp is basically to help future high schoolers improve their writing skills, as this is something they will need for the rest of their lives. The high school camp is for teenagers who have found that writing is their passion, and want to level up. We will be hosting some exceptional authors for this camp!

Even though most schools have mostly adjourned for the summer, it is always good to continue good mental activity during the summer, such as reading and writing, to 1) have a feeling of accomplishment, and 2)avoid the ” brain drain” that sometimes happens in the summertime. In that spirit, here’s the information. Contact the Community College of Allegheny County to sign up!!

For the rest of you, summer is the perfect season to recalibrate and get away,( yes, get away!) from technology,grab a good book and write in your journal. The more relaxed pace lends itself to unwinding our brain and thinking about things in a whole new way. There are lots of good writing books in the library, as well as online prompts to get you started, such as Writer’s Digest prompts: http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts and thinkwritten’s 365 Creative Writing Prompts: https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/

Here’s to great writing ahead!

Continue reading “Calling Future Writers”

As my last blog post was my first blog post,  I am on that steep learning curve to success! I did want to add to my more general list of  items(that I mentioned last time) that you can accomplish during the wonderful 31 days of January.  Being from the Deep South and living in the snowy North, I appreciate, but am not really a fan of frigid, icy, snowy weather. Other smaller, bite-sized jobs are:

• Clean out your kitchen cabinets, refrigerator and freezer.  You might be surprised  to see what ingredients you have on hand.
• Clean out your closets (if you didn’t do it in December, for the tax deductions). Plan your new look for the new year! I found several  items in my closet that I wore when Reagan was President.
• Research and plan any upcoming household jobs, like painting, redecorating, or gardening
• Make sure important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations) are on the calendar, whether on paper or digitally.
• Plan your social events for the  year, such as cookouts, parties, dates with your SO, sports events, and  concerts. Looking at the calendar and planning ahead not only is for your attitude, but also for your budget. Buy season tickets.
• Plan your doctor appointments for you and your furry friends. Ditto on the budget.
• Plan your maintenance activities for the year. For us,  this includes car inspections, heating and air conditioning check-ups, and  spraying for bugs.
• Review all business dealings: insurance, wills, budgets,  and upcoming expenses. Even if you don’t have all your tax forms yet, you can start listing your deductions and gathering your receipts.
• Clean out and throw out, a drawer at a time. Dave Ramsey has a good list of how long to keep important documents:https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/organizing-your-important-documents

Finally, read inspiring, motivational things  to put you in the right mindset for the coming year. It’s easy to get drained by the holidays and the cold weather, but just as  the seeds are hiding under the snow, make this a time to prepare for future fruitfulness!

 

Hope everyone’s holidays were happy and that you all are ready to start a fresh new year! Even though January is usually a terrible month for the weather, I have grown to love it because it is good month to stay in, plan for the year and learn new things! I have  not always been a fan of Martha Stewart, however, for several years running in her syndicated column, she gave a great list of things we should  put on our yearly calendar in January, so that the year would not fly by without some productive and pleasurable activities. Not just for hibernation, January offers time to:

• organize documents for tax time
• plan garden and house projects,
• plan vacations
• start on a bit of spring cleaning

I mean, really, who wants to stay inside and clean when the sun finally does come out? Real Simple’s website offers a great list  for January, as well:https://www.realsimple.com/checklist/january-to-do-checklist . Another reason for good advanced planning is so that  to be prepared  for life events. While working on taxes,

• assess  the budget and cost cutting strategies
• visit your local retirement planner to see if you are on track.

As I  pondered what to discuss on my blog over the past several weeks, I had several experiences that gave me food for thought. I realized that it could be helpful for my readers to discuss life events before they happen, so that they do not catch you uninformed. My father and mother were excellent planners, so even though we have had to work out details, their business preparation has made life less stressful for our family. During Christmas, my husband and I  went back home to visit my best friend, whose husband had brain cancer and unfortunately, died last week.  This turn of events happened very quickly, and  although my friend had time to process what happened, it definitely was a huge life change. It is never pleasant  to discuss  the particulars of your illness and  funeral, but it certainly makes things easier  for your family to know what you want, before it is too late. There are many options available, but we will discuss that later.

So, here’s to everyone’s having a good, prepared year.