The loud hum of the oxygen machine filled the room as I sat beside her, holding her hand. My mother-in-law, Mary, was barely more than a shadow of the woman I had first met years ago. As the end neared, I felt an unexpected mixture of grief and gratitude, knowing I was privileged to be…

I’m the type of person who needs a plan to help me stay on track. I just retired after 32 years where I knew what I had to do based on my position. This is not to say there weren’t fires to put out, but for regular tasks, my strategy was the same. Since retirement,…

Today is one of those days where I have to fight for every word. We’ve all done it. And it is HARD. I retired two weeks ago from my full-time job after 32 years and was excited to have more time to write. Wrong. Okay, not wrong, just different. I am struggling to find my…

Do you struggle to find time to write? Do you have competing priorities? If you want to be a writer, you must find time to work! Here are some actions you can take to help you prioritize your writing that have worked for me. Accountability is a big one for me so I can stay…

Change is inevitable and not everyone handles it well; myself included. This is really hitting home for me this year as I expand my writing. My writing coach issued a challenge to write a book in a month. This is way outside my of my comfort zone, but it is also exciting. I have written…

My parents travel to the upper peninsula of Michigan in their motor home every summer to get away from the Texas heat. It takes them approximately three to six weeks to drive to Marenisco, Michigan. My stepdad, Garth, does all the driving, and Mom is the navigator. Why does it take them so long to…

I have always loved to write and have been actively pursuing this passion for some time now. I learned it is more than just putting words down on paper. I had to find my niche and then learn the rules to writing in this genre. I took a course called Fearless Freelance Writers at writebythesea.com…

coming soon

I have worked in State government for 30+ years and have written everything from emails to business manuals to solicitation requests. I thought with all the writing I’d done over the years that I could just pick up personal experience writing easily. I was wrong. For State documents, there is a brand guide that shows…