Dear Readers, Writers, Friends, Family and Artists of All Kinds,
Thank you for being here, and for all the wonder, thought, goodness, and genuine love you bring to the world. Wishing you rest, refreshment, and everything you need, today, and in the new year. You are, to me, all beloved members of the pack.
With Love,
Lori
Filed under Calendars, Gratitude, Publishing, Uncategorized, Winter
“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.” – Napoleon Hill
Hello, Reader and Writer Friends! I hope this post finds you well and blessed with the energy, time, and resources you need and deserve. I am grateful to you and wish you joy. The past few weeks have brought both expected and unexpected news, tasks, challenges, joys, and sorrows to my little corner of the planet, and I suspect they may have to yours also.
Changes of season, the holidays, national and world events, community and family celebrations, work, play, plans, and the shadow of illness and even death for some have been on the hearts and minds of many.
This week in my little town we’ve lost a young woman to suicide. The tragic and violent event has left many of us in shock, and the pain is palpable. And yet, standing right beside that horror, we also have grace in the shape of a group of dear people who planned and cooked and decorated our community center, and fed everyone in town who wished to come. And we had the Christmas tree lighting in the park, followed by fireworks. And we have a live nativity on Main Street coming in a few days. And I’m going to Disneyland with my grandkids next week. And yet, a friend’s cat died and one of our own adopted cats disappeared (you see how the sadness creeps back in). And yet, I got a surprisingly good medical report from my doctor. And in the netherworld of being a writer, I began another round of manuscript submissions today, sending out queries to six publishers.
The light shifts, the wind blows.
We manage as best we can, remembering that the strongest oak
is the one that stands in the open.
Filed under Christmas, Depression, Gratitude, Health, Holiday, Loss, Nature, Publishing, Relationship, Seasons, Uncategorized, Winter, Writing
Today is the first day of Advent,
the beginning of a new year for my Episcopal and many other Christian churches.
The weeks leading up to Christmas have always been my most anticipated, though I’ve probably never come close to understanding the depth of the reasons my heart finds them so.
In the beginning, it was certainly the way Mom made everything magic for my brother and I, and it was the tree and the lights and the music, Santa and the reindeer—my dad’s sweet smile. As the years went by, I learned more and went through different periods of faithfulness and failure, but I was always striving, trying to understand the magic and make it real.
According to Father Luke Gregory, OFM, “As the world enters the sacred season of Advent, a period of preparation and reflection for many Christians, we find ourselves standing at the intersection of hope and longing. This time invites us to consider not just the anticipation of Christ’s coming but also the deep desire for reconciliation and peace within our fractured world” (www.vaticannews.va).
The intersection of hope and longing—yes!
Wishing all of you, whether you subscribe to the faith of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or you’re Atheist or Agnostic—wishing you an unlimited experience of hope for a meaningful, hopeful, peaceful future, whatever you call this time of year.
Thank you for being a part of everything. Your presence makes everything bright and beautiful!
Bless You!
The “Ides of March,” is a day in the ancient Roman calendar that falls on March 15 and is associated with misfortune and doom. It became renowned as the date on which Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 bce and was further immortalized in the tragedy Julius Caesar by English dramatist William Shakespeare. In the play, a soothsayer warns Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.” Ostberg, René. “Ides of March”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ides-of-March. Accessed 2 March 2025.
Yesterday, Austin, Nevada was bathed in sunshine and warm temperatures. Today Austin is buried in snow. It’s mostly awesome, not really a misfortune or doom, and we knew it was coming. Thank you, meteorologists!
We needed snow. We had a dry winter.
Today
As the snow continues . . .
Weather is life. No doubt this is the reason it is so often the topic of small talk. It’s life.
Weather is also death. I fear for our friend who left town just as the snow started, heading west on Highway 50 directly into its path.
And it affects all of us. Humans and nonhumans alike.
Here then is a tiny presentation of the weather in Austin, Nevada, USA, over a two-day period. Life and death. Ironic juxtaposition that the photos with elements of death are awash in sunshine? It was not intended. And that is telling.
Whatever the weather where you are, I hope you are safe and always, always, rolling with the changes. Happy Spring–Soon!
Filed under Nature, Seasons, Uncategorized, Winter
This past week I read Tom Booth’s charming picture book, This is Christmas, at our December library story time. Of the seven young children in attendance, none of them thought they’d ever seen a chipmunk in our town/area. I have only lived here for four years and am no expert on the local wildlife, but I have spotted a few (very few) chipmunks. Never a squirrel though. This is the only squirrel-free zone I’ve ever lived in, and I can tell you it’s a bit unnerving. I can only surmise that the trees are too small (mostly pinion pine), the spaces in between them too distant, and the rain too infrequent to sustain squirrels. . . I’ve read that the forest in our mountain range, the Toiyabes, is referred to as a dwarf forest, because it’s in the shadow of the great Sierra Nevadas. That could be why I haven’t seen squirrels here, but I don’t really know. But I digress.
Anyway, here in Austin, Nevada, which is located in the center of the state and sits at 6,555 feet elevation, the mammals I’ve noticed include: some humans (not a lot!), many feral cats (a few of which now live inside my house, so they are not quite so feral these days), a plethora of mule deer, occasional groups of antelope and wild horses in the valley below, maybe two bunnies, and perhaps a dozen chipmunks.
So when I spotted these tracks in the snow on one of the trails outside town on today’s walk, I had to take a picture to show my library friends. Definitely, chipmunk prints, right?
Tiny and perfect little lightfooted creature prints compared to Mr. P’s boot.
So I came home and asked Mr. Googly what chipmunk prints look like and they look just like my picture, I think . . . but I guess they could be mouse prints, too, and come to think of it, I have seen a few mice over the past few years (sadly, they have usually been the victims of the aforementioned feral/not-so-feral cats).
Regardless! We had a lovely trail ride today, and the prints charmed us. I’ll definitely report my finding to my little library patrons and tell them to keep a sharp eye out for chipmunks.
It is after all, the little things.
Stay warm, and enjoy nature’s many gifts!
Filed under Books, Nature, Uncategorized, Winter
November 15, 2024.
Today we were going to Fallon, NV. It is 112 miles away, but we go there quite often for groceries and other necessities, such as pellets for the stove in winter. We also had a date with the hairdresser, one that we both look forward to as a luxury, and to moderate the ill effects of our unmanageable hair. Also, in Fallon we can go out to lunch (with our new haircuts), which I adore.
My first look out the front door this morning.
But we woke up to snow. A lot of snow. And the 112 drive to Fallon involves, well, 112 miles of road—on Highway 50, the loneliest road in America. Over three mountain passes. The weather service (which, thank goodness we still have, for now) predicted more snow throughout the day. No hope of everything clearing up soon.
So, we cancelled our trip to Fallon. But the day was far from lost.
I read an article with my morning coffee: “Cold Comfort: You Can Loathe Winter, Or You Can Embrace It with These Cool Strategies” by Amy Maclin (Real Simple, November 2024, 43-44). I have never loathed winter, but I realize it is a thing some people do, so I am always intrigued by the concept. This article briefly describes the research of Kari Leibowitz, PhD, “a confirmed winter hater.” The result of her research is her book, How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days.
Three main points of the “survival guide” are: 1. Focus on Opportunities, Not Obstacles. 2. Don’t Assume Winter & Depression Go Hand in Hand. 3. Make Sure You Get Outside.
I already pretty much have #1 & #2 managed. Always have. Opportunities to read more, write more, bake more, make chili and soup more, light candles and fires more, wear cozy thick socks and turtleneck sweaters more, drink eggnog more … (I could go on…). Check. As for assuming winter would make me depressed. No. I realize that seasonal affective disorder is real, it is just not one of my personal disorders (I have a few of those, but none of them are cold/snow/winter/holiday related!).
#3 is the one that spoke to me today. I do go outside in the winter. I really do! I usually walk every day, or almost every day, but I also love to lounge around the house in my pajamas. Anyway, this morning after reading admonition #3, Mr. P and I pulled out our ski pants from storage and started up the Rhino, our old side-by-side 4-wheel trail vehicle. We have only ever used it in the spring, summer and fall before, around town and out on the mountain trails across the road. Never in the winter. Today seemed like a good day to try it out in the snow.
The Rhino just getting started! It performed beautifully even up on the higher trails outside of town.
Breaking a fresh trail over the first ridge of the mountain was exhilarating! What a wonderful ride. It was not unlike snowmobiling. And we were the only ones out there. The only trails we saw were deer tracks once we passed the first half mile. It was more than wonderful to get outside!
And, of course, it’s ever so lovely to come back inside to a warm house, a fire, and your lounging cats.
The perfect warm snack when we arrived home (I think that falls under #1. Focus on Opportunities….)
Wishing you all the most beautiful of days and nights, whatever that means for you. Much love, Lori
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Surviving Sue Review and Traces in the Snow
Two consecutive snowstorms, and the sun sparks diamonds on the snow-hushed surfaces here in Austin and in the Reese River Valley just below us, giving us time to read, to wander, to cook, and to write.
Walking after a snowstorm is one of my favorite activities, along with walking in a warm rain, or on a starry night, or along a tree-lined lane at the height of autumn. It’s like walking inside a dream, a vision, a movie . . . all of it a magical changing work of art. This has been that kind of a weekend. An appreciated and needed balm for the eyes, ears, heart, mind and soul.
After today’s walk, I finished reading Dr. Vicki Atkinson’s memoir, Surviving Sue: An Inspirational Survivor’s Story About a Daughter and her Life with a Mother Who was Riddled with Alcoholism, Alzheimer’s, Anxiety, Depression, and Munchausen’s. Vicki is a fellow blogger, one I follow and read with pleasure, always knowing I will find something positive, real, and insightful in her posts. Vicki is generous with her readers, sharing of herself, her humor, her highs and lows with an empathic interest in our perspectives.
This is Vicki’s voice, and it shines on the pages of her book. She is a profoundly kind-spirited woman who grew up learning how to turn the injury and injustice of her mother’s mental illness into something bigger than her own pain. With keen intelligence, her father’s and sister’s love, and later through her own family and probably also due to her dedication to her studies, Vicki survives and thrives, and she does it without ever compromising her own values.
Vicki’s compassion for her mother is more than challenged over the years, but somehow, she stays the course of doing what she believes is best for everyone concerned. For those who don’t know Vicki or haven’t read Surviving Sue, I’d like to stop here to encourage you to read it for yourself. This story is worth your time. It may even affect the ways you view some of your own experiences, past or present. It may soften your heart. It’s a beautiful book, and an engaging read.
Surviving Sue, Eckhartz Press, Chicago. Copyright © 2023. Vicki’s Blog is victoriaponders.com. Vicki also shares a podcast with her friend and colleague, Wynne Leon of Surprised by Joy (Blog). Their podcast, The Heart of the Matter can be found at sharingtheheartofthematter.com.
Now it’s time for the cooking part of the day. I’ve got an eggplant, lots of spices, cheese, pasta, greens, and tomatoes. Oh, and wine.
Should be a beautiful night.
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Filed under Books, Commentary, Nature, Reading, Seasons, Uncategorized, Voice, Winter, Writing
Tagged as blogging, Book Review, Books, Family, memoir, Memoirs, Mental Health, Nevada, Review, Writing