View from Jack London Park

I just returned from a drive along Highway 12 between Santa Rosa and Sonoma. This area is known as The Valley of the Moon. The name alone is enough for me to love the place but truly, it is one of the most beautiful stretches of road anywhere. (Not that I've been EVERYWHERE but I think it's a pretty good guess!)

Anyway, I drove into Glen Ellen and up the road to Jack London State Park. It was late in the day. A big sign proclaimed this to be one of the state parks scheduled for closure in July due to budget cuts. It made me so very sad. I took a picture from the parking lot looking out toward the hills and then played with it a bit when I returned home.

I really hope we can manage to save this amazing park! You can read about the park and learn what you can do to help save it at http://www.jacklondonpark.org/

Under the Weather

It's very odd. Apart from itchy eyes the past two days I've been feeling great. Then last night I sneezed and with that one sneeze an entire, full-blown head cold arrived. Weird.

So today I'm laying low and writing. I may have some things to share here very soon. But for today, I thought I'd share this shot I captured of a beautiful sky the other afternoon. As usual, I played with it a bit using various iPhone photography apps.

Somehow when I look at this image, I begin to feel better. I think it reminds me that my little problem is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. And the grand scheme can be pretty magnificent.

Remember, when feeling low—look up.

Rosebuds and Flying Books

It's a beautiful day here in Sonoma county and I'm enjoying the sun filtering in through the kitchen window. 


Last night my husband and I went out to dinner at our local Crepevine and then took in the animated shorts that have been nominated for Oscars. Frankly, I wasn't that impressed with most of them but one simply moved and delighted me. It's called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and it is definitely worth checking out.


I'm on a deadline so I won't post much today. I have to get to work on the chapter of my novel that I'm presenting to my writing group this Saturday. I can present up to fifteen pages and I've yet to write one. Thank goodness for deadlines!


Wishing you all a most lovely day!

My 3-Year Bloggerversary!

I can scarcely believe it has been three years since I began my blog. I know, I know—the past year hardly counts given the paltry number of posts I've actually put up. But it matters to me. I have used this time to learn more about social media. I've used this time to create art (the Valentine above is an example of this.) I've used this time to write and to consider just how I want to put myself out there in the world beyond the walls of my house.

Since I want to become known as a writer I've been advised by many who probably know best to have a "writing blog"—a blog that talks about the craft of writing and publishing. A blog where I interview other authors, have guest bloggers and write reviews of books I've read. What I've discovered is that doing that feels too much like being in school and having to complete assignments I don't want to do. Don't get me wrong—I LOVE to read. I just don't like having to analyze books I've read—dissection and critique is just not my thing.

So instead, I've decided to ignore the advise of others and continue to use my blog the way I have been, only more so.

I plan to post bits and pieces of what I'm working on—short stories, memoir pieces from My B+ Life that I'm currently working on; maybe even some chapters from the novel I'm writing that has yet to find a name. I'm also going to do podcasts of these for folks who like to be read to. And I'm going to post about things I find that delight me—be they books or authors, places I've visited and products I think are particularly cool. I'm going to allow myself to think out loud here at Thought Threads and ask for feedback on things I'm mulling over. And if I feel passionate about certain issues, you may find me sounding off from time to time.

So for now, Happy Valentine's Day! I hope love finds its way into your life today and makes you smile. Thanks for hanging in here with me on this journey. I have come to think of many of you as friends even though we've never met.

Holiday Magic

May the magic of this holiday season fill your life with love and laughter.

My daughters have both returned from college to be here for Christmas. They had friends over earlier in the week and I loved hearing the giggling and laughter coming from various rooms. We've watched all the requisite Christmas movies at least once (except for "It's a Wonderful Life" which we always play Christmas morning during breakfast.) The decorations are up, the gifts are wrapped. All that is left is to enjoy one another's company.

I created this photo from two photos I took while in San Francisco and then I used some iPhone apps to add special effects. While its origins are commercial I feel the spirit of the message transcends all that.

Wishing you all a warm and very magical Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

So Much Has Been Happening!!

I know I've been absent from this blog for awhile but I've been so BUSY!! 

http://www.followthebreadcrumbshome.com/

I'm thrilled to announce that my online class, Follow the Breadcrumbs Home, launches on January 1, 2012—just in time for everyone's New Year's Resolutions.


This class grew out of my realization that I'd meandered away from the core of myself on my journey of putting one foot in front of the other just to survive. I'd lost my snap. I'd misplaced my passion for life. I was feeling tired and numb.


I used some tried and true methods I've been studying for years now and I managed to get myself back on track, reconnected to my creativity and my passion. It occurred to me that I'm probably not the only one who has lost herself taking care of everyone else. So I created this online class and it is midway through its beta test phase. I've gotten some great reports back from people who are participating so we are going live in time for the new year.

If you're wondering, Who Could Benefit From This Class? 
Here's the answer:

If you see yourself in the statements below, this class was created for you.

• You have reached a point in your life where you find yourself thinking, This isn't who I wanted to be when I grew up.

• You feel stuck but don't know what to do about it.

• You think you should feel happy but instead, you feel muted—like something is missing.

• You're unsatisfied with your job but don't know what you would do instead.

• You spend your energy supporting other people's efforts but never find the time or energy for your own dreams.

• You find yourself asking, When does my REAL life begin?

So if you're interested I hope you'll check it out and maybe even join us!

http://www.followthebreadcrumbshome.com/

Hi There, I'm Home!

It's been a long, long...long, long time since I've posted here. My number of "Followers" has dropped, but really, I haven't given you anything to follow.

Like countless others, I have been out of work for some time now. Having a blog attached to my real name had begun to make me feel too careful about what I said—as in, how would a potential employer interpret this?—and that was taking away from the fun of posting here. So I stopped.


I've had numerous truly bizarre job interviews, some of which merely made me shake my head (as in—are they on crack?) and others made me doubt my talent and sense of self worth which is never a good idea. I've finally reached a point where I've decided I'm no longer willing to attempt to re-fold myself, Origami-style, to try to fit what people think they want, for jobs that pay scarcely enough to support a paper crane. Instead, I'm putting all my energy into ME. And it's about time!


I'm working hard to finish up the memoir I've been working on entitled, "My B+ Life" and I'm writing up a small collection of stories about my weird and wacky foray into the job-hunting jungle. Hopefully this will bring a smile, and a sense of relief—phew-it-isn't-just-me!—kind of relief to others who've been lost in the same jungle. I plan to self-publish these as e-Books, podcasts and actual hold-'em-in-your-hands books. I'll keep all of you updated as we approach their "birth" date.

In addition, I've been hard at work putting together a class I intend to offer online. It's called "Follow the Breadcrumbs Home" and brings together lots of the wisdom I've learned over the years about how to reconnect with your passion and inner creativity—something I'd almost forgotten about until I realized how far I'd strayed from myself by trying too hard to please others. But I'm back on my path now—happier, fiercer and ready to share some techniques that really work. . . providing you actually do them, which is something I plan on remembering this time! I'll let you know when it's up and running. Maybe you'd like to join me...?

And finally, an update. My dear kitty, Mystic, passed away a few days after my last post. He slipped away in his sleep, knowing how much we all loved him. My other sweet, amazing friend Chelsea, followed just four days ago. I wrote about how she came into our lives in "Tailed By a Dog" and she left in an equally mystical manner which I'll write about later. She waited until the whole family was home (a rare event given our crazy summer schedules) and left us while I was stroking her head.





This is indeed a time of transitions for me. Not always easy ones, but change, like growth, is often challenging. I'm excited about what the future holds and look forward to sharing it with you here.