Unseasonably Warm, Unreasonably Thirsty Hello, friend, As autumn continues her stride toward dreaded winter, we've had the most perfect weather. Cool enough to open the windows and take long walks with Hudson. It's my favorite season. The colors. The scent of leaves in the air and their rustling on the street as the wind whips them around. I don't even mind raking them! Hudson definitely doesn't mind squirming in them! The weather has been so lovely and unseasonably warm, I'm still watering...
25 days ago • 2 min read
The Autumn of It All! Hello, friend, It's October! I always look forward to this month's arrival. Cooler temps and the eventual autumnal color show begin! I've always loved autumn, but in truth, I look forward to each change of season. Winter can be harder to take, but it's got the holidays and the potential for a Hudson-in-the-snow moment–which we both love. But we're not there yet! This week I completed my third class in the Confident Grief Coach program. There are nine of us in the cohort...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
I Love September! Aargh! It probably won't surprise you that the reasons I love this month revolve around Ken. His birthday, September 21, is always near the cusp of the beginning of autumn. This year he would have turned 61. I did a fundraiser in honor of his 60th last year to raise money for the American Cancer Society. It was the digital premiere of his one-man show, My Foot Left. (Because that's exactly what his foot did!) When I first met and fell in love with him, it was something he...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
A Week in the Life Hello, friend! This week I became my own boss. Not in a dramatic, cinematic way—just an ordinary Monday with a kickoff call at 1:00 for the kind of work I've been doing for 20 years—except I don't have a boss. I have a client. New dream level: unlocked! But the moment from the week I keep coming back to happened Friday, over coffee with a woman who came to my book signing at the library. We talked. I hugged her goodbye, then something happened that caught me off guard....
2 months ago • 1 min read
August Doesn't Count Hudson Heartbreaker - My Joy Boy - The Wagger with Swagger When I was a kid, I used to think of summer as May, June, and July. For many years (maybe all of them...I can't remember), we returned to school the last week of August–which took August out of the running as a summer month! These days, this dog rules my summer (and autumn and winter and spring) and I'm here for it! Our walks have been intermittent because of either pouring rain and unrelenting humidity, but we...
2 months ago • 3 min read
A Week in the Life Every week I'm going to show you what it actually looks like to build a writing life as a solopreneur. It's called The Weekly ChRONicle. My days, my goals, Hudson making more cameos than he's earned. I plan to add some journaling time at the end in case anyone is interested in journaling with me. Think of this first one as the first pancake. May not look amazing. Still tasty. [Watch the first episode] Tell me what you think in the comments—I'm still shaping this. Thank you...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Speaking at my Hometown Library A woman came up to the table after my talk and asked me to sign a book. I asked her name so I could inscribe it, and somewhere between the first letter and the last, she started to cry. Her wife of forty-some years had died two years ago. Her name was Angela. Beautiful name. I got up and hugged her. I told her to keep saying that name out loud. Keep telling people about her. Because she was important, and still is. That conversation is why I wrote the book. All...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Happy August! Wait…It’s August?! Hi, friend- I'm on the patio while Hudson keeps watch for a bunny or squirrel to stroll by. (It hasn't happened. Ever.) But hope springs eternal, and so does he. My joy boy Somehow it's August. Which means it's been seven months since I sat up in bed on New Year's Day and said, out loud, to nobody: "My book comes out this year!" It did. Thank you for all your support. More on where things go next below—but first, I want to tell you about someone. Why it's...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Summer is Summering! Hi, friend— I hope summer/winter is treating you well (depending on your hemisphere!). Our weather has grown cooler, and Hudson and I have taken advantage of time outside in the yard and on neighborhood walks. And also naps! The Audiobook Is Rolling Out! Recording the audiobook for The Luck We Carry was both fun and surreal! I loved doing it, but it was odd listening to it once the audio engineer did his magic. Hearing my voice tell me my own story from outside my body...
4 months ago • 2 min read