Looking over my pictures from a recent trip to Japan (click on photos to enlarge) got me thinking about this centuries-old culture. It’s a beautiful country with a certain set of characteristics that make it seem insular, cohesive and unique. There is a tight-knit social fabric, no immigration and the only spoken language is Japanese. With over 34 million people in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, it’s amazingly well organized. Trains and subways run exactly on time, like a Swiss clock. You don’t see any graffiti in common areas or … Continue reading
Gratitude List
This time of year, we are all busy making lists – grocery shopping lists, gift lists, to-do lists, invitation lists, holiday card lists, New Year’s Resolution lists. I would like to propose that we take some time to make another kind of list – a Gratitude List. Particularly because we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, we have the opportunity to consider what we are individually thankful for. Kindergarteners are asked to think about thankfulness, why not grownups? I’ve begun making my own Gratitude List and I’d like to share it … Continue reading
Virtual Book Tour with Molly Best Tinsley
Today we are pleased to host Molly Best Tinsley on our website discussing her new spy novel, Broken Angels. Welcome, Molly. We look forward to hearing more about your book and getting an insider’s view of your writing process. A review of Broken Angels highlights the complexity and excitement of your novel: “Tinsley unleashes a host of hot button issues – terrorism, nuclear threats, sex trafficking, organ thefts, and the influence of religion on politics – adds a dash of post-Soviet paranoia, and dumps Victoria in the middle. It’s a … Continue reading
Full of awe trumps awful any day
Last month I visited the Grand Canyon, probably one of the most “awe-full” places on earth. The sense of grandeur that radiates there during the day is nearly matched by the millions of stars that light up the otherwise black nights. While there I felt lucky to have that respite from the truly awful news in the world – beheadings by terrorists, the spread of Ebola, fears of global unrest. How about you? Amidst the stress and bad news in the world these days, are you looking for ways to … Continue reading
