I've been decorating my home for Christmas and I keep finding special things that remind me of my Aunt Polly: an engraved ornament, my blue porcelain angels, woodland birds. On Saturday evenings when my husband and I watch movies, I work on my crewel embroidery pillow and remember how she taught me the stitches when … Continue reading Family Ties: Someone’s Favorite
Breast Cancer Survivor
Taking Time to Play
For the past ten years, I've spent Veteran's Day hiking with my favorite living veteran, my cousin, Danny. He's eleven years older than me, so when I was young and we had our big family gatherings at our Grandma Smith's, we didn't hang out. I thought of him like an older brother. Since I only … Continue reading Taking Time to Play
Not What I Expected
Four years ago, I was considering retiring from school nursing and looking at my options. I wanted to work part-time and do something different. After Googling jobs for nurses, number ten on one list was Life Coach. I’d considered going into that area years before but the timing didn’t feel right. I had fifteen years … Continue reading Not What I Expected
Solo Journey: Dream Destination
In last week’s blog post, I told about how a Literary Agent set me on a Solo Journey of Indie Publishing. I knew my dream destination—publication of my memoir, but I felt hesitant to take the first step forward. Like when I approach my yearly solo journeys-- the destination is determined but there is uncertainty … Continue reading Solo Journey: Dream Destination
Unless You’re Famous
The Literary Agent from Denver sat at the opposite end of the sofa from me, both of us turned toward each other for my fifteen-minute session at the writers’ conference. In his hands was the proposal for my memoir that I’d painstakingly prepared over the past six months. The last fifty pages included the first … Continue reading Unless You’re Famous
I Choose Joy!
That day, my nursing supervisor called me to intervene with an employee situation. Since I’d worked in mental health for fifteen years before becoming a school nurse, she depended on me to help settle down a staff member who was upset, out of control about a student situation she felt had been mishandled. By the … Continue reading I Choose Joy!
Digging Up My Buried Shame
Our group of six women sat around the conference room table of Waverly Hematololgy and Oncology, the place where I'd received my chemo years before and now participated in the first Expressive Writing Group. Mary Barnard, Office Manager and poet, was our group leader and was certified in teaching the Write to Heal program created … Continue reading Digging Up My Buried Shame
Share Your Cancer Story
“Come on in and join the party!” my friend Mary, the birthday ‘girl’ and host, welcomed me. She was in the midst of checking the beverage coolers, taking care of her guests. It was Saturday night and I was ready for a break from my growing lists of tasks: next steps in publishing my memoir, … Continue reading Share Your Cancer Story
You Are Enough
That Saturday morning a year ago, I stood waiting for the ferry that would take me across the sound to the island of Iona for my week's stay at the Abbey. I'd dreamed of going to Scotland to that historic pilgrimage site and it was becoming a reality. When the ferry workers were preparing for … Continue reading You Are Enough
Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
"After all the dreaming, planning, and praying, I'm now at the threshold of Iona," I wrote in my journal a year ago as I looked across the white-capped-waters of the sound toward the stone buildings of the Abbey. I'd made it to the village of Fionnphort in the Inner Hebrides, where I'd booked a room … Continue reading Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
Connie Rosser Riddle 