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Play Spud, Catch Fireflies, Run Through the Sprinkler
*** I am one of the lucky ones. My childhood was filled with laughter and love and long days spent outside that rolled into the evening. When I think of my formative years, I picture myself playing outside on the lawn, riding bikes through the neighborhood, going to the park, splashing at the neighborhood pool, or hunting down my friends in a friendly game of flashlight tag. We were outside most of the time; I’m sure my mother loved it that way. Besides, why be cooped up all day inside when the glorious sunshine beckoned us to come outside…and…well, play. Two days ago on one of my long walks in…
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7 Meaningful Takeaways from 2016
Hello Friends, Readers, and Fellow Bloggers, It’s hard to believe it’s that time of the year again—a time to reflect on the past year and see if there were any takeaways and lessons learned from the last 365 days. In my college classes, I always have students write a final reflection that permits them the opportunity to critically analyze what they have learned over the course of the semester. I figured I’d do the same about what I’ve learned in 2016. #1: Your Health Is Everything This past summer, I made a commitment to becoming healthier all around. This included diet, exercise, and my own personal health. Setting these goals…
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Christmas Supper Club
Last night, our friends Jackie and Matt hosted our final Supper Club dinner of the year. It’s always so nice to get together around Christmas, eat some delicious homemade food, drink some Christmas spirits, and share quality time with our friends. In fact, we knew how much fun we were having when all of a sudden we looked at the clock and said, “It’s almost midnight!” Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun. We’ve been getting together for over two years now; approximately every other month, each couple takes turns hosting at their home. The couple who hosts makes the main course and provides some drinks, and everyone else…
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Readers Share Baseball Girl on Social Media
I said this earlier in the week, and I mean every bit of it: I am touched by my friends and supporters. Thank you so much for helping a little independent author like me get the word out there. It’s word of mouth, sharing on social media, pinning, and talking it up that are seriously the best promotional tools for any indie author. Please know how much I value your support, encouragement, and kind words. As a quick tribute to those who have helped promote the news of Baseball Girl, I thought I would share some of the photos they have been sharing on social media. I’m truly tickled by…
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Five Tips for Finding Balance in Your Life
One of the most difficult things we deal with on a daily basis is striking that desired balance we want to achieve in our lives: the balance of juggling family, friends, work, commitments, exercise, kids activities, healthy eating, and more. It is not easy to “find the time” to do everything we want; therefore, we must learn to prioritize what is important each day. Tip 1 Plan each activity in your calendar. A great tip for helping find this state of “balance” is to plan each activity or task into your daily planner. For example, you should write in your planner or your iPhone calendar that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays…
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On slumps, in baseball and in writing…
Last night after my son’s baseball game and in the middle of a post-game, in-depth discussion about baseball bunting, I told my kids to hold it a second. “Let’s call Charles and ask him what he thinks about bunting.” I’m not a fan of bunting, though I do realize it has its benefits. I dialed Charles’s number, and he picked up. This, in itself, is miraculous. Sometimes he is just too busy to chat. Charles currently works for the Boston Red Sox, is a brilliant, creative mind, and happens to be one of my former bosses from my days at the Orioles. He also is one of those dearest of…
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Odds & Ends, Updates, Books & Joe Flacco
There was a lot of excitement this week… It all started Monday night, when ABC2’s THE LIST featured BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE on the show. It was a thrill to see the piece come together. Many thanks go to Steven, Nicki, Suzette, and my husband for helping this come to fruition. This week also marked the beginning of the spring semester. I hope my student are busy reading FRANK SINATRA HAS A COLD by Gay Talese, one of the greatest profile pieces ever written. We’ll be talking about that in magazine class this upcoming week. Originally written for Esquire in April 1966, it’s a classic snapshot that delves into Sinatra…
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Book ‘Em Danno: Making New Friends Through Book Club Visits
The support I’ve received for “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” has been overwhelming. From former students writing and publishing articles about the novel in local newspapers, to friends emailing me about how much they enjoyed it, to people recommending the book on Facebook or Goodreads, to book clubs asking me to attend their meetings, it’s been heartwarming. Truly. Then, add on top of it that “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” has been awarded a Finalist Award for Contemporary Fiction in Readers Favorite’s annual contest, and I’ve got a whole lot of warm and fuzziness going on right now. The Annapolis Book Bag Ladies and Cover Girls meetings, along with my colleague Leeanne’s…
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I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
* * * This was a big week for me. For the first time in my life, I can say I’m an author. I’ve written a book. I’ve endured the anxieties that come along with self-publishing, and miraculously, I’m still standing. It’s been a week where sleep has meant very little, but my friends have meant a lot. Launching one’s own piece of writing is a test. It’s truly a test of one’s own nerves. I’ve asked myself if I have the gumption to subject myself to criticism and opinion when the writing and plot of my book are dissected. I’ve got to have thick skin; it’s true. If I…
