We take our true crime seriously here in the Pacific Northwest. I think that’s because we were home to both best-selling true crime author Ann Rule, and notable serial killer Ted Bundy. In a strange crossing of paths, Ann Rule and Ted Bundy both volunteered at a suicide crisis hotline in Seattle and were friendly. I’m qualified to weigh in about this because when Ted … Continue reading The Murderer Killings
It feels like I’m spending a lot of time with pitches these days. No, that’s not a World Series joke, although that would be timely. I mean the “a form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something.” For example, PR agents pitch guests to come on my How to Share podcast. I pitch sponsors, guests and hosts for why … Continue reading The Art of the Pitch
Step into Nepal’s current political situation through the eyes of a young, visionary doctor I met during my pilgrimage. Continue reading Nepal’s Unrest Through the Eyes of a Young Visionary Doctor
I regularly ignore all AI suggestions for my posts. Sentences too long? Not enough headings? Bah! But I write my titles last. And every once in a while I will test out the title generator when I’m stuck finding the right title. Wow, are those title suggestions dry! For instance, I tried it with this post. Would anyone click through to?: But of course those … Continue reading Writing For Humans
This past weekend, my five-year-old son and I were looking at the Guiness Book of World Records. It’d been about 6 weeks since we’d last picked it up. When we came to the woman with the world’s longest fingernails, he giggled and said, “How does she wipe her bum?” Which is the joke I made the last time we were thumbing through the book. Then … Continue reading Words to Remember
The other day I pushed my double running stroller up the hill near our house and it spoke to me. The stroller, that is, not the hill. Although with the steep inclines in Seattle, they’ve spoken to me in other ways. I was taking the empty stroller to the second-hand shop in our neighborhood so this was our last walk together. With my hands on … Continue reading Oh the Stories You’ll Tell
You know what is celebrating its 70th anniversary? The Guiness Book of World Records. What an interesting book franchise. I read it as a kid – and my kids love it too. More than that, they came to it without any input from me. It was some combination of YouTube Kids and a book fair at the school library. Whatever the source, getting the 2025 … Continue reading The Unique and Amazing You
When I recently saw Moana 2, there was one line that jumped off the screen and screamed to me. “For some things we never feel ready.” My nine-year-old daughter was sitting next to me and asked why I was writing that down. Funny because she was one of the things I wasn’t quite ready for. I’d chosen to become a single mom at age 46, … Continue reading We Never Feel Ready
About 25 years ago, I met a man that seemed to be able to see into the depths of me. He had this delightful romanticism, soulfulness, and energy about him that was so intriguing. And there was a palpable connection between us that we both attested to. Over the years, we tried dating a few times but the timing was never right. We even happened … Continue reading Grateful for What I Don’t Have
Can you believe it has already been a year since I published my first post here on Wise & Shine? As we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada today, I’m counting my blessings. One of the things I’m grateful for is the opportunity to start my week and yours by having my thoughts appear in your inbox on Monday mornings. In today’s post, I thought it would … Continue reading Highlights of My First Year on Wise & Shine
When I was graduating from college with my electrical engineering degree, the last class I had to take was a technical writing course. I was taking it as a correspondence course because I thought that would be more convenient. This was back in the day when you had to literally mail it in. Unfortunately, I learned more than just how to present technical information. Because … Continue reading Sequence Matters
My one-year-old puppy-in-a-big-dog-body, Cooper, likes to steal stuff. Shoes and socks mostly, but he’s not above nabbing a pair of underwear or a blanket. It’s his invitation to play. He grabs the contraband, backs up a foot or two so he can maintain eye contact but also have enough of a head start and then dares you to pursue him. Of course, I tell my … Continue reading An Invitation to Play
I was listening to a podcast in which a journalist was talking about how they pitched a project to National Geographic. And it struck me – what if we had to have an elevator pitch for all the ways we are spending our time. Would it help us see our every day lives in a different light? Could we pitch our lives as best sellers? … Continue reading Practicing The Pitch
I walk in a humongous forest Among all the trees Each one Dressed in different shades of green and brown Deeply rooted in the ground They seem to be free, spellbound They all stand tall under the sun Seemingly having fun Decorated with their beautiful crown I watch their branches dance, to enhance An orchestral hum Creating the most breathtaking sound Through their tonous choir They … Continue reading The Trees and I
Disney announced they are releasing, Mufasa: The Lion King at the end of 2024. December 20th, to be specific. More than thirty years since the first release in this beloved series we are getting the backstory on Mufasa. How did he become one of the greatest leaders of the Pride Lands? Why was Scar so angry and cynical? I love backstories. They help me understand … Continue reading The Gift of a Backstory
Over the 62 episodes we’ve produced, I’ve been lucky to talk with enough bloggers on the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast that I do with Vicki Atkinson to know it’s a pretty universal experience that we felt that nervous feeling before pushing the “publish” button. Definitely for our first post – and for many subsequent posts as well. It has me thinking about … Continue reading Bravery, One Publish at a Time
Recently I was in a noisy restaurant with some friends and acquaintances recently when I heard someone behind me say, “Before I became a parent, I never thought I would ever…” It caught my ear so I turned to find it was a friend, the mother of a three-year-old, who had started the sentence. I asked her to repeat herself. “Before I became a parent, … Continue reading In Hindsight
My brother introduced me to a new phrase when were talking a few months ago about Dutch Bros Coffee. Dutch Bros is a West Coast company that he described as “an overnight sensation thirty years in the making.” I asked for clarification. My brother said that Dutch Bros is a darling of Wall Street since this went public at the end of 2021. But they’d … Continue reading Years In The Making
Almost 3 years ago to the day, I was scrolling through my WordPress feed, desperate to connect with a publication, attract readers, and advance my fledgling career as a writer. Continue reading Dear Readers: Thank You & Until Next Time…
I was standing frozen on the front on my yoga mat this morning. I do a series of seven sequences of about 14 poses each. It only takes me about 15 minutes but it’s amazing how often I unroll the mat, step into position, and find that I don’t want to begin. I know that the sixth sequence with side plank pose is the hardest … Continue reading Just Start
