Category Archives: Lifestyle

IT’S A GREAT YEAR TO REUSE YOUR OLD CALENDAR!

What do 2023, 2017, 2006, 1995, and 1989 have in common? Turns out that date-wise, they have everything in common. Those years and many more are exactly the same. I learned this by checking a Perpetual Calendar, a list that … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle | Tagged , | 8 Comments

WHY I WRITE COZIES, AND WHY I READ THEM, TOO

This is a harsh world. The last nearly-two years have brought an even harsher layer to what already was. Pandemic, violence, civil unrest. In the face of this reality, I choose to see also the good, the beauty, the kindness, … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, My Cat Cozies, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

2022 DAY ONE-FINISHED MY MEMOIR!

  It’s the first day of a brand new year! I didn’t do it on purpose, but this morning I finished the second draft of my memoir, THERE’S A CAT HAIR IN MY MASK: How Cats Helped Me Through Unprecedented Times and … Continue reading

Posted in Alcoholism & Addiction, anxiety disorder, Cats, Death & Dying, Emotion, Getting Older, Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Life Through Amber, Lifestyle, memoir, mental illness, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Cat, by Mary Nielsen

When Mary Nielsen approached me with “10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Cat”, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Then she told me she had created the infographic to motivate more people to adopt cats instead of buying them, … Continue reading

Posted in Animal Shelters, Cats, Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, OTHER BLOGGERS | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

THE THING ABOUT RETIREMENT

A little over a year ago, I retired from my full-time job as a records scanner for a large medical concern. In reality, it was quitting since there is no Social Security payment involved, but only time that is now … Continue reading

Posted in anxiety disorder, Getting Older, Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RANT

Warning: This blog is rated PG-13 for V, L, P (politics), SA (substance abuse). Next blog I’ll say something nice. Promise. It’s election year. Enough said, except this year is even stupider than usual. It was one thing when we … Continue reading

Posted in Alcoholism & Addiction, Emotion, Lifestyle, Save the World | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

ALCOHOLISM: NOT AS BAD AS KARL

I knew I had a drinking thing, but I didn’t call it a problem. There’s an old joke found primarily on tee shirts: I don’t have a drinking problem. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down. No problem. That … Continue reading

Posted in Alcoholism & Addiction, Death & Dying, Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, memoir, mental illness | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

THE ARCHITECTURE OF EARLY SPRING

Spring in Portland, Oregon comes early. February is a magical month, where crocuses bloom and Japanese quince burst their coral buds. It begins with the snowdrops, one unseasonably warm and sunny day, and progresses in between rain storms to a … Continue reading

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IS THIS YOUR YEAR TO SKIP VALENTINE’S DAY?

Valentine’s Day, two little words signifying love and relationship. Originally intended to honor a sweetheart, lover, or wife, Valentine’s Day has expanded to cover anything and everything you could vaguely ever love. This is the work of advertising agencies and … Continue reading

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Reblogged: Weigh Your Characters Carefully

Source: Weigh Your Characters Carefully How much do book characters weigh? Does the author tell you or leave it up to your imagination? Do you want to see characters as an image of yourself, or would you rather visualize what … Continue reading

Posted in Blogging, Health, Wellness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, OTHER BLOGGERS, Other Stories, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment