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The Orville
Do you geek out over Star Trek? Do your friends lovingly call you a Trekkie? If so, welcome to the club! I’ve been a card-carrying member since the shag carpets and lava lamp days of the 60s. Hence, when The Orville hit the screens, a creation daring to trace its lineage back to the original series but not birthed by the Paramount clan, it felt like a mutiny. I staunchly refused to give it a peek. Now, quick disclaimer, I’m as into contemporary American TV as a vegan is into a bacon sandwich. I’ve managed to dodge every episode of Family Guy like a ninja, and while Ted, the movie, did have its moments of…
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How Deep?
What’s the depth of your literary (or any) mastery? This question, of course, leads us on an introspective journey, more rhetorical than realistic. I dream of wielding my pen with the grace and poise of Gabriel García Marquez. Or perhaps, mirroring the prolific nature of, say, a James Patterson. In the happy place of my mind, my stories would captivate readers who like novels from a couple of my favorites, Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Donnelly. But reality loves to bring one back down to earth, reminding me that I lack the talent and maybe the genuine passion needed to soar with my heroes. Yet, I’m constantly studying the craft, chipping…
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The Joy of Simple Pleasures: A Perspective on Entertainment
What really tickles your funny bone? Or, digging deeper into the matter, have we lost our ability to let loose and revel in simple joy? I’m no expert on the subject, merely a humble observer, sharing my thoughts. In the comfort of our homes, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to entertainment. We can indulge in a smorgasbord of digital delights on our sleek flat screens, immersing ourselves in the enchanting wonders of our natural world through documentaries, staying abreast of global happenings, enjoying the latest cinematic releases, or indulging in marathon sessions of our beloved series. Yes, we can also Netflix and chill, but let’s park that…
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Dow 11,000
As the new millennium dawned, the Dot-Com bubble teetered on the brink of collapse. The Dow Jones had scaled the dizzying heights of 11,000 points, but my boss, a petroleum engineer with a shiny Penn State masters, was prophesying doom and gloom. His wisdom was legendary, but on this occasion, I felt compelled to disagree. You see, I was neck-deep in an electrical engineering course at the time, hoping to transition to the sunny shores of project management. As the Dow crumbled down to a pitiful 7,000 points and NASDAQ tumbled a staggering 77%, my boss remained steadfast in his belief, saying, “The Dow will never hit 11,000 points again!” …
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Reviews on Google Maps
You’ve likely heard the saying, “If you want reviews, you gotta write reviews”—perhaps written in another writer’s newsletter. It never hurts to be reminded, and I admit I often remind myself. Picture this, pre-pandemic, I embarked on a journey, penning down my thoughts on eateries, inns, and attractions. Google Maps became my canvas. What type of processor are you? Let’s switch tracks momentarily. Are you the visual-processor type? You know, the kind who comprehends things better with visuals than reading the directions? For much of my life, I didn’t realize I was one of them. Here’s a scenario: If we’re in an unfamiliar town (not a Stephen King-esque ghost town,…
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How it All Began
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…” Mark Twain Ever pondered your passions? For me, this can be one of those big, philosophical life questions that keeps me up at night. We hear the question “what’s your passion?” all the time, like a broken record. Of course, some folks love to debate this topic. They just can’t see a path to happiness, I say. So, here’s my tale: Some time ago, I hung up my hat as a Project Manager in the renewable energy sector. Imagine an engineer who, instead of playing with gadgets and gizmos, orchestrated power plant retrofitting projects. The job required an unnerving amount of writing;…
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Wee Bird
A few mornings ago, I woke to hear rain pelting the outside world and little bird chirps. This is the story that burbled out from that moment. Dawn crept toward Wee Bird’s lake and forest home. With a sturdy leg, and one weakened an age during an encounter with Bully Bird, he gripped a leafless tree branch. His feathers lifted and fluffed to the chill morning air. Clouds, as broodingly gray as Wee Bird’s mood, taunted him from high above. The lake’s surface woke, glazing with diminutive ripples. A raindrop, large and heavy, splattered on Wee Bird’s head. Sheesh, he peeped. Another, and then another. It figures, he groused. Wee…
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Once Upon a Serene
A short piece of flash fiction for your reading pleasure. On a serene day at a lake, paddleboarding took a shocking twist when a ghostly, bikini-clad beauty floated into view. EMS was called. Chaos and speculating bystanders were just the beginning. So, I was meditating. All right, some would call it paddleboarding. But that’s where I can let my mind go limp. And, yeah, limp might not be the best word to use here. Let’s start over. Out to relax, spend time on our community lake, and get in a bit of exercise, that’s when it happened. Yeah, and you want to know about ‘it’. Pushy, pushy. Give me a…
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La Petite Cathédrale d’Elsie
(Author’s note: This story was selected for the 2021 Napa Valley Writers group Anthology, Third Harvest, released December 8, 2021 – available HERE*) Father Paolo gripped his cloak tight around his face, bent into the snowstorm, and moved on. A numb grip held his walking staff; fingers a mottled pink and pale, ghostly white. Aroused by the assault of another gust, he realized he no longer climbed with each step. Was this the vale he sought? When the wind abated, snowflakes surrounding him held motionless, as if considering their mission toward earth. He caught the scent of burning wood. The snowflakes returned to their downward flutter. He stopped and turned toward…
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Makes a Great Gift
New holiday pricing!!! Have you read Camino Child? Have you been wanting to read this new novel? Get your copy today, or, this new novel makes a great gift. Kindle edition $6.99 https://amzn.to/3Plr8rI Paperback $9.99. https://amzn.to/3PiJDN9 Camino Child is a multi-generation family epic, as told by teenaged Californian, Summer Darling. Follow along on her adventure across Spain in search of the truth about her family’s past. Will she find the answers as she treks hundreds of unfamiliar miles? From the back cover: Fifteen-year-old SUMMER DARLING and her grandmother have left their home in southern California to fly to the rugged coast of northern Spain, following a cryptic note and pages from a forty-year-old…
