The Sounds of Winter
Chicago winter - late afternoon yesterday outside my building We've emerged from subzero temperatures here in Chicago, but as winter has gripped the outside with ample snow, treacherous streets and salty sidewalks, I've been noticing how different the world sounds. Winter, at least in the city, has its own sounds, such as the revving up of an engine and the squealing of [...]
Looking Back: My Most Meaningful Read of 2013
My most meaningful read of 2013 was, without a doubt, Julia Cameron's The Right to Write. It transformed my understanding of the creative process; it has me writing Morning Pages every morning and loving it. I go on regular Artists's Dates (see, for example, my trip to the Japanese Garden in Rockford), and I go on Walks as often as [...]
Looking Back & Ahead: A Writer’s Workbook 2014
Download my free 14-page workbook to review and plan your writing life. For the writers among my readers, I have a little gift: my Writer's Workbook 2014 (download it by clicking on the title). If you're not a writer but another creative soul, it might also work as it is a 14-page tool to review the past year and plan for the [...]
My Quandary with Christmas Music
First of all: Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! Secondly, my essay about my very own quandary with Christmas music, "Can a Jew Love Christmas Music?" appeared today in Tablet Magazine. And oh, thanks to youtube, here's a rendition of Connie Francis' "The First Noel" that I talk about in the essay.
Looking Back: Trips 2013
New York - January Beacon Theatre on Broadway - the announcement of the Groenemeyer Concert caught my eye and led to a wonderful concert experience later in Chicago. {related blog post} I've started working through Susannah Conway's Unraveling 2014 Workbook. I highly recommend it! I did this last year at about the same time, and I'm thankful to Susannah that she [...]
Cracking a Code: When You Finally Learn to Understand American Knitting and Crocheting Patterns
I did it! I taught myself how to read an American knitting pattern! It feels like I learned how to read, and it reminded me how powerfully enabling it is to be able to read a certain language, to make sense of all those combinations of letters. All of a sudden, you can partake. The world opens up. Up until [...]