SOL 28/31: By the Book

Inspired by Elisabeth's post today, I share my answers to some of the questions posed by The New York Times "By the Book" column:

Describe your ideal reading experience.

Outside, under a shade tree, in a mosquito free environment, with temps in the 70s. If I can’t have the mosquito free environment (hard to find in NC), I’ll take a wintertime read in my recliner, wrapped in a cozy blanket, with a cup of Ghiradelli hot chocolate beside me.

What books are on your night stand?

James by Percival Everett (my book club read for April); The Power of Stillness by Hess, Skarda, Anderson, and Mansfield; A Field Guide to the Heart by Georgia Heard & Rebecca Kai Dotlich; Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self Compassion by James Crew and A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal edited by Sarah Bessey.

What’s the most terrifying book you’ve ever read?

The first book club I belonged to (which I started in 1987) read Orson Scott Card’s Lost Boys in 1994. This book still sends shivers down my spine. I don’t normally read supernatural thrillers or horror. 

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

The Liberation of Gabriel King by K. L. Going was my favorite read aloud to share with my 6^th graders. It’s about the friendship between Gabriel King and Frita Wilson who faced their fears and discovered what courage was all about during the summer of 1976. It has some great scenes for reading aloud and meaty topics for discussion.

What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

The Random House College Dictionary (1972) gifted to me by my best friend’s parents, Patsy and Byron Rodden as a high school graduation gift. It’s made all the moves and holds precious memories from the days when I used a dictionary much more frequently than I do today.

What’s the last great book you read?

It’s a tie between The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.

How have your reading tastes changed over time?

I went from reading Snip, Snap, Snurr picture books to the Bobbsey Twins to Nancy Drew to Trixie Belden to Cherry Ames, Student Nurse to books by Victoria Holt and Catherine Cookson. Today my favorite genres to read are historical fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and middle grade novels.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

Dinner parties are way too much trouble. How about a sit and chat evening around the fireplace with everyone’s favorite takeout dishes? I’ll make dessert!

I would invite Lois Lowry (Gossamer and Number the Stars), Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn Dixie and The Tale of Desperaux) and Aubrey Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor and The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest). I listed two favorites for each author. I told you I loved middle grade novels!

SOL 27/31 & Poetry Friday: A Twilight Poem and Recent Library Finds

Marcie Flinchum Atkins is hosting Poetry Friday and asked us to share a poem about twilight in honor of her new book, When Twilight Comes, arriving on Tuesday. I'm reposting a twilight poem I wrote while in Utah earlier this month and sharing two new poetry finds from my library. 

 

Sunset beckons me

Nature's marvelous paintbrush

Springtime spectacle

Photo taken by me!

March 7, 2026 

Millcreek, UT

 

 

For A Girl Becoming was a serendipitous find on our library's New Books table. As soon as I saw that Joy Harjo (a favorite poet) was the author, I snatched the book off the table. The words from the inside flap wonderfully capture the essence of this book/poem: "Captivating verse accompanied by radiant paintings conjure homes, generations of family, a land of desert horses and mountain rain, and offer the promise of guidance and the gift of belonging." I need this book to add to my collection of books that promote story and generational connections. You'll want it too!

 

I love it when a poet uses the picture book format for a collection of poems. This book arrived on my holds shelf recently. DearAcorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends is a collaboration of nature poet, Joyce Sidman, and award-winning author and illustrator, Melissa Sweet who teamed up for this delectable book of letter poems about our natural world. The book concludes with a one page how-to for children, "Writing Letter Poems".

 

Have you discovered any new picture books of poems recently? 

 

 

This is my fifteenth year participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge, writing every day during the month of March. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life. 

SOL 26/31: A Faithful Writing Life

Credit for today's post goes to Sally who left a note for us at the end of her post: "If you are getting stuck for ideas, see if you have anything saved as a draft. Might just be the thing to get you to the finished line of this March 2026 challenge!"

Thanks, Sally for the inspiration to check my drafts where I found this almost completed post.

Today I'm sharing a few quotes about writing from my commonplace book, a handmade book I won from fellow slicer, Girl Griot in 2014.

"The holy is always there, like a luminous lifeline. In the end, it is a matter of opening the soul to seeing. (Fran Haley, Lit Bits & Pieces, 11-2-22)

"Writing is a daily practice, an opening of my heart to the whispers of my soul." (Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link) 

"When I see my days as a writer, life shimmers." (Ana Valentina Patton, Start With a Story, 2-10-26)

"And when I have a faithful writing life, I find the words, I find the story." (Leigh Anne Eck, A Day in the Life, 2-28-17)

I offer this post and these inspiring words with gratitude to so many of you who help me have a faithful writing life.

This is my fifteenth year participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge, writing every day during the month of March. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.  

SOL 25/31: An Illustrated Haiku

A haiku with accompanying photos demonstrates how quickly spring's pageantry vanishes:

 

Blossoms herald spring

Daffodil beckons hello

Leaves whisper summer  

 

 

    

SOL 24/31: A 'Ta-Da!' List

I first heard about the 'Ta-Da!' List on the podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Episode 134. Instead of a To-Do list, a 'Ta-Da!'l ist looks back at a day and celebrates the things you accomplished.

My 'Ta-Da!' List for Tuesday, 3-24-2026

 

Ate breakfast 

 
Finished prepping two boxes for mailing including gift items, cards & poetry, packing material, taping exterior of packages for secure mailing, & finding correct addresses

 
 Watched grandson from 10am-12:30pm

 
Read two picture books and several chapters in a Geronimo Stilton book

 
Started mixing chocolate chip cookies with grandson

 
Paused the mixing process for an emergency run to elementary school with another grandson's lunch 

 
Prepared grandson's lunch, baked a pan of cookies, and began cleaning kitchen (which grandson said was very messy) 

 
Had a visit with a friend who moved up her 2:30 visit due to other commitments

 
Ate lunch, Went to the post office, Tried to write a blog post

 
Had a scheduled FaceTime call/birthday chat with the Three Rees

 
Delivered cookies to neighbor, Squeezed in a walk

 
Reheated leftovers for dinner, Ate, & Loaded dishwasher

 
Dashed to daughter's to get youngest grandson to bed while she & husband lead Scout groups for oldest and middle sons

 
Home, Wrote this post

   

Want to know more about the 'Ta-Da!' list? Check out this post by Brianna Schubert.

 

This is my fifteenth year participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge, writing every day during the month of March. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life. 

 

SOL 23/31: Floors and Ceilings!

Here's the quick AI explanation:

"The "floors and ceilings" approach to habit formation is

a framework used to build consistency by setting a minimum baseline ("floor") to ensure action, and a maximum limit ("ceiling") to prevent burnout. This technique addresses the main failure point in forming new habits—relying on high motivation to perform large, unsustainable actions—by focusing on small, repeatable behaviors that create momentum regardless of daily circumstances."

Here's the goal I'm currently working on:

I want to deal with the paper in my life. I have more than one box of paper that I've collected from surfaces and stashed into boxes.

The floor or baseline goal is dealing with one piece of paper from my latest box of paper. The ceiling (or maximum limit to prevent burnout) for me is spending ten minutes dealing with paper. Can you tell that I can get overwhelmed quickly?

The key to success seems to be where I place the box! I recently put the box where I see it every night when I pull the decorative pillows off the bed. So even if I've failed to deal with paper during the day, there's the box reminding me: "Just one piece of paper." Last night, I dealt with one piece of paper and seven sticky notes.

About those sticky notes - I'm trying to limit their ability to proliferate by using a wire bound journal for notes to self. When I finish dealing with a page of them, I merely rip it out of the journal.

What tips do you have for dealing with the paper in your life?

Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life. 

SOL 22/31: Springtime

Day 22 deserves another Fibonacci poem. Kudos to fellow slicer, Natalie, who reintroduced me to this poetic form which follows the Fibonacci sequence for syllables in each line. The six lines have a syllable count of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 respectively. Credit goes to Greg Pincus for creating this form. 

 

 White 

bud,

redbuds,

glad pansy.

Promise of rebirth

Witness of His resurrection. 

 

Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.