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SELF-TALK SECRET? YOU’RE NOT THAT BAD

Self-talk proves one thing: You’re an easy sell if you talk yourself into trouble. Then what? Talk yourself out of trouble. What did you think? And that’s where opinions differ.

D0G LESSONS FOR THE REST OF US

Dog lessons begin with a special dog. Since all dogs are special to every family who lives with one, this particular dog is the prime example. Why this dog? It’s the dog I know best, the dog who knows me best. First a note on dog owners:

BEACH TOWN? THERE’S ONLY ONE

Beach town is where I grew up. We had beaches all over the place, surrounded by beaches. But it was a bay town, a town on Coos Bay. Just not Coos Bay.

BLOGGER PROBLEMS: AN AUTHENTIC TAKE

  Blogger problems come in the same package as any other problems. And they get the same initial response: What. The. Hell? After all that calms down, writing begins. For example:

FIRST POST OF 2024: THE HOPE PLAN

The first post of the year feels like the other 365 from last year, more or less. Every one has had the potential of searing an idea into someone else’s brain. When something makes an impression on you, don’t you write it out until it makes sense? Let’s dedicate 2024 to writing it out until […]

WRITERS DREAM HOUSE NEEDS A DREAMY INTERIOR TOO

Everyone has a ‘Dream House.’ They know it when they see it. “That’s the house of my dreams.” Two blocks later it’s another house. I could drive around town all day looking at dream houses, but which one is the dreamiest?

PORTLAND VIEW, THE OTHER PORTLAND

The Portland view we’ve all seen is akin to a metro trash transfer station. You know the place, where you pull up with a load, pay the fee, and get directed to a one in a series of huge bins. Front loaders drive around pushing trash back so you have room. Then you back in, […]

HOW OLD IS ‘OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER?’

How old were you when you first heard it? My memory says I was a seven year old who couldn’t field a grounder after my last ‘bad hop’ bounced off my face. I wasn’t technically afraid of the ball, except I was afraid of what the ball might do. When one of the baseball fields […]

CHRISTMAS CONTRAST: LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR

A Christmas contrast happens every year. Whenever some adult says, “I remember when I was a kid. Christmas was different,” is just the start. Different? Compared to what? Was Christmas nicer?

TRUE JOY, A COMPENDIUM

Who thinks of true joy as the day your parents permitted you to ride your bike to your pals house a couple of streets over? They trusted you because you demonstrated proficiency on your street. Now you were one of the big guys. When you got that first bike you wanted to ride it everywhere. […]