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THE WORLD STOPS FOR NO ONE. HOW DO I KNOW?

February 1, 2022 by

The world stops for you, and you, and you, because you need a break? And it stops for the rest of us because things are moving a little too fast? Hold that thought. Hold the next one, too. Hold it tight.

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DAILY WALK CLEARS THE MIND? “PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS? A FRANC?”

January 22, 2022 by

A daily walk in Paris is different than a walk in Tigard, Oregon. This man is walking toward the Invalides. The Pont Alexandre III bridge is behind him and connects the Invalides on the Left Bank to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais museums on the Right Bank. I saw him and thought, ‘This is […]

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MAP LIFE STARTS WITH FOLLOWING A PLAN

January 19, 2022 by

A map life starts with an idea, then a list. The idea is to see more than the usual, the every day, the mundane. A list compiles those magical places. You should have a list. If you have a travel partner and they make a list, make one anyway. Show some interest even if you […]

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GIFT GIVING? HOLD MY BEER SIGN

January 4, 2022 by

Gift giving is such a mixed bag of emotions. From the funny: “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, this is just what I wanted.” To the sad: “I didn’t know what to give you, so…” For reference, no one wants a beer sign after college, at least that’s the common adult thing. Beer sign […]

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ALBANY CAROUSEL INSIDE AND OUT

November 21, 2021 by

The Albany, Oregon Carousel is stunning, but a different sort of stunning. Instead of cute, like nice effort for a small town cute, it’s a world class art installation. You could pick it up and transport the building and all of its contents to any museum or amusement park in the world and it would […]

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BLOG TOOLS: HOW TO ORGANIZE TIME AND SPACE

October 1, 2021 by

Blog tools help writers get where they’re going, and as any writer will tell you, they are going to fill up a page. Sometimes it’s a long, long, loooooong haul to fill up one page, then another, then another. Look at a stack of printer paper some time and imagine filling them all. From the […]

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EVIL HISTORY IS TOO PAINFUL FOR STUDENT READING?

July 11, 2021 by

Evil history includes a list of everything you wish you’d never heard of. It’s the story of man’s injustice to his fellow man, and woman, and non-binary person. If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve heard some evil history; add a few more years and you’ve lived some of it, and the aftermath. Everyone has a […]

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THOUGHTFUL TRAVEL, OR HOW TO GET WHERE YOU PLANNED ON GOING

April 14, 2021 by

Thoughtful travel feels like something that takes the fun out of adventure. Besides, how thoughtful do you need/want to be in getting someplace? Plan the place, load up, and head out works. Until it all goes south. If you have all of your thoughtful travel plans on your phone, then lose your phone on the […]

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AMERICAN CITY ON THE LEFT COAST: PORTLAND

July 26, 2020 by

Normandy, not Portland Portland, Oregon is an American city on the west coast. Not too big, not too small, but just right for a big rural state on the edge of the North American continent. (Think top left corner of America. That’s Seattle. Everybody knows Seattle. Portland is down from there.) For an extra reminder, […]

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BOOMER WRITER WHO DOESN’T WRITE EXPLAINS ‘PROCESS’

July 14, 2020 by

You’ve seen the boomer writer in a coffee shop, or at least used to before covid took up residence. They have a table, a backpack, and coffee, while they unpack like a campout. That’s the early stage. Later, they show their work place, a replica of the one they wanted to avoid, their home desk. […]

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