Sunday, December 27, 2009

My Novel: Murder in a Teacup. A Winner.

I ended 2009 on a great note. My novel, Murder in a Teapot, placed second in the California Writers Club Jack London Contest for a first novel. I even received a cash prize. Wow! For the first time I earned money in my new profession. My goal is to publish something in 2010.

Send good thoughts.

Friday, December 4, 2009

How to Handle the Holidays

The holiday season can be somewhat overwhelming. There are so many events and parties, not to mention preparing huge dinners, baking cookies, shopping, wrapping presents—how to handle the holidays?
First, I begin preparing early, slowly and gradually. I call it my "nibble at the mountain method."
Second, I ask for help from relatives and friends.
Third, and perhaps most important, when I feel overwhelmed, I force myself to think only as far ahead as the next day or even the next hour.
Do you have strategies for minimizing holiday stress? Share them.

Friday, November 20, 2009

More of Life's Little Irritations

I've noticed that most people find that similar types of behaviors irritate them.
My friend, Art, shared some of his own:
• I dislike people who don't say thanks when I do something out of the ordinary for them. (That includes my own children and women I hold doors open for.)
• And waitresses who address my wife and I as "you guys."
• And people who talk loudly on cell phones on BART and (when) walking along Lake Elizabeth.
Most people I know, including me, would agree with Art. Now the question becomes: If most people are annoyed by behaviors like the ones mentioned by Art, then who is engaging in the irritating actions?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

School of Life

I often encounter people who seem to take pride in being outspoken, "speaking their minds." Usually these individuals are just plain rude. They often like to begin their caustic remarks with a caveat like: "I probably shouldn't say this but..." My reply is always: "Then don't say it!"

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Humor that Victimizes Mothers and Mothers in-law

There are many ways to express humor. I love a good laugh. However, I don't enjoy humor that requires a victim in order to be funny. I much prefer situational jokes. Strangely enough, in our country of "motherhood and apple pie," mothers and mothers in-law are far too often victimized in our humor. Our media puts down mothers and mothers in-law so frequently that foreigners sometimes question how much we really value these people. After all, there's truth in jest. Maybe we need to ask ourselves how much we really treasure our mothers? Perhaps we should alert the generators of this type of humor that we don't enjoy the message it sends.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

School of Life

When a door is slammed shut, a window is sure to open. This has proven true for me. The door slammed shut when my agent quit the profession, leaving me without a link to a publisher. A window opened when I got notification that my novel, Murder in a Teacup, came in second in the California Writers Club Jack London writing contest. The cash prize is nice, but adding it to my resume will be great.

Friday, October 2, 2009

School of Life

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I know this to be true. However, sometimes it's difficult to propel yourself forward when you've had a setback. The agent who offered me a contract on my novel, Murder in a Teacup, just up and left the agency for "personal reasons." Translation: Publication of my novel is back in square one. Now I have to get tough and get going. Know any agents?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Well Begun is Half Done

Well begun is half done. I agree. However, at times it is difficult to get started on a task. Sometimes the task seems so huge or tedious that we put it off until a "more convenient time." The fact is, this rarely works. So I apply my "nibble at the mountain" strategy. Here's how I apply it to various tasks:
• If I have to vacuum, I get the vacuum cleaner out and tell myself I'll just vacuum the hall. Invariably, I vacuum the whole living room.
• If I have to write a letter, I get out my stationery and a pen. I tell myself I'll just address the envelope and write the salutation. Usually I end up completing the letter.
• If I have to edit writing pieces for my writing group, I take out the first piece and tell myself I'll just edit page one. I almost always finish editing the whole piece.
I think when I give myself permission to just do a small part of a task, psychologically I'm willing to do more because I've convinced myself that I can stop whenever I wish. This way I prevent the job from becoming a drudgery.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Comments

Comments from followers are what make a blog useful and interesting. Several people have mentioned they saw no comment section on my blog. You may comment by simply double clicking below the posting on which you wish to share an opinion. When you double click, the word comment appears. Try it.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

School of Life

Jean Paul Sartre, the French existentialist, believed there is salvation in action. I think it's true. Whenever my spirit droops, I move into action. I may take a walk. Start or finish a project. Do a mundane task like sweep the garage. My spirit always improves when I move into action.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Goals

New goals add excitement to life.
They stimulate the brain and add zest to your days. It really doesn't matter what goals you set as long as they are something you really want to master. They can be short or long term, grandiose or tiny, complex or simple. The magic happens when you begin to work on them.

I've set three new goals for myself. First, I've decided to learn the guitar. I've almost mastered four chords and can play simple songs. Second, I purchased an iPhone and have already learned how to e-mail photographs and send text messages. Third, I am slowly but surely conquering our four television remotes.

With each little success, my confidence and excitement increases. Try it. Set a new goal.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Real Food Not Chemicals

Real food is easy to find. Here are some ways I choose foods.
• I choose foods from the perimeter of most grocery stores. That's where I usually find fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy products, and breads.
• I choose foods that do not have to be packaged in a sealed box or bag. I avoid prepared foods as much as possible.
• I choose foods that do not need labels in order for me to know what they are.
• I choose foods that contain ingredient names I can pronounce and that are familiar to me; not chemicals.
• I choose foods that only contain one to four ingredients and avoid foods with long lists of ingredients.

Friday, August 28, 2009

School of Life

Dump the junk. The human body is like an automobile. No matter how beautiful and shiny you keep the exterior, it'll turn into an old clunker if you don't maintain the engine. Dump the junk food. Maintain your body with lots of real food.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Later is Now

Don't put off until later those things you've always wanted to do. You may think you'll have more time in the future. Not true. Ask any retired person. They'll tell you they get up in the morning, turn around and it's eleven p.m. and the day is over. Find the time to do the things you love right now. Here's how I do it:

I combine— work on craft activities and/or ride my stationary bike while watching television, listen to French DVDs while driving, work out scenes for my novel and record the ideas into a small recorder while on my walk.

I find and use little slots of time—What do you do while waiting for the coffee to brew? for the doctor/dentist to appear? for your husband to get ready? during television commercials? standing in line somewhere? Depending on the situation, I may read my current novel, check my garden plants, or strum a chord or two on my newest passion, the guitar.

The point is: Later is now, so this is the time to do it.

Friday, August 21, 2009

School of Life

To paraphrase the French philosopher, Descartes. You can learn anything you want as long as you break it down into small enough pieces. Think about it.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Wrinkles

Probably the biggest cause of wrinkles is the sun. The best wrinkle cream is a sunscreen . I use an SPF 25 sunscreen that provides both UVB and UVA protection. It has only two active ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. I apply it everyday no matter what the weather.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Exercise is an Enabler

Exercise is an enabler. It enables you to do all the other things in your life by ensuring that you have good mental, physical and emotional health. Therefore, it must be a top priority, not something you do when you have time.

Here is my strategy. I don't adhere to a rigid schedule. However, I do make sure I take a two mile walk some time during each day, five days a week. I work out at my fitness center three days a week for thirty minutes. Again, the workout time is not rigid. What is rigid, is that I do it three days a week. Finally, I ride a stationary bike for twenty minutes five evenings a week. I do this while I watch my favorite television program.

Remember, in the case of exercise, some is always better than none.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Balance

When I joined the fifty and beyond nation I implemented a simple change that enriched my life tremendously. Balance. Now this concept of balance governs everything I do. In short, I allocate certain amounts of time to health maintenance, intellectual pursuits, hobbies, career and entertainment. Here's an example of how it works. Every morning I wake up early enough so I can read in bed for an hour. Five days a week, I walk two miles. I spend three hours a day on my writing. I watch television for two hours a day and am very selective about my choice of programs. I could go on, but you get the idea.

The critical point is this: Don't allocate so much time to one life activity that you end up skimping on or skipping another.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Welcome

Welcome to my new website for all those who are or will one day be over fifty. My goal is to share the countless benefits, joys and solvable problems of the best half of life. I invite you all to join me in this celebration by adding your comments about your experiences, solutions to difficulties and, most important, all the things you love about the best half of life.