December 2023
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My Wish for 2024: Be True to You
On January 1, 2023 I wrote a post quoting Dostoevsky of all things. I shared 490 words about being silly and putting a premium on being myself. Goofy due to sleep deprivation? Sometimes. Goofy because it’s my natural state? Quick to laugh whenever I can – especially at myself? Definitely. That beginning-of-the-year ramble inspired my Continue reading
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Embrace the Messy
I took a photo of the moon this morning. This moon – the one in the pic above. I had one eye open (barely) as I crept downstairs before dawn. The moonshine was so very bright I thought I’d missed a few hours of daylight. I thought the sun was already high in the sky. But Continue reading
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Enjoying the Moment!
Amazon rankings are like shooting stars — or roller coasters…fast, fleeting with scary twists and turns. But for the moment, I’m sitting pretty. Me…and “Surviving Sue” hanging out at #29. Cheers to supportive readers! Vicki ❤️ Continue reading
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Happy Birthday, Dad! ❤
Ho, Ho, Ho…and a heads-up! You may have read this post from a year ago…thinking about my beloved papa as his birthday rolled around. Today marks what would’ve been his 88th birthday and I’ll be celebrating him all day – in ways large and small – not least of which as I remember the gifts he Continue reading
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Heartfelt Feedback
I think one of the reasons I wrote about my mom, Sue, was to receive support and recognition for the effort and triumph of literally surviving Sue. If you’d asked me as I was wrote, I would’ve shrugged off that thought because I wanted to believe I was writing for posterity. To bring clarity for Continue reading
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You Are the Universe
I love this quote: You are the universe, expressing itself as a human for a little while. -Eckhart Tolle “You are the universe” is such a powerful phrase. A nudge to take care of ourselves, lest our needs tumult to the bottom of a lengthy to-do list. Tolle’s reminder also speaks to urgency…we are one, Continue reading
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Podcast Friday! Holiday Wisdom 🌟
I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I love the revelry and festivities. I hate the anxiety and retread over painful bits of family history. Every family’s got their share and I’ve yet to find wisdom that’s better than the gift Wynne and I received from our friend and writer, Stuart Perkins. Across my Continue reading
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Sue Had Rizz
Have you heard? The youthful Gen Z term,“rizz”, was crowned 2023’s word of the year by the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary: What it means: For those of us who haven’t heard the term before, “rizz” is slang for “style, charm, or attractiveness” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner,” according to Continue reading
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Lean Into the Light
I’ve had many mantras. Nothing fancy, just little bits of wisdom that fly into my consciousness if I can air it out. I tend to be a wayward thinker and can get wrapped up in cloaking mode, self-editing. Some days…. it’s a chore to self-talk my way into being me. Less artifice. Invoking advice from Continue reading
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Podcast Friday! Best Friend…Part Deux
Shoot. Darn. Rats. I don’t know where that expression comes from (I haven’t dug in to find out) but it came into my life from a dear work colleague who often wanted to unleash every swear word in her arsenal when she saw someone being slighted or maligned. Instead, “Caitlin” would vehemently vent, while pacing Continue reading
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Holiday Hopefulness
“We’ve all survived a Sue in our lives in one way or another. It’s a personal narrative that hits our hearts.” -Elizabeth I love Elizabeth’s feedback and wisdom. Yes — maybe your nemesis wasn’t named “Sue” but increasingly as readers dig into “Surviving Sue” I receive input that the challenges I wrote about are familiar. Continue reading
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Sentimental Significance
Some of you might recall the stories I shared about our big kitchen remodeling project. The kitchen refresh that morphed into a bathroom remodel…and then a gut of the laundry room. Guess what?! We’re on the other side and we survived! Paul and I are still married (and speaking to each other!) and we’re beyond Continue reading
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Podcast Friday! Being Your Own Best Friend
It’s a delight when Wynne and I get to visit with our friend, Dr. Gerald Stein and this week’s podcast was sooooo good, it’s dropping in two parts. I find I’m especially ready to receive wisdom when the calendar turns to December. Something about the end of one year and the near dawn of the Continue reading
“Surviving Sue”, a special story about resiliency and love: Eckhartz Press (paperback) and eBook on Amazon.
Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“
Visit Resources on Atkinson Group Solutions for more.
Podcasts
Listen to the “Sharing the Heart of the Matter” podcast.
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Workshops
Chicago Writers Association Speakers Bureau – Writing for Wellness; Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor; How to Create a Writing Platform; AI for Caregivers
About Me
Learn about five books that inspired and supported my writing journey by visiting my personalized book review page on Shepherd.
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