Last night during a lull in the Insomnia Wars, I had a dream. Personally, I think dreams are underrated; they are always significant (if only to know what not to eat before bedtime). This dream had as its main feature a lost suitcase and my futile efforts to recover it, despite realising at one point…
Perfect Thyming
I slide the glass door In wafts smell of thyme mint and lavender travel, too, but thyme the stronger scent reaches me first. Thyme, lord of herbs, travels first — lavender and mint close on her heals. This thyme’s a woman, three times the lady I am. I but planted her grounded her roots; her…
Words to the Whys
More than once I’ve been asked why I identify with, and therefore travel, the Sufi path. (It is a path, not a religion. You don’t have to be a Muslim to be a Sufi; anyone can travel the path, either solo or with the beliefs of your choice as a companion.) I found online this…
I blame Yoda
‘No try. Only do.’ Do; do; do. As Americans (but increasingly I’m seeing it in other societies as well), we’ve grown up believing that only when we are ‘doing’ are we of any value. And as a sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder, I have spent my life trying to ‘do’; trying to prove I was…
Top Ten Tips (or, The Tao of the Broc for her bewildered friends & family)
I started with four tips. Then it was six. Now I do believe it’s more than ten, but I love to alliterate, so what can I say? After the Tips, I’m afraid I’ve got even more to say. [Words of warning: don’t read this at work unless your boss is out of the office. You’ll…
‘Can’t Connect to the Server’
It nearly always happens after I’ve given up. My pot of coffee is down to its last cold sips (like myself, no matter how I bundle it up, the carafe goes cold rapidly), yet another morning’s ritual has been denied. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that I have replaced my cherished coffee-and-crosswords routine…
I did it! I did it! I really, really did it!
Yes, I managed to crank out 50,000+ words to win NaNo for the fourth (or is it fifth?) time. Zippedy-doo-dah! I’ve titled the book ‘Burying Octavia,’ and it really has been fun to write. I’d say I’m halfway through the story, if that. I had a writing partner this time, my young neighbour Mia, who…
New book. New address. Old friend.
Well, I may have had to leave my PhD program, and I may be unemployable these days, but I can still use my education. I just started another NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) despite the fact I have a perfectly good, already-written novel that just needs a bit of TLC. The new one is called…
Baffled
Why do lovers lie? Why alter Truth’s face— a nip here, a tuck there— botox that baby into a fixed, forced smile? Then trot that tarted-up Truth onto a stage Hope she doesn’t forget her lines Add a laugh track Pray the hidden Truth doesn’t stumble in, tripping over the footlights? True lovers love…
Lighthearted Nonsense on Growing Old(er)
In the mirror this morning, I noted with dismay a fresh crop of red rash on my nose. While today it may match my t-shirt, most days it doesn’t. Besides, I am rather sick of looking like Rudolph’s twin. “Un-ex-plained rash,” said I to myself. For some reason it reminded me of the song “My…
