Archives for 2013

An Ode To My New Roof

Oh, my ducklings, it’s has been such a hectic couple of weeks here at the Palatial Horvath Estate! Many things hit all at once, but a goodly portion of my time has been consumed by the choosing of a contractor for, figuring out how to pay for, and surviving the installation of, my new roof. […]

Always Something In The Box

There’s an exercise that Patricia Ryan Madson describes in her wonderful book, Improv Wisdom. (Ms. Madson taught improvisational theater at Stanford to standing-room only classes for twenty years.) Here’s the exercise: Imagine a box with a lid. Hold the box in your hand. Now open it. What’s inside? It might be a frog, a silk […]

Byron For Tuesday

The problem with having a snazzy holiday like Labor Day on a Monday is that all week long I forget what day it is.  So I completely forgot today was Tuesday and didn’t prepare a blog post.   Oh the horrors!  But never fear – Lord Byron is leaping to my rescue.  He’s like that. […]

Hands In The Dirt

Gentle readers, I promise you that I tried to plod through the drama of the past two weeks.  I did.  I DID!  But then…I got swept up in the whirlwind and found myself trapped under my house and my ruby slippers were stolen by this chick carrying a dog in a picnic basket… Okay.  Maybe […]

Imagination

Baby, I might not have a lot, but I’ve got me one good imagination. For the most part, this stands me in good stead.  Imagination lets me inhabit the heads of different people in different places when I write, but there’s more to it than that.  Imagination is what lets you see beyond what’s there […]

Plodding Through A Perfect Storm

We all go through periods in our lives that seem to be a perfect storm – a time when everything collides in mass of pure nastiness. Just for an example…let’s say your muggle job is somewhat demanding, you have family responsibilities for your elderly mother, and you have some health and money issues.   Sure, […]