New Year. For Real
Now that the confetti and pine needles have been cleared… Now that the flurry of holidays and celebrations seems long ago… Now that all those good intentions and certain promises no longer compel or inspire… Now what? I love the momentum of a new calendar page or ritual to inspire the changes I know I should…
Book Covers, Yoga Pants, and Lipstick
I spend many days dressed very casually. Life gets lived in that uniform -grocery shopping, banking, and any other obligation of adulthood. When I’m really lucky, it’s pajamas and slippers all day. Then, other than an occasional from-the-neck-up video call, my daughter’s the only one to be graced with that particular sight. Regularly, I also…
Rollercoasters and the Lake
I had two books come out this week. To say it’s been a wild ride should win some sort of award as understatement of the millennium. A couple of my early reviewers mentioned that it was like a roller coaster ride. I liked it, considering that was exactly the effect I was trying to…
The Same. And Different.
I uttered two words yesterday that startled me as they came out of my mouth. “Bundle up.” The temperatures have dropped enough that I needed to suggest an extra layer on an afternoon walk. Sure, that layer was only a light sweatshirt. And it’s still sunny and bright and beautiful. (Which is infinitely…
Slippery Walls and a Comfy Seat
Sometimes it feels as if I am at the bottom of a well with slippery walls. It’s rarely as bad as it sounds. Or bad at all. My writer’s cave feels like this, a combination of must and should and just can’t not. I love being in it. So much so that I…
Sympathy, Empathy, and Not Making it Worse
It’s tough. Witnessing someone we care about going through something painful can bring even the strongest of us to our knees. We struggle with what to say, what to do, how to act, how to help. It’s no accident that the language of condolence has been distilled down to an easy-to-remember script:…
Chasing Rainbows
It was a typical day in the Pacific Northwest: overcast with spots of rain throughout the day. On the long scenic drive from one of my honey’s favorite annual rituals (an oyster festival) we were enticed with several stunning rainbows. There are few things that fill me with more child-like glee than rainbows. The…
Feedback. And Vomiting.
Feedback can be a lot like vomiting. That image comes to me as my days fill with critique, both giving and receiving. I’m helping several people with their artistic works in progress as well as working with responses on my own project. I had to tell one person that it felt like she…
Rise. And Rise Again.
My name, Pascale, is related to Easter. It’s, admittedly, an odd choice for atheist parents to name their daughter, but I digress. Rebirth is my middle name. (Actually, Elizabeth is my middle name, but you know what I mean.) For whatever reason, renewal, reinvention, and renaissance have been on the marquis of the theater…
Your Check Engine Light Is On
Even the most rudimentary, single-celled organism has the ability to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Why, then, are we – as complex beings with consciousness and choice – taught that the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are the root of all suffering? After decades of asking, and searching, I still…