Today’s Memorial Day, a natural time for musings on mortality and the shadow side of our lives and the world around us. Late yesterday afternoon I dragged my garden hose to the back yard for yet another session of watering. (It’s been abnormally dry here in upstate New York.) When I got to the viburnum I planted… [Read More]
Archives for May 2009
Dreamwork, Dogs and Greeks
This morning I was service leader at my church, the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany. The theme was “War and the Soul,” and the speaker, Dr. Ed Tick, specializes in treatment of post traumatic stress disorder among soldiers returning from war. His remembrance ritual and sermon were somber reminders of the significance of Memorial Day. I’d… [Read More]
Bookstore panel: Audience outnumbers authors – by one!
Thursday night I participated in a panel discussion at a beautiful independent bookstore, along with three other members of the Sisters in Crime of Upstate New York. Four authors, five people in the audience – not counting two authors’ spouses and the owner of the bookstore. Most of us drove a considerable distance to get… [Read More]
Talking back to your inner critic – an exercise in creativity
Writing about dreamwork yesterday, I got to thinking about other techniques and exercises I’ve used as a creative arts therapist. Back in the 1980’s, I gave numerous workshops at colleges and growth centers in the Hudson Valley – “Empowering Yourself through Creative Art Therapy,” that sort of thing. I even taught at Omega Institute for a… [Read More]
Dream Power – A way to boost creativity
I’m at a large conference, trying to find a seat before the final presentation starts, when I see a display table featuring laptop computers for sale at a bargain price. I’m tempted, wonder whether to consult my husband first, but decide to go ahead and buy one now. The computers come in pretty black and… [Read More]
James Lee Burke – perseverance furthers
In my mailbox this morning I found the thick glossy program from the Mystery Writers of America ‘s Edgar Awards Dinner. I didn’t attend; it’s too pricy for me. But I did splurge enough to attend the symposium* the day before. I was especially inspired by Julie Smith’s interview with this year’s two Grand Masters, James Lee… [Read More]