Monthly Archives: November 2011

Win a certificate and a t-shirt in only 30 days

Posted on November 29, 2011 by stillalife

November is ending, and with it my daily push to write at least two thousand words and complete the first draft of a novel as a participant in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  I exceeded the fifty thousand word minimum … Continue reading →

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Mrs. Scrooge goes shopping

Posted on November 26, 2011 by stillalife

Yesterday marked the beginning of the official holiday shopping season. Selecting gifts for others is high on my list of activities that stress the body and challenge the intellect. How do I know what anyone else wants and needs unless … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, friends and family, personal reflections, seasons | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

One helping of turkey and one of gratitude

Posted on November 23, 2011 by stillalife

Last Sunday my minister (sensei) shared memories of past Thanksgiving dinners with his relatives; one in particular always annoyed him.  He then told a story of a man who had gone on a hike through the woods to reach a … Continue reading →

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A game to help adults learn English. Or not

Posted on November 21, 2011 by stillalife

Today we held Talk Time, a once-a-month group for adults from other countries who want to practice their English, which three of us lead at a local elementary school.  Apropos of the launching of the winter eating season, we opened with … Continue reading →

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Nice work if you can get it

Posted on November 19, 2011 by stillalife

Since I’ve spent the last month writing, writing, writing for no money, this week I jumped at the chance to talk for money… in a focus group.  For years I’ve been in the database of a local market research company but … Continue reading →

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Clutter makes me crazy

Posted on November 17, 2011 by stillalife

My life is a continual, and often losing, battle against clutter.  Simply put, clutter makes me crazy. A few years ago we lived in a small, rental house for ten months. We devoted one bedroom exclusively to unopened boxes containing … Continue reading →

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And words to go before I sleep

Posted on November 15, 2011 by stillalife

November 15.  Exactly halfway through the month. At least fifty thousand words are the target for the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) November event, “Write a novel in a month.”  Thirty-two thousand words are behind me, sixty-four percent.  The total … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, writing | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Make like a tree and slow down

Posted on November 13, 2011 by stillalife

Should we humans imitate trees and enter a dormant state during late fall or early winter? My walking partner told me about hearing from someone living in upstate New York who said the downed trees there — the result of … Continue reading →

Posted in personal reflections, seasons | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Veteran’s Day tribute

Posted on November 11, 2011 by stillalife

This flag display, which I saw on my morning walk, inspired me to go to the cemetery to visit my dad and to remember my two uncles, all of whom served overseas during wartime. My dad was a Tech Sgt. … Continue reading →

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Is “common sense” common?

Posted on November 9, 2011 by stillalife

Is common sense all that common? David, the same hair stylist who inspired my last post on “creativity,” suggested “the death of common sense” as a blog topic.  He argued that because of excessive governmental regulations and laws,  people have … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, personal reflections | Tagged , , | 3 Comments