Category Archives: humor

“NaNoWriMo” is over and so is any hope for discipline

Posted on December 3, 2017 by stillalife

November was National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo and mispronounced by friends as something like “Nah, No Rhinos.” My first foray into NaNoWriMo took place in November 2011. That year I participated fully, which means I started a … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, humor, personal reflections, writing | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

What is that smell?

Posted on November 5, 2017 by stillalife

Ever have a room in your house you didn’t know what to do with? I did. But recently, I decided to fix up that room, which is known as a “bonus room,” even though having it did not feel like … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, humor | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Bad experiences make a good story

Posted on October 29, 2017 by stillalife

“We’re all made of stories. When they finally put us underground, the stories are what will go on.” Charles de Lint, contemporary fantasy author. I love stories, to tell them and to hear them. When I’m in a particularly uncomfortable … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Magical realism in Norway

Posted on October 22, 2017 by stillalife

To open his magical realism story, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” Gabriel Garcia Marquez puts his character in front of a firing squad and has him remember the first time his father introduced him to ice. In a different magical … Continue reading →

Posted in humor | 3 Comments

Work habits of creative people, unusual and otherwise

Posted on August 2, 2017 by stillalife

When people find out I’m working on my second novel they often ask about my writing schedule. “Do you have a particular time you write every day?” “Do you start writing as soon as you get up?” “Do you prefer … Continue reading →

Posted in books and movies, humor, writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Meet the modern Norwegian troll

Posted on July 5, 2017 by stillalife

It’s not only sports teams that have mascots. Cities and countries do too. Last time I was in Washington DC — many years ago — panda statues inhabited many city streets. These were large creations produced from the same mold. … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, travel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Alternative medicine?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by stillalife

Marijuana is so sixties and seventies, we said a few years ago, after voters in our state passed an initiative to permit the sale of it in authorized stores. Who in our generation would be interested at this point in our … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, humor | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Have an adequate day

Posted on March 7, 2017 by stillalife

“Have a great day.” Americans have a knack for exaggeration, our president more than most –“huge, best, greatest” being his frequent and usually self-referential contributions — but the rest of us are also guilty of using superlatives in everyday conversation. “Have a great … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, memories, personal reflections | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Martha Stewart and me

Posted on January 9, 2017 by stillalife

I imagine that the first thing Martha Stewart does in planning a dinner party is create a guest list.  Of course it’s possible that, instead, she begins with an idea of some dish she’s been craving, say, pork belly and tomato … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, humor | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Resolving the problem of extreme list making

Posted on December 19, 2016 by stillalife

Were you one of the gazillion readers who pushed sales of The Lifetime Magic of Tidying Up through the rooftop? For those who didn’t read the book, author Marie Kondo shared tips for the sport of extreme decluttering. Kondo gave one piece of … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, personal reflections | 6 Comments