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https://www.amazon.com/author/h.h.pen Here it is…the beginning of seeing my dream life take shape. The moment I told my self-doubt to shut the hell up. The tingling anticipation to see words I strung together become their own creation. While still just a short story…a tiny short story…it is a start. A test of my inner resolve. The hounding, nagging voice in my heart telling me to begin again. To…

The Pen is operational, again. H.H. Pen is back at her desk! Something is coming….Stay tuned. Two cranky, old crones. One impending disaster. A little spooky story with a surprising twist.

This bit of whimsy fits me today…ready for summer, ready for a haircut, ready definitely for a facial….but oh, yes, underneath it all, I am ready to have a party! Aren’t we all? What good news to hear the latest: our chance to have a ‘somewhat’ normal summer continues to look (cautiously) good. Pinch me. My mind wanders off toward the party idea…hmmm. Paper lanterns, buckets of cold brew,…

~if we were having coffee~

I would ask you how you set up your writing spot at home? Do you have a bright, sun-softened room that lends itself to calm energy? Is there an old vintage desk, or a new offering considered “farmhouse” style? Do you stack papers on it, on one corner? Do you keep your phone nearby or stash it across the room so that you can stay focused? Do you have carpet, wood-flooring, or perhaps fancy tile?…

It has been a while. I long while, in fact. Hasn’t that been the experience of the past year? A very L-O-N-G year. But I am not going to wax on and on about the state of affairs under the rule of Covid-19. I am ready to be through this part of my growth. Handling a pandemic requires a new set of skills, a new sense of community, (even in isolation from said community), and a deep inner wellspring…

And now, I am …EXHAUSTED! What is with that? I could say it is age, or the mid-day slump…or lack of sleep…but…

Shaken. Stirred. Smothered. It has been a bit of a noodle; this month of March. Wait. Add in February, too. Year in, Year out, these months test me. Weird situations occur, that I handle in ways I later regret. My nerves are edgy. My usual quite amazingly wise and stoic tolerance becomes irrationally depleted. I grump. I grumble. I rail at the world.

Cabin fever was the excuse, in the past.…

  It all began simply enough. Years of visiting a location that left me both enriched and yearning. The visual beauty of a place that nature had bestowed with a palette of delicious color. Tall quaking Aspens bending to each summer storm, and rustling as you napped. Clear streams that made your hands ache in the sharp cold, if you dared to reach in. Which you must.

Mountain peaks that sprung…

~a winter coastal life~

My friends and family inquire, “how is winter in Florida?” Often followed by various versions of how lucky I am. There is no snow. No ice, except in my drink…and the nights do not require a jacket. Yet….

When you live at the coast, there is wind.

Not always, but during the “winter” we do have a fair share of too-breezy days. Today is one of them. The sky began clear, rich cerulean but by noon, it…

Maybe I need a retreat. This one looks really perfect. Would that make me establish better routines for my writing? Would it feed my soul, inspire and infuse me with the discipline that I am lacking?

Are there ever days, when you think perhaps, perhaps you aren’t a writer, after all? Or is that just me? Or is it normal? Is it normal, for writers to have that dream of having “the writing life”,…

~if we were having coffee~

If we were having coffee, I would meet you in the local shop…the one I just found! The one that reminds me of the restaurant I once shared with my best friend…years ago, in a mountain town.

This charming spot to sit and write, meet friends, or have lunch, is in downtown Melbourne. It is delightful..and is perfect for us, writing on this cloudy Saturday.

You are as smitten as I am, with this…

~a bite of cake

Getting older can be such a drag. First, there is the basic concept of time ticking past. Even though this is continually happening, it seems emphasized during a birthday of a ‘certain age’. No matter how you attempt to stuff that little bit of reality into a back drawer of your mind, it is lingering in your conscience. Ready to jump forward at the moment of morning stiffness of limbs, the…

~I forgot…

I forgot my anniversary! Not intentionally, of course. And not the one I share with my beloved, goofy husband. Nope. This one is the anniversary of our move to Florida, just two years ago. Hurricane Matthew had just left the region a couple of weeks earlier, in 2016, when we rolled into Melbourne with two U-Hauls pulling two cars, and one SUV bringing up the rear. It had been a long trip, with…

~if we were having coffee~

If we were having coffee, we would be stuck at my house. Sorry. It has been one of THOSE weeks. As you noticed, my little mini-sharpei has had some surgery. Without explaining too far, just know she is doing well, but we are still awaiting results of two lumps that had to be removed. Nervous and worried, but I must remain optimistic that this time, this time, it will be a different result.

So,…

If we were having coffee~

If we were having coffee~this overcast Saturday….

We would be sitting beach-side, and awaiting the sun to appear. It shall, you know, and heat up the covered patio to an almost intolerable temp. I love this, though, don’t you? The ability to watch ocean tides while scribbling daring adventures and shady shenanigans in notebooks. How has your writing been going? Tell all!

Yes, my children’s story,…

It is difficult to work when your mind completely fractures. With one focus upon Hurricane Florence, one upon the political nightmare that is our life, and one upon the general workings of my day. I am juggling thoughts which rumble as a bingo basket, while trying to stay true to my challenges. Today is the 14th day of the 90-Day Self-Proclaimed Challenge and I wanted to update you on the…

If we were having coffee~

If we were having coffee, my friend, we would be sitting on my porch. The day is cloudy, with Hurricane Florence approaching. No, we aren’t in danger at all…it appears to be headed further north. So, we shall sit, and enjoy the moments of a Saturday morning and chat about our writing. What are you working on?

My projects have been resurrected from the procrastination graveyard. I have been bad,…