Two seemingly unrelated things happened in the summer of 2014. 1. My birthday. 2. Being restlessly perturbed. Converging upheavals tend to disturb life’s even keel. I was a year older in June and questioned what I had done to show for it. I did what I always do when upheavals pile up. I go into semi-seclusion and reach for a book. In this case, one of Julia Cameron’s. A random open and two words in I found the reason for my funk. “Finish something.” It comes easy to me to start something. As well, I consider myself an in-process person.…
Read MoreCo-Work at The Commons: An Uncommon Workplace
“I suppose if you had to choose just one quality to have that would be it. Vitality. ― A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House,” by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. The window signs this fall in the in-process renovation at 540 Lake Street in Excelsior, Minn., talked about a new thing coming called The Commons: An Uncommon Workplace, a new place for entrepreneurs and people who are self-employed to come together and “co-work.” Interesting concept. I’m a self-employed writer and while I love having my independence, I need the energy of being around people to stimulate my creativity,…
Read MoreShelley Hitz’s “21 Days of Gratitude Challenge”: Gift This Book to You and Others
Book Review 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude by Shelley Hitz “ . . .take simple steps of intentional gratitude . . .and watch and see what God does.” Shelley Hitz, from 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge Shelley Hitz’s new book, 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude uses the idea that if people practice a habit for 21 days, they can create a new pattern of thinking and living. Hitz chose to implement this strategy in her own life after a season of loss and…
Read MoreA BlessBack Interview
$4.99 for your Kindle! Order HERE. I’m still celebrating the eBook release of BlessBack: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life. Today I’m featured on author Karen Baney’s blog. Get to know the story behind BlessBack and a little about my journey. Here’s the link. I know Karen would love your taking the time to leave her a comment if you liked the blog post. As always, thank you for taking the time to stop and read my posts. I appreciate all of you who have written me. Julie Saffrin Follow BlessBack’s Facebook Fan Page here. Follow BlessBack (@blessback) on Twitter here.…
Read MoreHe Believes in Me
To celebrate the release of the BlessBack ~ Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life ebook release, I asked a few friends to share a BlessBack here on the blog. Joy DeKok sent me this one to share with you. . . I knew I was going to be a writer before I could read. When my mom read me stories the words printed in my books fascinated me. When she wrote letters, I watched the way the words appeared from her pen and could hardly wait to learn how to do that. When I was a teenager, I wrote poetry…
Read MoreHarry Driste, a hero to Bloomington River Ridge Elementary kids
Black and white picture: Harry Driste receiving a plaque and being presented with a tree planted in his honor at his retirement as janitor at River Ridge Elementary School in Bloomington, Minnesota. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand. — Woodrow Wilson Every once in a while someone comes along and changes your life. Harry Driste was one of those people. Harry passed away on June 3, 2012 at the age of 101 1/2. Until two days before his death, Harry was alert, making jokes and reaching into his storehouse of…
Read More