Author, Writer, Editor
Shirley Ann Parker People came from all over the country, not just from Southern California, to attend this 42nd annual event. The conference is run entirely by volunteers and represents a humongous investment of time and effort and dedication. Of course, a few glitches crept in but there was so much to learn … Read more…
I make no pretense of being all things to all people. God Bless Us all in this joyous Christmas season! And so to my final five things to be grateful for: Comprehending that a dear friend in San Diego area, who only gets TV news from The Weather Channel, is … Read more…
Coming off a Thanksgiving season I wasn’t sure we’d see, led into by watching the movie The Secret, it occurred to me last weekend that I did indeed have much to be grateful for as we approach the end of this wild 2010: In today’s excruciating economy, having a job, even one where … Read more…
As should be obvious by now, I have not posted any blog material in a long time. The comment-spam issues have not been resolved by the host, and I lack the time or the interest to deal with missing plug-ins. However, of greater concern is that my [previous] employer has … Read more…
If you can find an article from the November 1964 issue of The Writer (reprinted in February 2008), there is a wonderful article by suspense novelist Patricia Highsmith. As we all know, or eventually learn, writers must write or go crazy from the frustration of dealing with our chaotic lives. … Read more…
We continue to experience a flood of “comment-spam” with multiple links to mostly salacious websites. There are solutions for this and I have been waiting for [past] host to implement one of them. For example, a software plug-in to eliminate the comment-spam would be a good decision, with multiple choices … Read more…
Southern California cities made a rather miserable showing for Earth Hour 2008. None of them participated, on a municipal level, that is. In fact, had a local weathercaster not mentioned Earth Hour in his daily e-mail yesterday morning, I myself would have been totally unaware that it was happening. Fortunately, … Read more…
Is it really any wonder that writing takes such a long time? Short of dumping one’s family and responsibilities altogether, there is little time available for creative work. This is especially true when you are the sole provider and must work a draining job in a collapsing industry. Yes, I … Read more…
This blessing has appeared on many sites throughout the web, especially since Philip Yancey’s book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? was published in 2006. I think it cannot be repeated enough times, so that individuals everywhere realize that everyone can make a difference! I first came across this blessing … Read more…
Such widespread devastation throughout our beautiful Southern California region! The unprecedented wildfires are like nothing we’ve ever seen. And the official fire season has only now begun. Yes, we’re used to wildfires here but no, we never really get used to them. They are a fearsome danger every year, but … Read more…