Tag: blogging

Blogroll

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“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Last week I put a call out to all you fabulous people so we could create a blogroll (like Ally Bean used to do). Here are the results in rough chronological order (by the age of the blog, not the blogger… 🙂 ). I hope this helps make new connections or re-ignite old ones. Please introduce yourselves and let bloggers know that Wynne Leon sent you.

P.S. – I’ve done my best to include all the details accurately. If I’ve made a mistake, let me know in the comments and I’ll correct it. Also, if you aren’t on this list and would like to be, please drop your blog name, URL, year blog was founded, and blog description in the comments below.

2006 – Fred – Abba’s Art
Description: Wandering among Nature’s vast wilderness wonders and majestic mountain cathedrals enhances my “Love to live…” and “Live to love …” My infinitesimal smallness before my Abba’s immeasurable grandeur humbles me knowing I am forever loved beyond measure.

2007 – DM – I also live on a farm 
Description: I write about living on a little acreage in the Midwest. I also have a 2nd blog – Heart To Heart that is more personal and is where I process life 

2009 – Mark Petruska – Mark My Words
Description: An (unpaid, dang it) ambassador of All Things Wisconsin nowadays.

2009 – Dr. Gerald Stein at Dr. Gerald Stein
Description: I hope to help all of us think and learn, myself included.

2010 – Clay – Making the Days Count
Description: Start May 2010 after a horrendous school year when I was fortunate enough not to be on the evaluation cycle. My cheese had been moved and I spent the better part of the first semester figuring out what I was teaching and recovered on the downside of the school year’s arc. After the year ended, I decided if I wanted to teach writing, I needed to know how to write. So, began blogging / writing about how I make the days count.

Four years later, the administration had the bright idea that I could teach science and unfortunately I WAS ON the evaluation cycle! The same thing happened – lousy first part and recovery at the end. Every year (and day) I get a little better than the day before.

Always, learning, always growing, making the days count.

2010 – Darlene – Darlene Foster
Description: For writers, readers, travelers, dreamers, friends, and friends I haven’t met yet.  I believe everyone has a right to dream, and with hard work and imagination, can make their dreams come true. 

2010 – Deb – Closer To The Edge
Description: My tag is “Journeys Through the 2nd Half of LIfe” and I think that’s pretty appropriate to what I most often write about- a new home in CO, my family and changes associated with aging.

2011 – Lauren – baydreamerwrites.com
Description: The name came from where I live in the Bay Area and from the fun fact that I’m a dreamer and always will be. My little corner is for sharing my poetry, stories, photos, reviews on books I’ve read, and my book updates. Most importantly, I hope my readers will take away something special during their visit that prompts them to return. Maybe they’ll find a poem, a phrase, or a story that resonates that they can call their own. 

2012 – Brad – Writing to Freedom
Description: Themes around inspiration, poetry, and photography.

2012 – Nancy Ruegg – From the Inside Out
Description: A place where we celebrate inner impressions from God, and aspire after outer expressions that bring delight to him–changing for the better “from the inside out!”

2012 – Beth – I didn’t have my glasses on…
Description:  My blog is a collage of sorts- mixing the human story, personal observations, humor, knowledge (often obscure) and the arts, all mashed and remixed together into what i hope that my readers enjoy.

2013 – Dale – A Dalectable Life
Description: Doing my best to keep it on the bright side

2013 – Esther – Esther Chilton
Description: Fun challenges and inspiration for writers

2014 – E.A. Wickham – Bleuwater
Description: What began in 2014 as financial advice focused on women turned into a parenting blog. Now as an empty nester I highlight daily life — then took a turn to highlight my photography after taking photography classes in 2025. 

2014 – Sharon – Just call me Sharon
Description: I tell stories and use it as my personal free therapy; it’s cheaper than going to my therapist.

2016 – Dom – Covelli’s Take   
Description: I only came back to blogging two months ago after 10 years, In fact, it was one of my daughters who suggested i come back to it. I woffle on about everyday issues, usually from a Gen-x angle, not grumpy though! I like to keep it light-hearted.

2016 – Rose – Of All the Things I’ve Ever Dreamed
Description: Started in 2016 to combat the terrible negativity in my country and families caused by the rage of politics. I wanted to share a different voice – one filled with hopes for a better, more creative, inventive, equal future. And I want this now more than ever for my grandbabies. My blog contains a random variety of stories about: what makes my life awesome, family, travels, air shows, motorcycle rides, books, happiness and good work, math, science, nature, learning, state parks, maps, and opinions on topics that hit my heart and home….

2016 – Brian – Writing From the Heart with Brian
Description: I tell stories and share what’s going on in my life. I usually try to bring a little bit of relatable humor to my blog. Life is hard enough. We all need a laugh or an understanding smile once in a while.

2017 – Cristiana – Crisbie Coach
Description: Started in 2017 as a blog for self-development. Now it has evolved towards the improvement of well-being starting from what one eat.

2017 – Rhonda – Pollyanna’s Path
Description: Since 2017, I’ve been writing essays about life, parenthood, grandparenthood, and sharing my thoughts and ideas on what’s going on out there in these wild times as an elder GenX woman in America today. And, as an avid music lover, I almost always include a tune at the end of my blog posts that suits the mood I’m channeling through my writing.

2017 – Khadija – She Knows All
Description: I am still becoming. And I decided to write about it while it happens.

2018 – Todd Fulginiti – Five O’Clock Shadow
Description: A blog that began when I quit my previous career and found time to start writing again. Besides observations and stories about Life, I feature several columns like Old Man Rants (comedy), Who’s On Your Hero List? (interview), RebEarth (sustainable living), Music and more.  

2018 – Erin (Esoterica) – Existential Ergonomics
Description: A warm, candid space for stories of chronic illness, infertility, love, resilience, and growing braver in the messy middle.

2018 – Ab – My Life with T
Description: About 2 dads raising an amazing 11-year-old boy with FASD.

2018 – Tamara – Tamara Kulish – Helping you move through life!
Description: I started out in 2013 with “On Becoming a Lemonade Maker” but switched in 2018 to my current site under my name. If anyone remembers my old blog name and lost me, hey, hey, here I am!

My original purpose for blogging was to sell my book; I had read advice that an author needed to create a platform to gather an audience in order to make sales. That plan didn’t work out the way I had hoped, so instead I decided to just dedicate my blog to writing posts that each contain a helpful and doable life lesson for healing, for growth and for becoming a better version of ourselves. This is the place I like to share thoughts and lessons that seem important to me during this time we’re going through together.

I welcome new people and your comments to my blog. I hope to be able to share some nice, helpful tidbits with you!

2019 – Michelle – Boomer Eco Crusader  
Description: Helping you live your best life with practical tips on decluttering, simplifying, and living sustainably.

2018 – Mary – Awakening Wonders
Description: In May of 2018, I started “Awakening Wonders” as a hobby to awaken your senses to the simple wonders all around us. I share my heartfelt discoveries.  

2019 – Dana – Mindful Caravan
Description: I write about the joys and challenges of pursuing peace, love, and faith in self-care.

2019 – Pete – Pete Springer
Description: Passionate Teacher and Future Children’s Author

2020 – Gwen – Gwen Thinks
Description: Reflections on everything, According to me. I always look for the story, and try to understand how things relate to one another. I write about my past and present life, travel adventures, music adventures, contemplations, humor, and whatever else pops into my head.

2020 – Ganga – Special Mom’s Blog
Description: My name is Ganga and I have a 29 year old severely autistic son! I started blogging six years ago to do something for myself! It has really transformed me and given me so much confidence! The blog has a mixture of so many things and just not special
needs!

2021 – Outrageous Monk – Virtuous Improvement
Description: Exploring life, creativity, and finding extraordinary moments in the everyday hustle.

2022 – Vicki – Victoria Ponders
Description: I love writing about wellness, authorship, writing for wellness and inspirational stories.

2023 – Edward Ortiz – Thoughts about leadership, history, and more
Description: A lifelong learner who loves to share what I’m learning along the way.v

2024 – Hazel – Seven Sisters Love
Description: Sharing my personal and professional life from the Philippines

2025 – Rosie Meadow – RMMeadow
Description: Meadow seeds today, flowers and maple trees tomorrow. The focus is on dropping seeds in the life garden.

2025 – Bruce – Swan Song Apocalypse
Description: Life, Movies, Shows, Sports, Stuff

(featured photo is from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

This is How I Blog Roll

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“Friendship is born when one person says to another, ‘What! You too?’” after all. ‘I assumed I was the only one.’”  – C.S. Lewis

Ten minutes into writing my post for last week’s podcast, I knew I was in trouble. I was writing about all the ways we share experience and knowledge on WordPress and had started a list of the fabulous bloggers I follow and their themes. What I quickly realized was that I could spend all day and still not be able to list all the wonderful blogs I follow. Plus my one-line summary may or may not match their goals or purpose. Does Mark blog about manifesting, mosquitoes or moving? Hmm… all three?

So I’m borrowing a page from Ally Bean and doing a blog roll. Ally was a wonderful connector of people is no longer but is no longer blogging on WordPress (The Spectacled Bean). But her words and impact remain.

In the comments for this post, please leave your blog name, URL, a one or two-line description, and the year you started your blog. Think of it as a dinner party and I’m really excited to introduce you to each other. Don’t even think about hiding in the corner – I will come find you. It’s a fun way to network in this inspiring and generous community. And when you go visit any blog on this list that is new to you, please just let them know that Wynne Leon sent you.

Next week, I’ll publish a final list. Thanks for coming to my dinner party!

(featured photo is from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

A Mini Blog Tour

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“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real…to be honest…to let our true selves be seen.” – Brene Brown

A few years back I proposed/threatened/promised that I wanted to one day pack my kids and dog into an RV and go on a tour to meet blog buddies. The WordPress community really is so amazing for incredible stories, big hearts and willingness to interact.

While that tour is mostly a fantasy, I’ve been lucky enough to meet so many bloggers through Zoom when we’ve done podcasts. I’ve enjoyed these conversations with people that feel like they are already friends immensely.

On top of that, I’ve been fortunate to meet a number of WordPress friends in person over the years. Playwright Jack Canfora, artist Libby Saylor, Deb (Closer to the Edge blog), and Betsy Kerekes (Writing and Martial Arts blog). Unfortunately, I’ve not yet met my podcast partner and dear friend, Vicki Atkinson (Victoria Ponders blog) in person. But I was lucky enough to meet Vicki’s brilliant and delightful daughter when she came to Seattle.

When the incredible and effervescent Cindy Georgakas (Uniquely Fit blog) said she was coming to the Seattle last weekend, I jumped at the opportunity to spend a few minutes with her as well. My kids, Cooper the dog, and I piled into the car to do a mini blog adventure to meet up with her near where she and her family were staying.

Cindy confessed that her family didn’t think her blogging friends were real. Not only was it fun to prove that notion wrong but it’s also pretty amazing to discover that our blogging friends are pretty much who you’d expect them to be based on their writing.

Jack is witty, Libby is passionate, Deb is whip-smart and charming, Betsy is clever and strong, and Cindy is authentic and inspiring. Seeing that depth in person makes me even more grateful for the realness of this lovely community!

(featured photo taken by Cindy Georgakas)

Always Learning

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“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” – Salvador Dali

One of the best benefits of having a podcast is scheduling time to talk about creativity and writing. It’s a wonderful practice of having intentional conversations that inspire.

The latest episode, Episode 102 Writer’s Lessons, is a great example of this. Vicki Atkinson and I talk with author and blogger, Melanie McGauran about writer lessons. Melanie always inspires us with her curiosity and willingness to learn. She is so generous to be willing to share her lessons with us.

She tells us the story behind her essay Growing Up Fast in 1978. We love the essay for its revealing look at her family dynamics and the complicated path she had to walk to get to go to college.

And then she shares some of the lessons she learned from a class she took with author Marin Sardy. She tells us about the chronological canyon and other pitfalls we can fall into.

Melanie shares some of the back and forth she had with Marin as she absorbed the feedback Marin gave her. We laugh that sometimes it’s hard to listen even if the source is an acclaimed author.

And then she extends the lessons with some wise and practical tidbits she picked up from a writing book by Steven Pressfield.

Melanie reveals his advice that hones in on the reader experience. And she shares some questions he provides to make sure content is relatable:

  • Is it fun?
  • Is it challenging?
  • Is it inventive?
  • Am I giving the reader enough?
  • Are they bored?
  • Are they taking me where I want to lead them?

We’re confident you’ll love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the writer lessons learned that help us improve and extend our storytelling!

We know you’ll love it!

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 102: Writer’s Lessons with Melanie McGauran

Episode 102 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Growing Up Fast in 1978 by Melanie McGauran

Melanie’s blog: https://leavingthedooropen.com/

Steven Pressfield – writing that inspired Melanie: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith;

(featured photo from Pexels)

Trying New Things: A Journey Beyond Comfort

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“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be.” – Douglas Adams

My nine-year-old daughter, Miss O has started walking by herself to the neighborhood grocery store. She comes back with the most fabulous things. Not only the lemon I asked for but great stories about what she saw and experienced out in the world. The crow tapping on a wire and the longest dog howl ever, for example.

Also, the lessons learned. The first time it was that the automatic door sensor doesn’t work for her so she had to tailgate behind a taller person. The second time it was that she didn’t know that the checker was trying to hand back her change so she gave him a fist bump. The third time it was that she needed to wait for her change.

There are so many things to learn when we try new things. And in that spirit, Vicki Atkinson and I went scriptless for the latest podcast with author and blogger Mark Petruska in Episode 101: Out of Our Comfort Zone.

This format was Mark’s idea – to do a podcast without any prompts. To be fair, it’s not that different than our standard format. Usually we go into an episode with three or so prompts of things to talk about. But as all you listeners know, we clearly go down any side roads and questions that occur as we talk.

But in this episode, we each came up with a question for the others to answer. No predetermined topics or heads up.

And you know what? It was fun. Kinda like a great dinner party conversation. It opened the forum up for off-the-cuff storytelling.

I’m confident you’ll love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the power of going out of our comfort zones to do unscripted storytelling!

We know you’ll love it!

P.S. I turned off comments on this post so you can just enjoy watching. If you want to comment, you can on the Episode 101: Out of Our Comfort Zone with Mark Petruska post.

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 101: Out of Our Comfort Zone with Mark Petruska

Episode 101 Transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Mark’s book – a brilliant thriller: https://www.amazon.com/No-Time-Kings-Mark-Petruska/dp/1614344604

Mark’s blog: https://markpetruska.com/

Other Episodes with Mark:

Episode 96: Embracing Tech and Non-Tech Change with Mark Petruska

Episode 65: How to Be the New Guy with Mark Petruska

Episode 41: Enter if You Dare with Mark Petruska

Episode 33: Love Lessons with Mark Petruska

Episode 26: Eye of the Tiger with Mark Petruska

Episode 18: No Time for Kings with Mark Petruska

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

Transforming Criticism into Creative Fuel

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“Focus more on the people who inspire you rather than annoy. You’ll get much further in life.” – Kristen Butler

This was originally published on another site on 12/13/2023. Heads up – you may have already read this.

I was listening to social scientist and author, Arthur Brooks talk with Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday podcast. He was talking about the human tendency towards negativity bias. His example was something like we go to a lovely holiday dinner and have a great time – except for the 20 minutes when Aunt Polly went on a rant. And what do we remember afterwards? Aunt Polly’s rant.

I suppose I knew this to some degree before but it was gratifying to find out that this isn’t just a me thing. It’s a survival mechanism that helps us identify the sticky spots. Safe to say, it’s a little maladaptive at times in our modern society.

I realized that one of the places that I do this is in writing. I often draft a piece thinking about the naysayers in the audience. After listening to Arthur Brooks, I noodled on this practice. I think writing with critics in mind has some advantages – like developing a fuller view of my position and for motivating my inner editor.

But I can’t type when in a defensive crouch.

Thinking of some of my favorite lines from authors:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” from Mary Oliver.

Or from John O’Donohue:

“When you beautify your mind, you beautify your world. You learn to see differently. In what seemed like dead situations, secret possibilities and invitations begin to open before you. In old suffering that held you long paralyzed, you find new keys. “ – John O’Donohue

These examples touch me in my bones in a way that makes me know they were written from the expansive space of possibility instead of the small space of fear.

Some of my best words have come when I’m surprised into them – I’ve laughed my way in or come fresh from sleep before my inner critic has arisen. Other times, I find I have to shift my posture – actually stretch or move out of that hunch over the keyboard that I naturally fall into. Anything to open the heart space in the front of my body as a physical reminder to let the words flow from my heart.

Maybe a rant from Aunt Polly is memorable. But the feeling of being touched from the inside out leaves a different kind of mark. One of possibility and inspiration. I’d much prefer the latter.

(featured photo is mine)

You can find me on Instagram @wynneleon and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/

I co-host a storytelling podcast featuring authors and artists with the amazing Vicki Atkinson. To tune in, search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Pocketcasts (and subscribe) or click here. Or the YouTube channel features videos of our interviews. Please subscribe!

My other projects include work as a CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), speaking about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association, and my book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.

Snakes and Stories

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“Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought it would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living.” – Rachel Marie Marten

This past weekend my kids and I went to the Reptile Expo. I know that might be the least appealing hook for a Monday but stick with me.

It was an experience gift that my niece gave us for Christmas. The same delightful niece from whom we got the crested gecko. And guess what? My kids loved the idea. She and her husband made this great bingo card for the cards to help guide the experience.

My niece had given us an extra ticket so I extended the invitation to my friend, Eric. He asked if my niece was mad at me and then humorously declined. But he came over for dinner after we got back and had lots of questions.

And that’s where this got interesting to me. My kids loved the expo and so my off-the-cuff response was that we had a good time. But Eric is a great storyteller and pressed for the details. When he asked all about the show, it elicited stories and information I hadn’t really thought to mine.

Like he asked who went to reptile expos and it made me think of our reaction when we arrived. The show was about an hour south of Seattle and when we neared the fairgrounds, there was a huge line of people at the gate. We thought there must have been something else going on. Turns out the lines were for the reptile expo.” Two hundred people?” Eric prompted. More like two thousand.

And the type of people that attended were mostly families. In the bathroom, we saw a woman helping her grandsons wash their hands. And then she said, “Cmon, let’s go find grandpa and great-grandma.”

The first exhibit near the doors was snakes and the kids wanted to hold one. I stood back to watch until the gentleman that got one out for us explained that the protocol with kids is that he hands the snake to the adult and they supervise the kids holding them. Ugh.

Eric wanted to know whether the exhibitors were just people showing off their pets or if it was a money making opportunity. Most of the animals there were for sale. In one display, there was snake after snake after snake in what looked like cake displays. You know the topper you put on a cake plate? Let’s hope that these had latches to secure them. I didn’t get close enough to check.

There was also a guy who was charging $5 for anyone who wanted to take a picture with his snake around their neck. We passed but I got a picture of him with the snake around his neck. Eric took a lot at that and laughed, “Not surprisingly, he’s got snake tattoos.”

Man with snake wrapped around his neck

And there were also a couple of rescue organizations that had snakes, turtles, and geckos to adopt. I asked how most of their animals come to be in their care. It’s mostly when animal control calls them in. They even have a fostering system just like with dogs and cats.

One of these booths is where my kids got to pet a tortoise named Tate and hold a bearded dragon named Quibble. The volunteer that was helping us said she didn’t really enjoy geckos so I asked if it was bearded dragons she liked. “No,” she replied, “I like snakes.” When I asked, she listed the kind of snakes she had. I confess that I stopped actively listening after the fifth. Yikes.

People also sell the bugs that reptiles like to eat. Five-year-old Mr. D and I were looking into a container that had several geckos and Mr. D said, “Look, there’s a beetle.” And then a gecko noticed. It’s tongue was so fast that it was barely perceptible. It clearly enjoyed a crunchy snack.

Gecko in an enclosure looking like he's smiling after eating a snack.

Which led me to the story about seeing a display with 10 gerbils for sale. There was only one left and I was unclear about whether people were buying them to be pets or…? Eric’s response, “Can you imagine the level of stress for a gerbil at a snake show?”

On the way out, my kids nearly fell over when we came across some axolotls (see featured photo).  These are the Mexican salamanders that are like the pickleball of elementary school kids. In the last few years, it seems like the increase in axolotl merch has been meteoric – stuffies, backpacks, keychains, and more. Eric confessed that until he saw our picture, he wasn’t sure that axolotls were real.

I’ll spare you the stories of the snake throwing up and the snake pooping. Suffice it to say, my kids had a great time at the reptile show. And I got some pretty good stories out of it – because Eric asked for the details.

It makes me wonder if an element of creativity…and life… is having people around us interested in asking. Last question from Eric was, “Did you check your car for snakes when you got home? No? That’s okay – you can just sell it.”

A Fond Farewell

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“Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” – Mark Twain

I’ve become entranced with a word lately: inkling.

Inkling according to Merriam-Webster is a slight knowledge or vague notion. It comes from Middle English yngkiling meaning “whisper or mention.”

When I think of the inklings I’ve gotten, they relate to the niggling feeling that something is off. I’ve had inklings about big events like when my business partner told me of my ex-husband’s infidelities and right before I was laid off. Kinda like a surprise party when everyone stops talking to you in advance.

And I get inklings about little things like when one of my kids is about to catch a cold. Something isn’t quite right about how they react or eat food and it sets off the radar.

For me, inklings are closely related to the internal God whispers, those insistent notions that seem Divinely inspired. On a recent morning when I meditated, I had the urgent sense that I needed to reach out to our dear blogging friend, Julia Preston.

Later that day, I discovered that she’d passed away the night before at the age of 85. She hadn’t blogged much after her cancer diagnosis but she’s been present in emails and comments in the last few months.

After I published one of my favorite posts about the words I become entranced with, My Love Affair with Words, Julia jokingly asked what word I associated with her. I had no hesitation before responding “luminescent.” Julia glowed with love and light for all. She faced her diagnosis with that same delightful curiosity about what comes next.

Her last blog post hinted about the light and love we all can (and should) tap into. Julia left us with the question in When We Gonna: “When are we gonna turn the world around with the power of our thoughts? When are we gonna create light instead of dark and love instead of fear?“

Julia was laid to rest yesterday. For anyone who has an inkling to do something in her honor, her favorite causes were St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the ASPCA.

RIP, dear Julia. Your light and love remains!

For more about Julia’s profound impact, please see Vicki Atkinson‘s beautiful reminiscence in Collective Gratitude: The Feast Before the Feast

And Julia’s most recent book is available on Amazon: Voices: Who’s In Charge of the Committee in My Head?

(featured photo from Pexels)

Companionship and Change

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“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

The other day I was switching over my company’s domain from another provider to WordPress. My hand hovered over the “Submit” button as I went through my mental check list one more time.

No matter how many times I do these things, they give me pause. But I was emboldened by a recent podcast conversation Vicki and I had with long-time blogger, Mark Petruska about embracing tech and non-tech change. Isn’t it amazing how knowing you are in good company helps? It certainly is one of the great benefits I get from doing these podcasts.

Vicki Atkinson and I loved this conversation with Mark. It’s his 15th year blogging on WordPress. And he blogged on a different platform before that. Clearly, he’s a pro.

So he walks us through the many things that he’s done to keep things fresh over the years. Switching themes, changing site names, even combining two blogs and changing URLs.

His advice as a veteran? Know the purpose of your blog and keep it in mind as you redesign.

Mark tells us about December snow and, for us relatively new people to WordPress, it’s some cool history.

One of the takeaways that I love from this conversation is that Mark talks about site design as a creative act in and of itself. So if we are ever stuck in a writing rut, it’s one idea to get us out!

This is a really encouraging episode that on the surface is about  the considerations behind designing a good site and all that goes in to a WordPress blog. But really it’s also about knowing your purpose and embracing change in any area. Mark’s long experience is both illuminating and emboldening.

I’m confident you’ll love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the power of storytelling – not only in our words but also in our site designs.

We know you’ll love it!

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 96: Embracing Tech and Non-Tech Change with Mark Petruska

HoTM Episode 96 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Mark’s book – a brilliant thriller: https://www.amazon.com/No-Time-Kings-Mark-Petruska/dp/1614344604

Mark’s blog: https://markpetruska.com/

Other Episodes with Mark:

Episode 65: How to Be the New Guy with Mark Petruska

Episode 41: Enter if You Dare with Mark Petruska

Episode 33: Love Lessons with Mark Petruska

Episode 26: Eye of the Tiger with Mark Petruska

Episode 18: No Time for Kings with Mark Petruska

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

Marketing, For What It’s Worth

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“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” – Agnes Repplier

My utilitarian corkscrew gave out in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner. It raised one arm on a broken gear and announced that it had served with honor and now was done.

Which left me with the corkscrew I bought from the J. Peterman catalog more than 20 years ago. Do you remember that catalog? I used to keep it on my desk for when I needed a creative break – or just to dream a little. I loved the little micro stories so much that I felt guilty putting it in the recycling bin, even if I had a new version in hand.

For anyone that isn’t familiar, here’s a sample description from their website. The Howdaseat is a folding chair:

Howdaseat.

This wonderful contraption is only for people over 40, or under.

Made of basswood slats and tough, natural canvas duck, its only role in life is to support your back properly.

The way it holds you is like a hug, and like all hugs, it will make you feel good. If your back hasn’t felt good for the last 19 years, this thing will make you feel very, very good. And surprised it took so long.

Roll it up and carry it under your arm. Room to room. House to car to office. For reading, driving, concerts; and staring across the pond at that stand of maples there and marveling at how really well designed the human back is, after all. Made in USA.

I bought several things from that catalog back in the day. The funny thing was that the things, once in hand, never lived up to their marketing. The words, the stories, the mystique stayed with the stories and not with the object itself.

Which I remembered once again as I wrestled with the J. Peterman corkscrew this past weekend. It reminded me of the magic of stories. And that when it comes to marketing, finding things that are undersold and overdelivered is better. May we remember both things this holiday season.

(featured photo from Pexels)