Sharon Hughson
Successful Parenting Outcomes
Recently, four women sat around discussing childbirth. Once you’ve experienced that moment (or those long, arduous hours), there is no going back to the forgetful bliss of beforehand. Not one of us would willingly exchange our children to avoid the pain. Little did we know, the delivery suite adventure was not the peak of our …
Ladies Retreat
Last August, I asked the question “what is a retreat?” in hopes of generating a glut of comments on my blog. I hoped for five. I netted one (which was actually a pingback to my own blog). What did I do wrong? I think I asked the wrong question. In any case, I decided to share …
Is it a Hot Flash?
I’m sitting in an air conditioned room at the airport in Maui. I feel like I’m in a sauna. While checking in, I experienced such stifling claustrophobia I thought a panic attack loomed on the horizon. Not that I’ve ever experienced a panic attack, but the heart palpitation, sweating and desire to scream seemed like …
Expectations: Friend or Foe?
Soup should be served hot: coffee hotter. Wait staff should smile and serve with friendly deference. Eggs Benedict means rich, yellow liquid from the egg yolk beneath the Hollandaise sauce. Expectations: we all have them. They color our experiences in every aspect of life. The problem with expectations is that they have the power to …
Paradise: Found
Underneath the veneer of this Paradise, the surf thrums. Its regularity relaxes me. The steadiness acts as the heartbeat of my vacation. Blue water, reflecting sunlight and mirroring the azure sky above, swells against the reddish sand. With this pulse, life continues. Images included with this post display the Paradise I view upon awaking and …
Story Engineering
At the behest of my Jedi Master, Kristen Lamb, I’ve begun dog-earring a copy of Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. It’s a masterful guide for creating a strong, complex story. If you’re thinking, “I’ve got story structure down,” I thought similarly after highlighting James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure into rainbow-like proportions. Brooks subtitled his …
To Plan or not to Plan
Vacations serve many purposes, don’t they? Some people use them to escape daily drudgery. Others need a different environment to relax and unwind. Expanding horizons and experiencing different settings might be a third motivation for vacationers. In my mind, a vacation is for relaxing. I do find it easier to relax when the responsibilities of home …