Khadijah Lacina is a regular guest columnist for Riehlife. Her previous post was “Creative Parenting: My Head Is Full of Poems.” This post is number two in the series. We met through Story Circle Network. In her series of articles, Khadijah shares how she stays sane by encouraging and nurturing creativity in herself and her…
Damaria Senne is one of my closest Blogging Buddies. When I visited South Africa in 2008 she hosted me at her home in Johannesburg and in her home village where I stayed with her family. Her warmth, intelligence, talent, and humor are qualities I cherish in our friendship. Damaria is a writer based in Johannesburg….
I’ve been writing a series on Creative Enemies for my Creative Catalyst column on Telling Her Stories–the blog for Story Circle Network. I took on the topic of believing we have the power to know and the power to look inside for the answers. Three of my merry band of creative friends (Hal Manogue, Eden…
Hal Manogue is a long-time blogging buddy. We met in Nashville when I laid down the tracks for my audio book “Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music.” His new book“Living Behind the Beauty Shop” has been embraced by the Down syndrome community and homeless advocate groups. I’m happy to be part of…
Here’s an informal review of of the suspense/thriller/animation film “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” by my friend Judy Tart. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area. –Janet *** *** *** “Rise of Planet of the Apes,” –the prequel” to “Planet of the Apes”–is far more than what one might think. The premise…
Khadijah Lacina is a transplant from Wisconsin’s Kickapoo Valley, who has lived in Yemen for almost nine years with her husband and eight children. In this series of articles, she will show you how she stays sane by encouraging and nurturing creativity in herself and her children. Read about her life in Yemen at her…
Read Part 1 of “Sometimes It Pays to Be Generous,” by my father Erwin A. Thompson. Another prime example of generosity paying off is my relationship with the men from the water company. Our work often overlapped. Sometimes when we dug a hole for a gas leak we found a water leak, also. And vice…
This is the first of a two-part article by my father Erwin A. Thompson on the theme of generosity. Read Part 2 of “Sometimes It Pays to Be Generous” on Riehlife. –Janet *** *** *** Sometimes it pays to be generous. (And as a personal reward, it is a pleasant way to live) I have…
Janean Baird, my niece, is the oldest child of my brother Gary Thompson and his wife Patty. She’s an artist, writer, and a younger woman of wisdom. You can read more of her work at her blog Turquoise Tangles. Here’s a funny family story about my older sister Julia. This is the first time I’m…
My sister–Julia Ann Thompson–died on August 16, 2004 in a nasty car accidernt. She was younger than I am now…even though until her death she was always six years older. That’s one of the hardest things for me to get used to. That I could now be older than my older sister. So, doing the…