Updates on my Writing

Sharing with others

A little more than a year ago, I decided to start this Substack where I regularly post my writings. Unknowingly, I joined a community of other writers and readers that spans the globe. I have found joy in connecting with others through this space just as I do in connecting in real life with my longtime local readers. Thanks to so many of you for your appreciative words, thoughtful comments and stories as I started on this journey and as I continue down the road.

As I sit down today to write, the sun throws light patterns at my feet. I try to focus. I have an idea of what I want to say but it won’t evolve until I strike the first key on my IPad. And that’s sometimes the hardest part of writing: how to start. Once I proceed, my mind unrolls the thoughts that have been mulling inside, and depending on the words I use, my writing can go in many directions. Often, I write to put down on paper what is intangible, as a way to make it solid and give it form. I take what I see and feel and turn it into black and white markings on a page so they can be seen and felt again.

When I sit down to write, I often turn inward and what I write is often a way to process what I carry. It’s another way to pare down to the essence of life, to sharpen thoughts, to take the reader along for the ride. How can I make myself see or feel without actually being there? By writing about it. I also love language. I like the hunt for the right words to convey an intangible mood and the sound of words as they fall in together.

As many of you know, I’m a baker as well as a block printer, traveler and cheesemonger. In each of these roles, my work has always been to look and truly see what I live every day. Be observant. Live with intention. Focus on the small things. Follow the seasons. I hope my writing conveys this. I hope it nudges you to see the good life.

Thanks again for reading and being part of this community!

My posts will continue to be free but your paid subscriptions warm my heart.❤️ For those who’ve chosen to pay, I can’t thank you enough. You are especially in my mind as I continue to write!

Below, I’ve added a link to a column I contributed to a couple of weeks ago. These are the connections we can make. And human connections are so important these days. Thanks for being part of mine!

The Practice Sessions: Rachel Shenk of La Bonne Vie