November 13, 2022

Positivity Corner: Morning Tea on the Patio

It’s a simple thing. It’s something I’ve basically been doing for years. But I’ve never been intentional about it or removed distractions from my morning like this. It has been a fantastic experience. I highly recommend it to others.
November 9, 2022

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes: A MockingOwl Book Review

Poppy Delamere is racing to save her sister from being accused of murder when she runs straight into the dashing Joshua Fielding, Duke of Langham. She finds herself agreeing to a staged betrothal in exchange for the Duke’s help. He gets protection from ring-seeking ladies while she has protection as she investigates to clear her sister’s name. It doesn’t take the entire week for more than one truth to be exposed.
November 7, 2022

Positivity Corner: Being Edited

But as I have developed my career as a writer and editor myself, I’ve learned to embrace and celebrate being edited. (And I do use this phrase intentionally; when our words are edited, it feels like we are being edited.)
September 26, 2022

Positivity Corner: A Grey Pearl Accordion

A few years ago, a hurricane demolished the storage shed and several other things on my mother’s property. In so doing, the hurricane destroyed an item precious to my mother - and to me - a marbled, dark brown accordion which she found at a thrift store years ago when she was in college.
September 21, 2022

Fiction Audiobook Review: The Forger’s Forgery

Overall, The Forger’s Forgery is an exciting, intriguing literary fiction novel that keeps a reasonably quick pace, as long as you’re not expecting an action or thriller. The characters are vivid and memorable (even after a couple month gap at one point, the characters were still extremely present for me, even if the plot needed reminders!).
September 19, 2022

Positivity Corner: Paper Chain of Accomplishments

Each week, I make a to-do list full of things I need to accomplish on any given day. It could be fun things for the MockingOwl Roost, or maybe a tedious task for work. Whatever it is, it goes on the list. And the list is color-coordinated, with “categories” of life in different colors. For example, my grad school work is in green text, while work tasks are in red.
September 16, 2022

(Spanish) Bilingual Flash Fiction: Gertrude and Alice Go On Holiday

Gertrude and Alice were on holiday in Tuscany. They wandered away from their Golden Tour Group and came upon a strange tree with a single red shiny apple on the topmost branch. They each climbed as fast as they could to see who could get to the apple first.
September 12, 2022

Positivity Corner: Writing Theology Papers

You see, writing theology papers isn’t just a school task for me. It’s an exploration of what I’m learning, how I’m growing, how I’m changing, how I’m developing as an adult human. So much of youth was spent regurgitating rote memorization and trying to make a grade. But now, in seminary I’m synthesizing and expanding the knowledge I’m gaining. And it is an utter delight!
Resize text-+=