In today’s To Write A Better Story, I am gonna pull back the curtain and share all my favorite and most random picks - from my new obsession podcast, the book I will never ever recommend, and the story of how I discovered a wood fire pizzas for sale in the middle of nowhere. Not kidding. Scroll down for a peek of what’s been going on.
All the mystery without the murder, but equally compelling is the podcast Scamanda. This woman swindled so many well-meaning friends out of thousands of dollars. She used her church and social media accounts to tell her fake story. I think you’ll be as appalled - and hooked - as I was.
When you have time to focus on a show I highly recommend Pachinko on Apple TV. This period piece crosses back and forth into modern day while documenting the beautiful culture of Japan and Korea. Warning = Subtitles! And yet totally worth your attention as you embrace the struggle of one family to move forward while honoring their family history.
Nothing, and I mean nothing makes me happier than Corn Casserole. I love it so much I could eat it for dessert and be happy. Here in the Midwest, there are so many varieties of this hot dish, however, I have managed to break it down into the simplest recipe possible. And I eat it with a spoon. So, enjoy.
When Fall arrives I turn into an Autumn-Fiend. I am sure it is related to the fact that October is my birthday month! (52 this year Queen!) I love the beauty of fall and breaking out the sweaters for cooler temps is my jam! To take it all in I invited darling hubby to take a drive across counties for an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast. Little did he know we were in the vicinity of a Farm to Table experience I’ve been stalking online. Convinced we were driving in the wrong direction (not a sign anywhere!) we wound our way into the heart of farm country and stumbled upon the Nayborhood Farm. We ordered a S’more Pizza to go and I’m already dreaming of going back. Bookmark this place for next year. It’s super cool!
I posted a TikTok immediately after reading this book. I wept as I gave it 5 stars while refusing to recommend it to anyone. Granted, the complexity of characters in A Little Life was a masterpiece … and yet …. I actually do not recommend this book. For starters, the author did not hold back when detailing the main character’s abuse and it is not for the faint of heart (honestly, I had to skim through these parts). But what really, really affected me was the parallel storytelling of the deep, consistent, grace offered to Jude (the main character) and his utter inability to accept it. I live my life with the core belief that Grace is sufficient, however, this story unravels the complexity of unrequited Grace. I still think about it. It still makes me cry. And I’m left picking apart my ideologies around Grace and my limits of it.
Before digital marketing and before writing, my ‘first’ career was as a Parent Educator. Home visits, playgroups, and parenting classes were my jam. Not to be confused as a Social Worker, parent education is essentially - well, the way I did it - a cheerleader for mom and dad. I enjoyed being a resource and encouragement as parents from all walks of life.
If you are a parent of a youngster I am dredging up an old activity that was wildly successful from my playgroup days.
Ever bored with the same activities inside your home? Us too! Let’s prompt a little creativity activity for your kids that won’t make a mess of your kitchen table. You, Mom or Dad, gather in a basket or box any and all random items that could be used for an art activity. Examples: newspapers, old mail, scissors, buttons, stickers, envelopes, playing cards, ribbon … I mean seriously if you can think of it you can use it. If you’re comfortable with glue and markets - even better. Gather it all together and place the box in the center of the table. Now, you might already have a coloring station or something at home but there is something about the sensation of “new” options that engages your child. Invite your child to create whatever they want. You will be surprised how much your child may enjoy creating random nonsense. In fact, as tempted as you might be DON’T direct the activity. Limit yourself to ONLY asking open-ended questions: What do you want to make? What should you use next? Tell me what this is. There is something about supervising without intervention that taps into your child’s imagination. And that’s a good thing!
ITALY
If you’ve stayed this long, and if you’re interested, I’ve got some bonus material for you. My last submission I shared a story from the EMERGE Women’s Leadership Conference in Bari, Italy (2014). I found a recording of the sermon I gave in the evening session! If you would like a copy emailed to you, drop a comment or email me and I will happily send it to you. I don’t want to post it on the internet because the message is very dear to me but I am happy to share if you want it.
And that’s what’s going on with me! If you like this article, or got anything out of it I have a favor. Please share it with a friend. Subscription is FREE and (for now) so are all my articles. This helps me keep moving towards my goal of writing. Plus, if you like it you can leave me a tip! Thanks for reading! xo, Stephanie