Remember how it felt the first time you realized that someone had linked to you? Linking to a lens or website is a nice compliment. It makes people feel like their work is worthy of notice. That’s exactly why I’ve created Fan the Flame, as a lens where people can sing the praises of their [...]

You’ve heard the saying: Age isn’t important unless you’re cheese, right?
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. It’s also not important unless you’re fumbling to find your wallet, only to discover that you tossed it in the freezer seven hours ago, along with several bags of frozen vegetables.
It’s not important unless you like to remember your [...]

No decent cook in her right mind sets out to create a trail of disasters. Who would intentionally add a tablespoon of salt instead of (whoops!) sugar to a recipe…or flip a banana cream pie while removing it from the oven…or accidentally substitute red-hot jalapeno peppers for green chiles in her favorite chicken enchiladas recipe?
And [...]

Long before “random acts of kindness” became a talk show topic, a popular book, and a website, it was just an acceptable way to live. People grew up knowing that it was better to reach out than to become so wrapped up in ourselves, we don’t notice anyone else’s plight.
But you know what? I’ve learned [...]

I‘m going to ask you to step away from Twitter, Tagfoot, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the other social networks that have stapled your brain to the Internet. Let’s travel back in time to the days before e-mail, when the arrival of that little postal truck meant more than bills and catalogs.
Do you remember searching through the [...]

I don’t have a trained eye in critiquing art, but I do know what I like. I know what pulls an emotional response. Sometimes the response is negative, and other times it makes me want to see more.
This week I completed a lens that began when I ran across an unusual art form online. I’m [...]

Honesty isn’t something we slip into when the right mood strikes. It’s a character trait that’s developed early in life. Over time, like a butterfly squeezing from its cocoon, an honest mindset becomes a part of who we are–how we view our world, and how we react to difficult situations.
So begins my new lens, The [...]

Lost socks. A ranting turkey. An elf at the North Pole who’s hankerin’ for a raise.  Will the madness ever end? If today is any indication, my answer is a resounding NO. Today I heard from a talkative member of Dust Mites Union #478. His story is persuasive. Sickening, even.
Until I found Squidoo, I [...]

We’ve all been there, wondering what our next lens topic should be. Yesterday I felt mired in the mundane, feeling like no matter what I wrote about, it would fall flat.
Then my memory bank took over; it’s the storehouse tucked away in the deeper recesses of the brain, the one with the creaky door and [...]

Near the close of my husband’s military career, we spent our last eight years in Louisiana.  It was a word lover’s paradise as Southernspeak’s charm pulled me under its spell.
My latest lens, The Craziest Things I Never Said is a celebration of the unique colloquialism of the Deep South. After eight years there, we felt [...]

I published a lens yesterday about an aging elf who’s been keeping a diary for decades. He’s decided to go public, but not as a sleazy tell-all. Says he would never betray Santa like that.
Like many of us who journal, this little guy has spilt his frustration in a top-secret diary that he shoves under [...]

Times are tough. There’s no denying it. But in the early minutes of this Thanksgiving Day (yes–I’m still awake, thanks to that big mug of coffee at 8 p.m.), I have plenty to celebrate.
I don’t have a lot of wealth by the world’s standards, but I am rich. I have a family who loves me [...]

Tom tweeted me early this morning to say that 140 words is NOT enough to express his excitement over receiving the honor of LOTD. Turkey’s Last Stand was an attempt to get the word out about the plight of this poor stressed-out bird. It now stands at #4 for humor & #270 overall–truly a surprise [...]

I was going to post something witty or profound (I’m kidding), but thought I’d take a break from the usual lens talk to say what’s really on my mind. After all, Seedplanter’s Porch claims it’s a place to take “time out to breathe and reflect.” Seems only fitting I should do both.
First the breath.
That felt [...]

Image by work the angles via Flickr

By nature, I’m a people watcher. I don’t mind waiting in lines or sitting in airports, where droves of people come and go. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two while watching families say hello or goodbye. Total strangers to me, but hey–it’s a sweet moment. I [...]

I kept hearing about how I probably ought to make a lensography.
It sounded too much like biography, which would not have been as exciting as hatching a fun new lens idea. So I resisted. Another email got me thinking. It’s just a way to organize your lenses and to present them in a nice one-stop [...]

Tom, our resident turkey is back, reporting from his brand-new job in Minnesota. At the request of his good friend and turkiatrist, Dr. Helpa Byrd, he has updated his support base with a new lens. Turkey’s New Job: Countdown to Thanksgiving takes up where Turkey’s Manifesto left off.
He wants us to know he’s doing well [...]

Today I completed the second lens in a new series about color. During the writing of my first color lens,  I studied the science of color as it related to blue. I was fascinated by the way color affects us, not only in our personal preferences and moods, but in how certain colors can determine [...]

When I started dabbling in Squidoo, I didn’t know how much time I’d spend updating. But like any other website, change is important. Otherwise, Google forgets us like a fair-weather friend. I’m thinking of ways to streamline the process, but so far it’s just butt-in-chair and fingers-on-keyboard.
Do any of you lensmasters have shortcuts? Seems like [...]

Last week I published a new lens, Recipes for Life. The idea came to me as I was cleaning my kitchen. (I’ve learned through the years as a writer that  there’ a connection between mindless activities and creativity, at least for me.) I was thinking about the people who have influenced my life, and felt [...]