I do all my writing outside.  Behind the house.  Late at night.  Under the stars.  

I like the openness, the noises, the air…  and the unexpected.   

Just after dark the other night I ventured past the edge of the light into the yard and abruptly walked through a spider’s web.  It wasn’t full blown yet, just a couple of strands—but they were really long, about 9 feet from the side of a tree down to the ground.  

I didn’t have the spider on me, but it had to be close.  And really upset.  I’d wrecked the beginnings of what would have been a giant masterpiece.

About three hours later I started out into the yard again.  This time I stopped suddenly.  Even (more…)

If you have kids, you might have noticed there’s a certain age where they point at the moon every time they see it. 

If you don’t have kids, you should still be able to relate, because I’ll guarantee you this:  You used to point at the moon, too. 

A few nights ago we got home from our four year-old daughter’s dance recital just as the sun was going down.

Like usual, our son Tav wanted to stay outside and play, so he and I ended up on the driveway, just the two of us. 

Well, the three of us, counting the moon. 

He spotted it right off.  Tav’s at that “moon-noticing age” right now:  Two.  When he pointed, I looked up and saw it there, a classic crescent moon suspended just above the tree tops against a darkening blue sky.  As you can see by the picture, it did look just a little like it was made of cheese.

Tav spun around toward me and put his arms up, standing on his toes and tugging at my shirt.  I bent down to pick him up and he immediately started climbing me like a ladder, his arm outstretched at the sky—and I realized he wasn’t just pointing at the moon… he was trying to (more…)

One is never mentioned without the other; it’s always been “Bonnie & Clyde”, household names for nearly eight decades now.  Immortalized in book, movie, and song, their names have become the most repeated and recognizable of all the infamous bank robbers who freely roamed the Midwest in the early 1930s. 

Have you ever considered this:  Being known is a big part of being successful.

That’s what advertising and—even more importantly, branding—is all about. 

Now this criminal duo never planned to become famous, but Bonnie & Clyde had some things working for them that you’ll want to have working for you.  If you want to become successful and famous, that is. 

We’ll get to Bonnie in just a bit, but for now let’s consider Clyde and the lessons he can (more…)