Window Over The Sink

What if the key to abundance isn’t giving more—but giving in balance? We’ve been taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. But what if receiving is just as sacred as giving? And what if the two were never meant to exist apart? The Giving on Purpose journal invites you to explore the powerful, often misunderstood connection between giving and receiving. If you’ve ever felt like you give endlessly—your time, love, energy, or resources—yet struggle to receive in ret

Oh, weren't we? But I'm always talking about books. Way too often about my own, but sometimes ... sometimes I spread the news about other authors. It's especially fun to do this when they are either local or locally connected. This week, I'm talking about children's books. Gloria Dance Gloria Beecher Dance graduated from North Miami. She's had an interesting life that included a long career in elementary education. However, it was her twin grandchildren who planted the story

...the days that were 'wasted’ are the ones to regret the most.

I wrote the following column in 1994. I last used it in April of 2022, when my sister Nancy passed away. I use it again now because this week we lost my brother Joe, the one I talk about in the essay's first paragraph. He is the last of my sisters and brothers and the ache of loss is deep and unrelenting. However, the memories are just as deep and offer many of the Heartening Times I wrote about recently. It is also dedicated, with never ending love, to the memories of Nancy

by Sherri Easley I recently learned there is an actual word for something I’ve been doing my entire life. It’s called pebbling.  Apparently, penguins will offer small stones to one another as a sign of affection. It’s their way of saying I choose you, I like you, you matter, and possibly, let’s build a life together and raise little penguin babies who waddle dramatically into the sunset. And when I read about this, I had one immediate thought: Oh, no. I’m a penguin. Not the c

Like a few others I’ve talked to about this, I lie awake for a while before I get up. Not because I’m still tired or because I don’t have things I want to do with my day or even because I don’t have to go to the bathroom quite yet. No, I stay there because a sense of dread accompanies my waking. The dread is neither predictable or always definable. Often, admittedly, it has to do with politics and the state of our country. Sometimes it is about people I’ve dreamed about or fr

by Jana Richards I’ve populated the three books of the Twice in a Lifetime series with a bevy of secondary characters. But even though they’re labeled as secondary, I like to believe they are interesting, fully formed individuals who have important contributions to make to the stories being told. Take, for instance, Ellen Arnason. She’s the mother of Gabriel Daniels, the series’ main character. Ellen is vibrant, creative and a little eccentric. She’s also bipolar, and though

I'd been in a bit of writer quicksand. Several books that are works in progress got stuck in the messy middle. I needed a palette cleanser. What to do?

... the very three a.m. of the calendar. ~Joseph Wood Krutch I have always said, although no one ever asked me, that if God made mistakes, February was right at the top of the list. Surely it wasn't intended to be the way it is, was it? Twenty-eight (or sometimes 29) days last at least as long as January and March combined, and we all know how long those go on, don't we? However ... On February 1st, Hattie Caraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was born. She gai

My long-gone, full-service Nana had given me all the tools I needed. I re-packed the letters, started to write, and thanks to Nana, I never stopped.

This is from three years ago this week, with the usual P.S. at the end. It still speaks to (and about) me. I hope it does to you, too. - Liz Several years ago, in Florida, my sister-in-law Lynn and I were walking into Target when I tripped over a curb and went down like a tree. While I am far too fond of attention, I hate how much of it I attract when I fall down. Especially when I can't exactly get right up. Even more especially when my sister-in-law is both concerned and la

Nan and Me Friend and Tule author extraordinaire Nan Reinhardt and I have visited each other's blogs so often, we've kind of run out of ways to say, "Hey, over here! Look at me!" every time we fill in for a no-show guest or release a new book. This time, we decided to go with an interview. I think her answers are fun. And, after the interview, check out her new book!   1.   What is your favorite thing about yourself? And your least favorite? Hmmm… I think my favorite thing ab

by Darlene Fredette   Some readers may remember Secret Recipe’s earlier incarnations: Nothing to Lose  and A Recipe for Forever . Both versions were heartfelt romances about a girl down on her luck, searching for love and a fresh start. I adored the core of that story, but something in my gut kept whispering that Jess deserved more. More depth. More secrets simmering beneath the surface. So, when I regained the rights to the book, I finally had the freedom to explore that ins

Because it's already Saturday morning and this page is still completely empty, I'm going to do what I did on another blog earlier this week--make a list. On that one, I listed some days in my life. On another one I dug up, I asked other writers what their favorite writing tools were. I've listed favorite books, favorite songs, and favorite movies. Since memory is such an issue for me--what was your name again?--today I'm listing memories that are still sharp in my mind. They

An interview with Author Karina Bartow 1.   What is your favorite thing about yourself? And your least favorite? My favorite thing is that I can usually have a genuine laugh once a day, at least, through thick and thin. It makes life a lot more pleasant to find humor in various matters. My least favorite thing is I don't have a poker face, which makes it difficult to—obviously—play poker, pull off a surprise, or handle conflict well. I’d much rather laugh, if the circumstance

While I have always liked the name Elizabeth, I have never felt that it suited me. I referred to myself as Yitzy when I was small enough that everyone else in the family called me Lizzie and I couldn't pronounce it, but I have been Liz every other minute of my life. A few people still call me Lizzie or Lizbeth, and that's okay because of who they are, but I am still Liz. But this morning when I dropped my coffee pod and banged my head on the counter when I bent to pick it up,

by Darlene Fredette Why we fall in love with book series…and why we never want them to end. A standalone novel can sweep you away for a few hours, but a series gives you a deeper connection. There’s something magical about opening the first book in a series. You think you’re stepping into a story, but before long, you realize you’ve stepped into a world. A well-crafted series doesn’t just entertain. It invites you to stay awhile. Welcome to Redford Falls My own series, Redfor

Yesterday, I washed the towels, went to a doctor's appointment, stopped and bought a gallon of milk, dried, folded, and put away the towels, changed the sheets, took the ornaments off the Christmas tree, thought about taking the recycling to the school, fed the cats twice, fixed supper, and ran the dishwasher. If I add all of those things up, not including the hour and a half or so I spent going to the doctor and buying the milk, I probably have another two hours of actual do

Welcome to 2026 at the Window Over the Sink. I laughed at myself when I sat down to write this because here I am, the first Saturday I've had a blog to write in ... well ... weeks, and I don't have anything to write about. No complaints. No jubilation. No deep thoughts on growing old or trees or round bales. While I can't say 2025 was a great year, I will say it went fast. I would say I'm grateful for that, but I'd really like to slow time down, so I won't. I hope you had a g

by Debra Jo Myers Winter. Many people love the beauty of snow falling, while others dread it thinking about shoveling or driving in it. We’ve had measurable snow already this winter, I thought it was a good time to talk about the wonder of snowflakes. Snowflakes are intricate and unique displaying stunning geometric patterns creating delicate works of art. You can find them in a variety of shapes, depending on the temperature they encounter falling through the atmosphere. No