Vicki Atkinson's Blog, page 20

Happy New Dear?

I know we’re only getting started…but are you still with me?

This morning, while the house was uber-duper-super-duper quiet, I spied a friend.  Just as the sun rose, our backyard, which has been a haven for dear deer for years and years picked up a New Year’s dear deer visitor. 

(I have now officially tested your patience and it’s only the first day of the New Year, dear readers. May I claim sleep deprivation, once again, as the culprit? )

Our first deer of the new year was a shy gi...

My Wish for 2024: Be True to You

On January 1, 2023 I wrote a post quoting Dostoevsky of all things.  I shared 490 words about being silly and putting a premium on being myself.  Goofy due to sleep deprivation?  Sometimes.  Goofy because it’s my natural state?  Quick to laugh whenever I can – especially at myself?  Definitely. 

That beginning-of-the-year ramble inspired my “Crack Yourself Up” posts – a series of fifteen goofy glimpses over the year – which were always well-received because I found good company in dear re...

Embrace the Messy

I took a photo of the moon this morning. 

This moon – the one in the pic above.  I had one eye open (barely) as I crept downstairs before dawn.  The moonshine was so very bright I thought I’d missed a few hours of daylight. I thought the sun was already high in the sky.  But it was only the moon. Another celestial wonder greeting me with a combination of glow and goodness and a halo.  Do moons have halos?  I don’t know but I love the rainbow-like light which surrounded my heavenly greete...

Enjoying the Moment!

Amazon rankings are like shooting stars — or roller coasters…fast, fleeting with scary twists and turns. But for the moment, I’m sitting pretty. Me…and “Surviving Sue” hanging out at #29.

Cheers to supportive readers!

Vicki

Happy Birthday, Dad! ❤

Ho, Ho, Ho…and a heads-up!

You may have read this post from a year ago…thinking about my beloved papa as his birthday rolled around. Today marks what would’ve been his 88th birthday and I’ll be celebrating him all day – in ways large and small – not least of which as I remember the gifts he gave me and the gratitude I feel for being “Sonny’s daughter”. 

I couldn’t help myself…I needed to share it again today because of Wynne’s beautiful Podcasts Take Two post – sharing some of our favo...

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Heartfelt Feedback

I think one of the reasons I wrote about my mom, Sue, was to receive support and recognition for the effort and triumph of literally surviving Sue.  If you’d asked me as I was wrote, I would’ve shrugged off that thought because I wanted to believe I was writing for posterity.  To bring clarity for our daughter, Delaney, who saw, as she grew up, glimpses of madness and mayhem from Sue that were accommodated.  Worked around…for the greater good of caring for my disabled sister, Lisa.  Delaney’s de...

You Are the Universe

I love this quote:

You are the universe, expressing itself as a human for a little while. 

-Eckhart Tolle

 “You are the universe” is such a powerful phrase.  A nudge to take care of ourselves, lest our needs tumult to the bottom of a lengthy to-do list. 

Tolle’s reminder also speaks to urgency…we are one, we are everything, but ever-so briefly.  His words prompt the achiever within.  Hurry.  Make haste.  There’s work to be done. 

And yet…for me…eyes fixed forward…without regard...

Podcast Friday! Holiday Wisdom 🌟

I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I love the revelry and festivities. I hate the anxiety and retread over painful bits of family history.  Every family’s got their share and I’ve yet to find wisdom that’s better than the gift Wynne and I received from our friend and writer, Stuart Perkins.

Across my lifetime, insightful humans have seen me in distress and some – rather than looking away – knew it mattered to lean in and offer support.  Guides and teachers supported me...

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Sue Had Rizz

Have you heard? The youthful Gen Z term,“rizz”, was crowned 2023’s word of the year by the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary:

What it means:  For those of us who haven’t heard the term before, “rizz” is slang for “style, charm, or attractiveness” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner,” according to Oxford University Press (OUP). Struggling to describe a certain je ne sais quoi about someone’s personality? “Rizz” might be just the word you’re looking for.

How to ...

Lean Into the Light

I’ve had many mantras.  Nothing fancy, just little bits of wisdom that fly into my consciousness if I can air it out. I tend to be a wayward thinker and can get wrapped up in cloaking mode, self-editing.  Some days…. it’s a chore to self-talk my way into being me. Less artifice. Invoking advice from wise ones helps. Do you know this gem?

When it comes to art, it’s important not to hide the madness.

-Atticus

The “art” in question?  My life!  Every day feels like a whirr of the routine ...