M.J. Compton's Blog, page 33

A Thing I Don’t Understand

There are many things in life I don’t understand: Going to a movie on a first date fancy automobiles pineapple on a pizza But we all have different priorities. Here’s another one: Why do some people need more money when they already have more money than they will ever need? How much money is enough? […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Laughter

Optimism, it has been said, promotes laughter. Laughter is good for you. Reduces stress response Boosts immunity Increases resilience Combats depression Relieves pain Improves social life Is a mini workout Lowers blood pressure Improves your breathing Is contagious. Contagious? Yes. There’s this thing called laughter yoga. It begins as prolonged voluntary laughter, but soon turns […]

Laptop Keyboards

I recently purchased a new lap top computer because the old one was on the verge of dying. Better safe than sorry. I actually purchased two of them. I returned the first one because it didn’t have enough RAM for its operating system. Go figure. I do like the second one I purchased except for […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Way Will Open

I once read a book about young romance and how a Quaker community helped the college-aged heroine and hero find themselves. One of the themes throughout the story was a quote: “Have faith and way will open.” Faith is optimism. There are those who would disagree with me, but we define faith differently. I’m not […]

Recipe: State Fair Pasta

I love to cook. I’m not such a hot baker, but cooking? I do okay. Here’s one of my favorite concoctions. Slice Italian sausage (I prefer sweet, but hot will do just fine) and place in a large frying pan and start cooking. Take 1 sweet onion and two bell peppers (I’m not a fan […]

#Upbeat Authors: Optimism, Take 1

My dad joined the US Army and volunteered for active duty during the Korean Conflict. Instead, he was sent to Germany. He was in the Quartermaster Corps. The way he tells it, they were always being asked to volunteer. “Who knows how to drive a truck?” Everyone would raise his hand, then be sent to […]

The Importance of Tribe

Apparently not everyone’s brain works the way a writer’s works. This was a shock to me. One of my writer friends told me a story about how her mother once commented that she was a weird child for always making up stories about her dolls. That blew me away. Of course one makes up stories […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Pollyanna vs Eeyore

There is a children’s classic book called Pollyanna. Disney made a movie based on the book, which I remember seeing on TV when I was a child. Pollyanna was the eternal optimist. She always tried to find something about which to be grateful. She changed a town full of curmudgeons into a pleasant place to live. The […]

Happy First Day of Summer

Summer is my favorite season. Late spring and early autumn are nice, too, particularly since they bookend summer, but summer rocks. Here are ten reasons I love summer: I love “summer” songs–the poolside music of my youth. Flowers. I love flowers. This year, I have coleus, too. Patio time. There are few pleasures greater than […]

#UpbeatAuthors – Following Your Dreams

I cannot remember a time when I did not want to be an writer. Does that make working toward becoming a published author a dream or a goal? I do know one thing: my children saw me working toward fulfilling this dream. I like think that gave them a positive role model to pursue their […]