I’m not a fan of shopping or buying much, but what I have bought into is Christmas. It took some time, but I did it. I love Christmas. I fell in love by the spoken law of a beautiful older Greek woman. You can read about it here. And over the years that I have... Continue Reading →
A New Year And a New Gesture
I burned past agendas and day planners in the fire pit in my backyard. On a social platform—don’t ask me which one because I don’t remember—I came across a woman who said something like, “There are things in your home you should get rid of, even if you don’t think your place is cluttered.” She... Continue Reading →
Looking forward in 2026
New Year, New Me?Nah. I like the current me quite a bit. I like the tenacity I’ve shown over the years of teaching and writing—lugging heavy boxes of books to book fairs, chatting with new readers and fans of our books. I like the openness I bring when welcoming new folks into our book world.... Continue Reading →
The Pitch
My List My Rules is about the year I did 101 things and the funny and challenging lessons I learned from it. It's full of hope and the f-word.Angie Counios Dave is really good at knowing what needs to get done. When My List My Rules: the year a checklist changed my life was complete,... Continue Reading →
No Regrets!
Living a silly little life and mastering the art of enjoying the small things, I’ve reconstructed my life over many years, and now I find fun in almost everything. I try to say yes to as many opportunities as I can. But once in a while, I do have regrets. If I recall the lessons,... Continue Reading →
Packing Lists: Evidence of Change
Packing, Then and Now A friend recently asked for advice on packing for two weeks in northern Europe. Seems simple enough, right? Except... I’ve traveled so much that I have a Google file of packing lists — one for every possible travel scenario. Hotel overnight? Got it.Two months in Greece in the summer? Obviously.Two weeks... Continue Reading →
Sold a Beret and Learned Some Lessons
I sold a beret on Facebook Marketplace. I’d had it for a very long time and only wore it a few times. This particular brand sells new for anywhere between $60 and $95—wow! I picked $20 as a fair price, and a buyer reached out quickly. I told her to come by after 4:00. The... Continue Reading →
Let Me Explain
When I first started blogging, I had no idea what my focus would be. I read all the advice — endless lists of what I should do: find a niche, choose a category, define a purpose. Travel blog, wellness blog, creative blog — the suggestions blurred together. I didn’t know how that focus would find... Continue Reading →
A Note on the Risk Vs. Reward of Honesty
I have readers overseas. My cousin is one of them. She got a copy of My List, My Rules last year (tap the title to check it out), and this year while I was visiting, we chatted about it. She loved it—I’m glad. But she also asked a very interesting question that no one else... Continue Reading →
Look Up
I was leaving school. It had been a long day. There was a lot of cleanup and correcting to do in the art studio at this old school. The burden of my backpack reminded me I still had work to finish. I pushed open the door, having spent the entire day inside. A warm breeze... Continue Reading →