By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Two weeks ago, my husband and I packed the car for a four-night, five-day road trip. We needed a getaway for mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual reasons. While we covered miles exploring new sights, sounds, and adventures, we relaxed. From Houston to Oklahoma to the Texas Panhandle, we strengthened our relationship, laughed, and shared our hopes …
10 Things Your Best Friend Won’t Tell You – But Should
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A true best friend is a rare and cherished person. Whether you are a man or woman, this person will share concern and not judge. Heart-to-heart talks are based on respect and sincerity. Many of you have spouses who are your best friend. You are so fortunate! Others look to sisters, brothers, cousins, mothers, dads, and …
Authenticity—A Crack or a Patch in Our Personal Character?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Are you authentic? Are you without a doubt genuine, reliable, trustworthy, and dependable? No cracks in your plaster? Known for your honesty? Faithful? Real? We’d all like to check the “yes” box for all those noble traits, but sometimes living up to authenticity isn’t easy. Through experience, we acquire the characteristics that earn us respect and …
10 Ways To Identify a Writer
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We writers can be a bit eccentric, sometimes bizarre, and those who love us may wonder if we need to be on meds. The truth is we’re creative people, and we look at life a little differently. You may be wondering if you’re a writer or suspect someone close to you has the ability to string …
Healing From Life’s Scratches
By Julie Garmon @DiAnnMills This week’s blog post is from Julie Garmon, a long-time friend and great writer. For months I pretended not to notice, but last week there was no denying it. As I vacuumed the den, the late afternoon sun poured through the windows, highlighting the scratches in our pine floors. Our floors had been through hard times. Life …
Ever Feel Invisible?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills At times, we feel no one sees us, and sometimes that’s okay. It’s normal and even healthy to occasionally be in an uncomfortable place. Situations that cause us to think, feel, and analyze help us to grow and change into better people. The reasons are plentiful: left out of a social situation, belittled by family, bullied …
5 Ways Plants and People are Alike
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills For those of us who live along the Texas Gulf, now is the time to cut back our plants, remove those growing things that didn’t survive the cold winter, and nurture the doubtful ones back to health. If possible. I enjoy gardening. It provides time for me to think while doing my best to make the …
Getting Along with Difficult People
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Difficult people can make life miserable. Even to the point we can dread waking up in the morning. They seldom hide or avoid us; neither are they courteous. Difficult people can roam our homes, live next-door, be seated at a desk beside us, take the role of a boss, or simply pop up when we least …
What Does January 2018 Mean to You?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Here we are! January 2018! We’re probably in a happy-tired mode from all the festivities. We began with the Thanksgiving turkey and raced to New Year’s celebrations. Our bellies are full—maybe too full! Memories are sealed in our hearts that photos can never capture. The sights and sounds of the holidays are a part of our …
5 Ways Life Challenges Can Change and Grow Us
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills As a novelist, one of my jobs is to show character change and growth. This is a process that takes the entire book to accomplish. A character is challenged by life, and he/she can choose to open the door to solve a problem or slam it shut. A hero or heroine grabs hold of life and …