One dear friend of mine and Jack’s was born in China. As a little girl she moved to the United States. In her predominantly white school, she looked and sounded different and was small. She’d left behind extended family, aunts and uncles, cousins and ancestors. Because she was always getting picked on, Helen felt sad…
Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?
I’m sitting on the couch with my then-boyfriend on New Year’s Eve. We are with his mother a petite and loving woman who I respect and trust. Someone mentions my eighteenth birthday which is about a week away and right then, I get smacked with a realization: I have no life plan. People considered me…
Dreams Like Strings of Lights
What are you dreaming of? It has long been my goal to work for myself. In my early years, I’d been trained that a person got up before the sun, went to work for eight or nine hours and came home beat. For this, you got a paycheck at the end of the week, or two,…
Dream House
I share a lot about having a dream. They’re mighty powerful motivators. They can help you get through a tough job. Dreaming about how you’ll use your degree helps you get through four years of college. My dad was a dreamer. He wanted to build a house and live in the country. He had a…
Learning to Fly
Do you have some goals you’ve hope to accomplish? What’s holding you back or blocking your progress? One thing that held me back for years was lack of clarity. I couldn’t bring into reality my biggest dreams because they were too vague. The first time I hit a bump or it doesn’t go as hoped,…
What a Dull Knife Taught Me
An acquaintance of mine once found herself in a jam. An art show was to be in town and she needed to chop a bushel of tomatoes for her sandwich wagon by the next day. I wanted to help out and offered to chop tomatoes. “Show me your knife.” I pulled one from a drawer….
Paying attention to people around you
Whatever you’re working on, keep going. I talk a lot about showing up to the page. It’s kind of like a train going from station to station. It runs a course, stays on track, gets to destinations. Of course, sometimes they get derailed and so do we. But if you don’t show up, you…
Please Welcome Our New Arrival!!
So, the waiting is over and we welcome the new arrival! When Jack got home last night I had celebratory offerings next to a headscarf on the kitchen counter. He almost lways welcomes an adult beverage in the evening. He even noticed the head scarf. I encouraged him to pick it up and when he did……
Excerpt From Book in Progress
“Is it really your last night?” Uli asked. “Yes it is.” “It won’t be the same around here without you!” “It’ll be better,” another girl joked. After the laughter died, she put a hand on Callie’s arm. “Really, Echo. I wish you all the best in your life.” “”I hear you’re going into films,” another…
Baby In A Box
Sending my first baby, Painting the Rain, out to the editor for a final. After that revision, it’s off to the printer for actual handheld books!
Juli Ocean 