atheist bus advert

Wait? What? You mean you can't believe in God AND enjoy your life? Believing in God makes you worry more? The Atheist Bus Campaign unveiled their adverts early January on 800 buses across Britain. Whatever your take, one thing is clear: it has everyone talking about God. Having the "probably" in there though would seem to make it rather more an agnostic bus campaign than an atheistic one. Needless to say Richard Dawkins (seen in foreground), author of "The God Delusion" would have left it off. Read more here.

A quilt a day...

OK. So I've decided. Because it's winter and cold. And because they're cozy and I'm nice. Every Wednesday I'm going to send you a quilt. Well no. Not literally. Obviously. Not an actual quilt in the post. But a very happy photo of one. (If you want a real life actual one they are available to have as your very own) (I have one called "mental block" and it's been a great support to me on my sofa lo these many years.) Anyway, they are works of art all of them. Not all frilly and old ladyish.They're bright and cool and they each have most excellent names. Plus they make you happy to behold. (They're made by my uber brilliant lovely fantabulous friend Denyse.) So here's the first one ... "There Goes The Neighborhood" Quilt by Denyse Schmidt. More here

now appearing in different languages...

Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, French ...

your mission (should you choose to accept it) ...

"Everyone has their own specific vocation or mission in life .... Therein we cannot be replaced, nor can our lives be repeated. Thus, everyone's task is as unique as their specific opportunity to implement it." Viktor Frankl, (1905-1997), Man's Search For Meaning (1946)

the meaning of your life

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." Victor Frankl, (1905-1997) Man's Search for Meaning

Safer than a known way

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.' " Minnie Louise Harkins 1875-1957 Quoted by King George VI in his Christmas broadcast, 1939. Britain was at war of course and obviously at the time no one knew what the outcome would be. (For the complete transcript of his speech, click here.)

headlights at night

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." E.L. Doctorow What a great quote to combat the panel of perfectionists inside your head who demand you know completely all about everything all the time before you even DARE to put pen to paper. (I assume they're inside your head, too?) It also reminds me of what I heard Newberry award winning writer Linda Sue Park say on a panel once. She was asked, "Why did you decide to write novels?" Her reply is a life preserver on a stormy sea. She said, "I don't write novels." (That would be too scary and she wouldn't be able to do it.) "I write two pages a day."

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