On November 9, 1965, the 80,000 square miles of the northeastern United States went dark. It began at 5:16 when a surge in in electrical demand tripped a relay switch at a power station near Niagara Falls. Cut off from their supply, power lines up and down the Eastern seaboard slowly drained to a stop….
Tag: Barbara Wallace
Top Reads of 2021
Since it’s the first week of January, I thought I would kick off the New Year by putting a bow on 2021. From January through December, I read 35-40 books. (Truth be told, a lot were research books which I forgot to write down.) Not as many as some, but a healthy amount. I’m hoping…
Wishing You the Happiest of Holidays
Emotionally Feeding Yourself
I have a friend who is very good at feeding herself emotionally. That is, when she needs sympathy, support, or encouragement, she has no problem reaching out to get what she needs. I, on the other hand, being the product of 200 years of Yankee stoicism do not. As a result, my friend manages to…
This Month’s Recommended Reads
Phew! November was quite a month. When I look back, I did a lot more reading than I thought. Probably to make up for the lack of reading in October. December is looking like a light reading month as well, thanks to the holidays. However, I’m looking forward to adopting the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod,…
The 26 Days of Encouragement
November 28 was the first day of Advent, which, for Christians, is a season of love and light. Coincidentally, it was also the first day of Chanukah, or The Festival of Lights. This convergence couldn’t be more perfect because for me, the best part of the holidays is spreading as much cheer and brightness as…
Barb’s Holiday Gift Ideas for Writers
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….. We’ve all seen them, those lists of writer gift ideas with suggestions like literary jewelry or a writing themed coffee mug. While I’m as big a fan of writer-themed presents as anyone, there are only so many fun coffee mugs a writer can store in her cabinet….
Bits and Barbs
A sampling of things currently capturing my interest. What I’m Watching Only Murders in the Building – This 10-week whodunit is as much about letting go of the past as it is about finding a murderer. Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short play three lonely New Yorkers who are drawn together when there’s a…
Of Cheerleaders, Mentors and Lost Potential
Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of cheerleaders. My parents were good, loving parents who genuinely wanted the best for their children. It’s just that their world was small. Having both grown up poor, they preferred choices that were safe, practical, and responsible. Things like risk and adventure frightened them. After all, on the…
Playing The Long Game Part 3
AKA You’re Probably Not Reading This and That’s Okay “How many people read your blog?” my friend asked. “I don’t know,” I replied, before adding silently, “Very few.” Look, I know blogging feels like a futile waste of time. I know Google discontinued its RSS reader and dumps most RSS feeds into gmail folders. I…