Music is often the soundtrack of our lives. Particular songs evoke memories of personal pain, triumphs, love, commitment and maybe a broken heart. Other tunes just make us happy by prodding us to smile and dance. Caring for another person is a journey full of some of the greatest dramas
Continue readingTag: Uplifting
A Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: So You Want Me To Get Screened?
I had the privilege of talking about cancer screening with a dozen women who have a history of child abuse. This is what I learned: Filed under: Concerning, Uplifting Tagged: cancer screening, health care and child abuse
Continue readingA Novelist's Eye: Lilian Nattel Online: Cardinals Know the Day
I heard cardinals singing this morning. They know the days are getting longer. – A One minute longer than yesterday. Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: city birds
Continue readingA Novelist's Eye: Lilian Nattel Online: Sun on Ice
It’s very cold but I’m grateful for the sun. (click to enlarge) Sending warm thoughts to everyone still waiting for power and to all those working so hard to restore it. Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: urban photography
Continue readingA Novelist's Eye: Lilian Nattel Online: The Day Calls
Car Rainbow (click to enlarge) The day calls to you and you call back. Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: urban photography
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Music From Trash
Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: moving stories
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Buddha’s Flowers on Christmas
Click to enlarge I saw the day come into the sky this morning and waited for my family to awake. There was peace and there was joy, like the songs, like the face of the cloth bag monk. You can see him on the table to the right with the
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Inspiring Ted Talk: Peace
I remember first coming across the Facebook Page that this talk is about, but I didn’t know the context, how it got started, or how it evolved. The video went fast–I didn’t want it to end. Watch this. It’ll make your day better: Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: desiging a vision
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Multiple Personalities: We on the Inside; We on the Outside
I’ve been intensely living with the Power of We for about 8 years, so it is karmic that today is Blog Action Day and the theme is The Power of We. Children survive the unimaginable by developing a multiple, instead of a singular identity. As “we”, they can live, function,
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Project Sanctuary: 27 Children Safe
This is the sort of story I collect, the kind that inspired Web of Angels: Det. Paul Krawczyk and D/Const. Janelle Blackadar of the Sex Crimes Unit Child Exploitation Section could not conceive the impact they would have on young lives across the world and the magnitude of the operation
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: A Brief Encounter with Meaning
Today I walked to the post office to mail a copy of my book to my dear friend J who is currently living in China. I’ve meant to do it for ages, but I was too busy and then I was recovering from being too busy. So this afternoon I
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Israel & Iran: A Love Story
Amidst the war-mongering rhetoric of politicans, a quiet message is being passed back and forth on Facebook between ordinary people. Here’s the story: Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: antidote to politics
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: The Taxi Driver and the Book Lovers’ Ball
The Book Lovers’ Ball was fantastic. I met several of my favourite writer friends there and we had a great conversation before dinner. Great conversation continued during dinner at my table with the collections manager, planner, and other delightful librarians, as well as the couple who won the best first
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: What If
Sometimes I say to my kids, That’s a tool not a toy, treat it with respect. But what if I’m wrong about that? What if they’re all toys? I’ve been thinking about this lately while preparing for questions about Web of Angels that may come up at readings. The intelligent
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Looking to 2012
"I made a gift for you" (click to enlarge) One of my children wrote this on my window yesterday. I will take it as my motto for 2012. Each day can I say, “I made a gift for you,” a gift of the day, a gift of my heart, of
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Last Night Of Hanukah
This is what we saw as the candles burnt low, reflected in the window, Christmas lights visible from across the street. We were all sitting in the living room, lights off, watching the candle flames. At least A and I were doing so. My kids played tug of war with
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: TV Christmas
I grew up in the golden ghetto, a neighbourhood surrounded on 3 sides by railroad tracks, an irony that I was aware of even as a kid, given that this neighbourhood was almost entirely Jewish with a significant sprinkling of holocaust survivors. Even so I missed Christmas. None of my
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: In Praise of Reality
This week I’ve been very tired after a flurry of busy preparations for the release of Web of Angels as well as months of homework, swim lessons, hockey games and nagging about the multiplying swarms of mess. When the days get short, my need for rest makes itself known in
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: On Vulnerability
This is a fabulous talk, worth the time to listen: funny and inspiring. I took notes. Filed under: Uplifting Tagged: Ted Talk vulnerability
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Happy Tears–the Horsie Runs
This is one of those wonderful stories that give you faith. I won’t say anything about it but let you watch for yourself and provide a link to all the details.
Via Wonderland.
Filed under: Interesting, Uplifting Tagged: animal stories, prostheth…