Birchoparenthesis

People often say that once you’re retired and well into your golden years, it’s a good thing to stay home. After all, at 80 years old, venturing out can increase the risk of catching a virus or encountering other mishaps, so it’s understandable why many seniors prefer the comfort of their own homes. But if you still have plenty of energy—and perhaps a touch of the younger‑generation spirit—getting out becomes essential. My favorite spot outside the house is the local convenience store, which d...

Over  100 days consecutively, writing on my blog has been a soothing outlet for my odd thoughts during the writing challenge. I’ve discovered several new writers on Listed.to, and I’m planning to shift to another #30days writing challenge there. I’ve also been using “offloading” to jot down irrational fears before bedtime. While many of these fears are implausible or inconsequential, the practice helps clear my mind. Today I attended an online art‑video session hosted by a local arts‑education...

1/1/26: Milestone Reached Today marks the end of my 100-day blogging challenge. While the goal was to write and to publish on each of 100 days continually, the habit itself felt natural and rewarding. The Positives: Consistency: I successfully developed a daily "writing for publication" habit. Creative Momentum: This challenge jump-started my process for generating new ideas moving forward. Community: I enjoyed reading fellow emerging writers on Listed.to. Gratitude: The blog served as a me...

Today was pretty good, even though I didn't sleep very well last night. I had plans to go across town to meet with my counselor, and I'm glad I did. The meeting went really well because I think highly of my counselor, and she seems to think the same of me. We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed her adorable therapy dog, who kept us entertained. Overall, it was a great day! With the holiday shopping in full swing, my porch has been busy with delivery guys dropping off packages. Luckily, all the packa...

I overheard a coffee‑shop employee mutter, “I’m traumatized by retail,” after a customer asked whether he celebrated the holidays. That comment made me think about how my own childhood, spoiled with presents, still fuels a longing for the wonder—and the chaos—of the season. Perhaps that’s why I bought countless little gifts for myself this year, losing track of them as I went. What began with practical items soon turned into a splurge on expensive sneakers that I’ll probably end up returning. I...

The best part of my week was a weekday morning—Monday, to be exact. I slept exceptionally well and set out for the neighborhood café‑convenience store. The coffee was strong and delicious, and the barista played obscure, artistic tunes that filled the space with a sonorous vibe. The music sparked my creativity, and I felt energized by the caffeine. Even though the weather was frigid, the rain wouldn't arrive for a few more days; it was cold and clear. With my mind buzzing, I began doodling befo...

Forgot my online meeting for my brain‑illness support group today. Maybe the day was still good. I wrote a lot, but my process is too time‑consuming—though I enjoy it. It’s time‑consuming because I like doing my morning pages the old‑fashioned way: handwriting with ink on paper. Then I feel bad if they don’t get uploaded to the Journal app. I stayed home most of the day with my housemate, who rested. We watched cat videos and ate a big steak for dinner, so it was a peaceful time. I still want a...

What I’m curious about is how talented artists achieve success—their methods, habits, and pathways. While working in corporations, I observed what it takes to grow a business and witnessed both clear signs of success and the subtle steps that enable it. Living with a chronic brain illness is a major handicap for me. My insight is limited, my motivation often wanes, and I lack the originality that M. Pelosi displays in her drawings. Discipline is another area where I fall short. Consequently, I’...

I’m still enjoying Moby‑Dick. I love the asides of the narrator. The action was good and compelling. This writer thinks that the novel is not psychological in its plot, but it is the virtuoso performance of the narrator that matters. The splendid feat of language by Melville is the main takeaway for this reader of Moby‑Dick. Of course, the novel is also a monument to the sperm‑whale species. Secondary to that, the novel records the culture of the whalemen who hunted the sperm whale. Moby‑Dick ...

My inspiration was Marilena Pelosi, an artist. I wanted to understand her mind and emulate her meaning‑creation process, so I drew for a month in her style. She goes into a trance and generates otherworldly, tense settings—by her disciplined lines and flat colors. She is possibly a brilliant thinker, based on the cubist awareness I have tried to grasp regarding her motivation and history. Trying to understand her work, I drew every day for thirty days. Looking back on that book in which I drew ...

What are my favorite activities to accomplish on a day off? Why are they favorites of mine? Our town is full of wonderful coffee shops, so I decided to go "cafe hopping." It felt so liberating to move from place to place. I visited three different shops, using the time to work on my "morning pages." I hit my daily goal of 750 words, pouring my thoughts onto the page while soaking in the atmosphere of cafe society. ​I’ll admit, it wasn’t the healthiest morning—I treated myself to an expensive ...

I’m “jonesing” for a new smartphone—yes, that’s the word, even though I don’t usually such slang. After getting through the worst of the holiday resentment, it feels like the right moment for another self‑presie ritual. Before indulging in a new purchase, I wanted to write. My housemate has been sleeping most of the day and night, which looks like depression. I talked with a psychologist today, and it was helpful. We compared the situation to John the Baptist, noting that he shared some traits...

Recognizing a benefit and then cultivating gratitude for it can be especially helpful during difficult times. When you focus on gratitude for a single item, it can shift your mindset toward positivity, and each subsequent gratitude item builds on the previous one. See a broken‑down car? Instead of dwelling on the waste, recall a reliable vehicle you own. Feeling unsupported? Think of the Path with Art charity, which offers art education to those in need. Neglected during the holidays? Remember...

I’m juggling a few tech upgrades and can’t decide what to pick. On one hand there’s the sleek iPhone Air versus the flashy Galaxy S25 Edge, and then there’s the Apple Watch—should it be the 5G model or a simpler version? I’m also wondering whether to jump onto a post‑paid phone plan that bundles a smartwatch service. Honestly, it feels a bit like watching moss grow—interesting, but not exactly necessary. I’m hanging out at home with my housemate, and the internet is full of tempting gadgets tha...

Creative Bug remains after Joann Craft Stores closed, filling a gap for people who seek crafting instruction of which most of their instruction is by women and for women. I’ve managed to locate several gender‑neutral projects, though. Creative Bug was a subsidiary of Joann Stores, if my memory serves. For me, Creative Bug has become a valuable source of at‑home crafting instruction, replacing the art‑education charity for unhoused individuals that supported me for over ten years. The Creative ...

I discovered the Markor app for Android because I needed an alternative to a web‑based editor. It’s an excellent choice for writers who want a dedicated Markdown tool—Markdown support is built right into the app. In addition to rich Markdown editing, Markor includes a handy task manager, making it useful for organizing writing projects on Android. Beyond Markdown, Markor can open and edit plain‑text files and export them to various formats. Earlier versions of the app were available directly fr...

The writer was fixated on Montblanc pens for a long time. Before locating a legitimate source, the search focused on an online flea market. A common mistake among new collectors is paying too little and buying from unreliable sellers. In this case, the pen was purchased from an Asian source and turned out to be counterfeit when it arrived. In hindsight, the writer would have benefited from someone warning, “Don’t buy from a Asian source for a low price.” Nevertheless, the writer learned the less...

Wednesday Today wasn’t bad. I convinced my housemate to leave the house for a few errands, so we headed to lunch at a long‑standing Thai restaurant downtown. It’s been about fifteen years since i dined there, but the place still feels familiar. I brought along my Lomography camera, which I’d bought from an online flea market. After a few false starts and some wasted film, I finally captured a good portrait of my housemate. I’ve recovered from a cold virus—thankfully after about ten days, which...

It isn’t easy to be apolitical. If people knew how much the problems bothering me right now affect me, they might understand why I choose to keep politics out of the range of topics I discuss. I would much rather have idle, polite conversations about anything other than sex or politics. Religion is okay, but in my town religion is usually a topic people can’t handle. If I hint that I grew up in a Republican bubble, the conversation shuts down, in my experience. I can almost hear their thoughts:...

I’m typing this morning with a mechanical keyboard, and it’s a pleasure to feel the tactile keys and see the immediate response on my tablet’s screen. The best part of a mechanical keyboard is its ability to let me type quickly and accurately, thanks to the longer key travel. Although it wasn’t expensive, the clicky sound can be annoying to a housemate in the next room. To me, the audible “click‑click” is comforting, but it would be unsuitable for a coffee shop or library where the noise would b...

Today, at the communist‑themed café, I sensed that I was not the patron they had envisioned. The baristo—who crafts an excellent espresso—snapped at me before handing over my four‑dollar brew, “Why are you up so early?” I could not ascertain whether his rebuke stemmed from my heightened alertness, a result of a potent cold‑brew caffeine ritual performed at home, or from a latent bias against my non‑industrial attire. It might also have been the aftermath of a nocturnal revelry, leaving him hu...

I became acquainted with a man who lived in the park near a nice little convenience store by the lake. We first crossed paths at the community recovery center, where I was going because of my brain condition and the loneliness I felt at the time. He was a recovering alcoholic, and while saying that “knowing” him might be a stretch, we certainly recognized each other—something that doesn't often happen with anyone beyond my family these days. He told me he’d gone to beauty school and gave haircu...

I was sitting in the nicest corporate‑style convenience store in the upscale part of town. The shop opens at 460 internet beats (well before sunrise), and because I suffer from a circadian‑sleep disorder I’m awake at night and sleep during the day. So “morning” for me is actually the wee hours of darkness, and I enjoy sipping coffee while doing my Morning Pages. While I was writing, a ragged, bearded man stumbled in, clearly struggling to function. He immediately demanded a pastry, raising his v...

Factor Lamy 2000 Montblanc 146 notes value + Lamy 2000 excels since it is about 66% less expensive than the Montblanc 146. presentation + The shiny Montblanc star and the historic, gold trim impress people. operation + This one is close. For taking notes, the snap-shut cap of the Lamy 2000 makes it a winner. nib + The Montblanc nib is stiff on my 146 pen, and drier than that of the Lamy pen. The Lamy 2000 is a study in subtle luxury. Its matte finish and sleek steel trim give i...

I’m feeling about 90 percent healthy again after a bad cold and respiratory virus, and I’m grateful for the improvement—breathing feels wonderful. I’m still staying at home because my housemate needs support, which isn’t ideal. My spiritual counselor reminded me, “This is what we have.” Tomorrow I might walk around a nearby neighborhood to look at people’s holiday decorations, or I could visit the large shopping center for the same purpose. On Friday is Guadalupe Day, and I plan to celebrate wi...

Enjoying Laurel’s singing while finishing the green‑cat figure I’d crafted. Today was a bit of a downer, and I’m still coughing from a nasty cold, but I’m trying to take it easy. Writing with a gold pen on inexpensive yet nicely weighted paper felt surprisingly satisfying. The computer is running smoothly, too. I plan to lay low for the next month or so. One friend wants to meet up after the holidays. The green‑cat figure looks cozy despite its sad expression, and the arms are a little crooked—...

A character—referred to as One—looks out the window and recalls the stories of a building that was demolished twice, a place that has since become a popular spot for real‑book lovers in a nearby neighborhood. Not far from there, a Jack‑in‑the‑Box once stood in the previous century. Tyreno, a towering, gender‑nonconforming longtime resident of this urban district, bursts into the shop brandishing a see‑through umbrella. Raindrops spin around the umbrella as if caught in a car’s revolving wheel. ...

I’m interested in 110‑format analog photography. The 110 format is a sub‑compact roll film that yields grainy images with a flat, warm colour palette reminiscent of the 1970s, when the format was at its peak. Many 110 cameras still survive, but the major film manufacturers no longer produce 110 film. Today, Lomography is the only company that still manufactures new 110 film. While I’m still researching 110 cameras and haven’t bought one yet, I recently purchased a Lomography instant Automat lin...

Ai. Generated an easy crochet pattern of a coin purse for me Moby Dick audio book entertains me at night while I craft. Free from the library... recovering with okay probability of quick return to health after getting a cold enjoyed wearing my mechanical wristwatch today, and that gave me a break from continual buzzes and chimes of the smartwatch ...

What happened At Christmas I received a complete ceramics set from a close friend—an elderly woman I deeply respect. At the time, I hesitated and didn’t express the gratitude the gift deserved. Her intention was sincere, and the present carried a valuable lesson. Looking back, I regret my lack of thanks and the respect I failed to show. Who was involved My friend: the elderly woman who gave the ceramics set. Family: my parents and brothers, who were also at the Christmas gathering. Summary...