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Posted on by Ellen Seaton - No Comments on Enough Distractions?

Enough Distractions?

How many distractions do mere mortals need to deal with at any given time? We just finished the Winter Holiday season; yet, how much of the fun and frivolities have already been forgotten? When do we really slow down and pay attention to the world in front of us? I’m trying my best. I am always a better writer when my mind can focus on only one or two things at a time. Like, the plot and the characters. It’s always easier to write my stories when I have a plot and some characters. Funny how that works.

Yet, it is difficult to turn on a television to check the news or walk outside my home and engage with other humans without dealing with the myriad of things that want my attention and engage in plans to distract me from writing. The list of distractions is quite long. February is quite the busy month!

First, this weekend I will be busy ignoring the Super Bowl. Yes, the commercials are funny and the half-time show can be entertaining, but I can see all that in a much shorter format after the game is over. I will hear about any scandal on the news and then go to social media to see what happened. Also, I must stand firm in my belief that Taylor Swift is not a part of any conspiracies. I think it is sad how some men get so upset by a powerful and successful woman. Watch the game if you want and get over yourselves.

This year we have both Mardi Gras and Valentines Day mixed up together. I, myself, do not celebrate Mardi Gras, but many people do. Galveston devotes two weekends to parades and parties. I have never been to any of them. Valentines Day I enjoy, because my skeletons enjoy getting dressed up in a lot of red. Don’t they look cute? My neighbors are really coming around to enjoying my skeleton displays. They may still think me odd, but the skeletons are harmless. At least they are during the day.

I don’t know enough about Lunar New year, but I enjoy the dragon dances. And this is the year of the dragon! Back in my teaching days, I always had some exchange students from Hong Kong who would give me red envelopes. I felt special and so international.

As soon as the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are over, people will begin focusing on the Rodeo. Of course, this is always a good reason to attend parties, concerts and look at all the different animals. Since I moved to Texas back in 1979, I have been exactly twice. I just don’t have the wardrobe for the Rodeo. I have been known to squeak my way through Go Western Day once a year, but that’s the best I can hope to accomplish in that arena.

What is my favorite holiday? I enjoy any event where I can dress up the skeletons. Whatever they want to dress up for is fine with me. So far, in the month of February, that includes Valentines Day. My skeletal friends have a wardrobe for the heart day. Also, working with my skeletal friends will always remind me of a story plot or another character I need to write about. My theory here is that if I want to engage in creative writing, then it is very important for me to live a creative life. Art inspires writing which then inspires more art. It is a constant cycle. Also, artistic projects help me to focus on what I am writing and bring my ideas into my visual realm. What fun!

So I am off to be creative some more. I hope you are too.

Until next time.….….

Posted on by Rachel Connelly - No Comments on How long has January been?? And how is it over??

How long has January been?? And how is it over??

Another busy month has gone by! January always feels like it lasts a thousand years, doesn’t it?

I’ve already done and learned a lot this year. My editing work is continuing, and I’ve taken on some new responsibilities — writing newsletters and such. Both there and in my day job, I’ve suddenly been learning a lot about different

website building platforms, which has been cool. Between the social media and the website work I’ve been doing, I’m finding that I actually really enjoy that sort of thing. I’m considering looking into it further.

In my personal life, it’s been mostly the same. I’ve been deep into crafting, as always. I’ve got about 7 different crochet projects with varying deadlines, and took a break from all of them so I could learn to make a handfasting cord for my beautiful friends who are getting married this weekend. I love learning new

This isn’t the one I made, but it’s pretty similar!

crafts, and this one was so special. Both because there’s something so powerful about learning to do something that’s so traditional and was probably something some distant ancestor of mine would have known how to do (I’m VERY heavily Irish/Celtic), and because I got to do something so meaningful for people who mean so much to me.

I’m not sure what February will hold, but I’m looking forward to continuing to learn more. Until next time!

Posted on by Ellen Seaton - 1 Comment on Out With the Old, In With the New

Out With the Old, In With the New

Was this one of my most exciting New Year’s ever? Not by a long shot. It was pleasant and it was nice. 2023 tried its best to kick my ass, but I am still here. I am standing upright with a good mind (mostly?) and still exercising.

My 2023 basically looked like this desk here. It was a functional piece of furniture that I had used for several decades and moved from one home to another. At the time I needed/wanted a L‑shaped corner desk and this certainly fit the bill for many years. However, after a while, it came time to replace it. I tried to give it away. I contacted many charities and service organizations and resell shops. Couldn’t give this away. I felt bad for my little desk. I even put a sign down by the mailboxes that said, “Free to Good Home!” To no avail. Houston Recycling, here we come.

This was very symbolic for the way 2023 had gone. Instead of a desk, my body needed updating. Only I couldn’t just toss out myself and buy a replacement. No, but I went to many doctors. I spent some time in the hospital and was diagnosed with A‑Fib. In between cardiac ablations, I moved to a new living environment for “independent seniors” so that I now have lots of buttons to push and strings to pull in case I have a stroke. As enjoyable as that sounds, I really do like the new homestead. I guess 2023 is the year I became a Senior Citizen. Bah Humbug. However, that does not mean I can sit in a rocker and pass my days quietly. No! All of my doctors want me up and active. I now wear a smart watch that counts my foot steps, my pulse and my stress levels. I take my blood pressure. I take Tai Chi and aerobic exercise classes. I am definitely not slowing down.

So, what am I hoping for in the near future? For starters I have a new desk. It is smaller and sleeker than the last one. I am still getting organized, but it is working dandy well for this blog. My good friend Jim put the desk together and it didn’t even take that long. This picture shows the construction site where all parts were assembled. The best news is that none of this seems to have confused my cat, Hannah. Of course she has hidden under the couch a few times, but never for very long.

I am busy attending a series of writing intensives, and having a new nifty desk is helping with my inspiration. For those of you who know me, yes, I am still writing about ghosts and grim reapers. I continue to work on short stories and, of course, the Great American Novel. I am even taking an online course on “Jewish Ghost Stories”. Who knew there were such things? I’ll keep you posted on the details.

So here is the finished product: the new desk. I like it and the computer works on it very well. The printer even fits on the desk which is a luxury I did not have before.

Here’s to many ghost stories and scary tales in 2024. Maybe I’ll even finish the Great American Novel!

Until next time.….

Posted on by Rachel Connelly - No Comments on New Year, Same Us

New Year, Same Us

I don’t know how it happened, but it’s 2024, y’all!! Every year I feel like January 1st sneaks up on us. That the previous year felt simultaneously like an eternity and like a matter of days. Despite this, it’s generally a welcome change I think. 

WE MADE IT!!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR YOU GUYS!!!!

It’s an opportunity to pack up the past and put it in a box labeled “LAST YEAR”, and start fresh.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to mark the end of a chapter and start fresh, but at the same time my challenge to all of you is to release some of the pressure associated with the new year. By all means, if you’ve got a resolution that you’re passionate about trying, give it your all. But allow yourself some grace if it doesn’t catch on immediately. Make it part of your goal to view your missteps and mistakes as part of your growth journey, rather than a “failure” to achieve your resolution.

Two steps forward, one step back, and all that. Or ten steps forward, nine steps back. It’s all still progress.

And also, if you don’t have a resolution for yourself, or any specific goals for the new year, there’s zero shame in that either. There are 366 days in 2024 (happy leap year!) — January 1st is not the only day you’re allowed to begin a journey or start trying something new. Maybe you don’t want to try something new right now. Maybe you’re happy where you’re at and your current goal is just to keep living life one day at a time, and see where it takes you.

Neither is better than the other. And neither is set in stone. You could resolve to run a mile every morning and decide you actually hate running, and stop doing that by February. It doesn’t mean you failed, you succeeded in discovering that you don’t like something, and should look at other forms of exercise if you want to pursue a fitness journey. You could enjoy your day job now and not want to make changes this year, but decide in a few months you’d actually really like to start taking classes to pursue a new career. You don’t have to wait until January 2025 to start.

More often than not, it actually goes: Goal -> Plan -> Action -> New Plan -> Different Action -> Plan Again -> Revise Goal -> and so on.


Ultimately, as exciting as the clean slate is, it’s important to remember that January 1st is another day on the calendar. We’re creatures of habit, and our brains aren’t naturally wired to make big changes overnight, no matter how big a party we throw signifying that the year is over and we can be a new person now. Any change is going to be gradual, whether you start on New Year’s Day or the middle of September.

My wish for all of you (and myself!) this year is simply that we are all collectively able to carry ourselves with gentler hands. That we’re a little kinder to ourselves and others. It’s been a wild, overly eventful few years, and (not that we need to earn gentleness), I think we all owe it to ourselves to take things slow right now. 

Whatever you resolve this year, wherever 2024 takes you, let it be with compassion for yourself and those around you. Rather than pushing yourself

I believe in you, dude!!

to become someone new, let this new year be one of learning to love who you already are, and build upon that with only the softest, most loving intentions.

I wish all of you the happiest of New Years. May you find pockets of joy and peace in all 366 days. 

Much love,
-Rachel <3

P.S. For what it’s worth, my sole resolution in 2024 is to wear my retainer to bed more. I’ve been slacking since the pandemic began and I can’t let two years of suffering through braces in high school be for nothing. And in three days I’ve already worn it more than last year, so mission already accomplished. Any other achievements this year are just a bonus now.

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Krampus is Back!!!

For those of you who are aware of my proclivity for all things spooky, I know you did not expect the winter holidays to come and go without a greeting from the skeletons. This is their favorite Holiday outfit, especially because it confuses those who are expecting to see some jolly old elf clad in red. It’s a beautiful day here in Houston and these two are enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while laughing about the reactions they receive from those mere mortals that walk past.

Also, I have had great fun this traditional season of light by studying up on the monsters who are associated with the dark time of the year. As a writer, I am constantly researching new topics for my blog and other stories. This year I learned about Krampus. He is a delightful creature that shows up before the big guy in red and takes care of all the bad little children. Sounds fun!

What I have gathered in my brief studies of monsters is that there are a select few, Krampus being one, that show up just in time for the end of the year when many people celebrate Christmas. The sole purpose of these critters is to scare children into behaving themselves. These creatures almost always are from the northern climates where December is a dark and cold month. People have to stay inside for warmth and survival. The children get bored staying inside so much and begin to get rowdy. One way to make sure the delightful little ones stay quiet is to create monsters to scare them into behaving. When I study Krampus, I see that he will find all of the naughty children and either eats them or sends them into the underworld. In addition to their being banished for ever from the earth plane, it also means means they don’t get any presents or treats! Oh no!

Fast forward a couple of hundred years and what we have now is Santa Claus who will put misbehaving cherubs on a “Naughty List”. Today’s children don’t have to worry about being eaten or thrown into the underworld or anything fun and scary.

I find it very interesting that so many cultures, religions and societies have references to lights this time of year. However, monsters like Krampus come from the cold northern regions of the world. I am still researching this topic, but I have not found any monsters (yet) that steal away the children of tropical climates. Do you know of any? I’ll keep you posted on my research. Then we’ll see what shows up in my writings by next year. Apparently Krampus is making a comeback and taking part in parades. Be on the lookout!

My niece, Becca, sent me this wonderful pillow that pretty much sums up my life. I believe she got it in Salem, Ma. Is it possible that spookiness runs in my family? Can you find it in my DNA? Please don’t tell my sister!

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy your holidays whatever you celebrate. I will stay inside with my skeletons sharing scary stories and drinking hot chocolate.

Until next time.….

Posted on by Rachel Connelly - No Comments on Holidays and Raptors and Lots and Lots of Work

Holidays and Raptors and Lots and Lots of Work

It’s been another busy month here. It’s officially been six weeks since I moved and I’m finally starting to feel settled into my new routine. There have been a lot of adjustments of course, but it’s no longer a daily stressor, it’s all just part of what I do now. 

Somehow the holidays are already here, which seems impossible. I’ve promised myself that I’m not going to stress too hard about gift-giving and making sure everything is perfect. It’s been a hectic year and I think ending it on a low key note sounds perfect to me. 

Amidst it all, I have been working hard on intentionally carving out time to engage in hobbies that bring me joy, that I’d spent the past few years pushing aside. I’m reading a lot more, which was all I did growing up, but recently I’ve struggled to make time for myself to pick up a non-work related book, and it’s been really nice to get back into reading for pleasure.

His name is Brazos and he is so ROUND.

I’m also doing a lot more crafting, both for other people and for myself. I have several crochet projects going that I’ve been commissioned to do and I’ve been painting decor for my friends who are getting married in a few months. I also learned just this weekend that I really love watercolor painting, and would love to do more of it. One of my best friends was

I think he liked my work. This is also my new favorite picture of myself ever.

celebrating his birthday at the raptor sanctuary where he volunteers. They were having a painting class where they brought in one of their birds for us to learn about and paint.

I tend to lean towards crafts that involve a lot of coloring inside the lines, or making an exact number of stitches so the product is identical every time, and it was really

I think I did a pretty good job, too! It’s currently hanging in my bedroom.

freeing and fun to work with something less exact and predictable. I see a lot more of that in my future, and maybe next time I’ll have more art to share!

Until then, happy holidays!!

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After Halloween — The Hauntings Continue

I’m relaxing this week and for good reason. Another successful presentation of Haunted Holidays Readings at Brazos Bookstore has come and gone. If you missed it you have two options. You can go to https://youtu.be/A83grQr9bis?si=ZETZ-A-2F9k8nxSi

and watch the enjoyable event on WiVLA’s YouTube channel. Also, you can start writing more spooky stories in preparation for next year.

I must take this opportunity to thank Brazos Bookstore and especially, Amy, who helped to coordinate this evening. Also, when you watch the presentation on YouTube, please know that Melody Locke is our wonderful and official film crew.

As you can see the skeletons who participated this year are quite tired and taking a bit of a rest. You might notice that this year Barbie was able to join in the fun. This was in addition to all of the other spooky guests. Once again this year, my good friend, Jim, served as the Chief roadie and skeleton wrangler. He made sure all skeletons made it to the event on time and then landed back home safely. I think we only lost one sock in the process. Also, Sabina Gartler (Sister WiVLA Member) helped with additional decorations. Finally, thanks to all of the wonderful members of WiVLA and the Houston Writers Guild for joining in with their creative talents. It takes a village to pull off a well organized Haunting. Much gratitude to everyone.

Of course, there will not be a lot of time for rest. There are other holidays to consider, but for me and my skeletons, the stress level goes way down. This fine fellow volunteered to be our official Turkey Day mascot. My official Thanksgiving plans include going to Govinda’s for a vegetarian Holiday dinner with all the trimmings. Yes, I actually like Tofu Turkey!!! I will bring enough home to share with my skeleton crew. It’s the least I can do.

So as of now, I have completed all of my public readings for the year. I will keep you up to date with all of the antics me, my crew and my friends get into over the rest of the holidays.

And of course, I have plenty of time to write. I have both short stories and the Great American Novel that I continue to work on. A writer’s work is never done and skeletons can try to scare you all year round! BOO!!!

Until next time.….…..

Posted on

Like a Frog in a Boiling Pot…or Whatever That Saying Is

It’s been another crazy few weeks! Long story short, I’m moving again (fifth time since 2019!) and very unexpectedly. It’s definitely the right choice and I’m looking forward to it, but I am exhausted. In the span of under a month, I’ve had

I’ve been watching a LOT of New Girl while I pack. It makes me feel a little less like a disaster.

to make the choice to move when I wasn’t planning to do so for another year at least, and get all my belongings packed and ready to go.

It’s a lot.

I was talking about it with my mom earlier and I observed that it seems to be a common theme in my life that as soon as I’m finally comfortable in a situation, something unexpected happens that shakes everything up and 

That’s called a hypnic jerk btw! Scientists still aren’t sure why they happen but they do majorly suck.

forces me in an entirely new direction, whether I like it or not. It feels kind of like when you’re about to fall asleep and your body does that involuntary jerk that wakes you right back up.

This isn’t a complaint though. Honestly I’m grateful, because it’s always with situations that were objectively wrong for me. Things I know aren’t right and don’t fit with my life path, but eventually I make a conscious choice to accept it regardless, generally because it’s the safe and easier choice. 

And almost like clockwork, within weeks of finally making peace with the safe choice and resolving to stick it out, the ground falls away, I trip on a curb, a giant explosion happens, and I’m involuntarily jerked awake.

Suddenly fired from the soul-sucking receptionist job by the attorney who used to scream at her clients’ families, dumped by the girlfriend I’d later come to understand was terribly emotionally abusive; all situations that I did not belong in but I was already there and they were familiar and didn’t require taking any scary leaps, so I probably never would have left of my own accord. Or at least until conditions were absolutely perfect and I knew with absolute certainty that I was making the right move.

It didn’t matter if the house was on fire, I wasn’t leaving until I knew the weather outside was perfect.

I don’t have an explanation for the uncanniness of it all, although I do like to imagine that there’s a spirit guide or some higher power rolling their eyes behind me and going, “Fine. If you won’t choose to take the risk, you just don’t get to make a choice at all.”

It’s like I’m playing a game of chess against the Universe, and I’ve been safely moving my pawns forward one-by-one to create a safe border protecting my more powerful pieces, which is physically keeping my king safe but also blocking me from making any big game-changing moves. And then the second I have all my little pawns back in a row, the Universe’s queen surges forward and knocks out the one right in front of my king, immediately exposing him and putting him in serious jeopardy if he doesn’t get the heck out of there.

It looks intense at this angle, but these pawns are actually completely stuck and useless in this position. It’s literally impossible for either of them to move without somebody making a sacrifice.

So I do what I have to do, and get him the heck out of there, and start playing the game with a backbone, and eventually it turns out that was exactly what I needed to win all along.

Now I don’t know if any of that is actually good chess strategy (although I skimmed a chess forum and it sounds like I’m at least kind of right), but I do know that as much as losing that pawn and being forced to make an immediate decision was startling and felt chaotic in the moment, ultimately I’m so thankful every time for that shove into action. 

It’s always terrifying, but it hasn’t steered me wrong yet.

So I’m excited to see where it takes me this time.

Posted on by Ellen Seaton - No Comments on Keeping Promises, Breaking Promises

Keeping Promises, Breaking Promises

I retired several years ago and at that time, I made a promise to myself. The job I had for 25 years involved a lot of driving. I drove to see clients, I drove to meetings, and then I drove to some more meetings. During that time, I developed a distinct dislike for driving in the rain. You know the situation. I would find myself behind the wheel of my car, the rain was pouring down and visibility stretched for an entire 5 feet or so. Maybe there was thunder and lighting, but that did not bother me. It was the pounding rain causing ponding on the roadways and oftentimes flooding. I knew it was time to retire the day I drove to work during an actual tropical storm. Gratefully, I survived to tell the tale and swore I would never drive in the rain again.…..never.….…ever.….ever.

So it came as a shock to me the other day when I found myself driving along I‑10 on my way to Highway 6. For those of you not familiar with Houston geography, it felt like I was driving from the Grand Canyon all the way to California. Well, it felt that long to me and then I had to drive back home. I went to a place called Crown Trophy. The Authorpalooza conference is happening this weekend. Friday night is the Journey Into Art Anthology launch and I had the First, Second and Third place medals for the winners of the writing contest. This was a very nice company to work with and I highly recommend them for all of your medal and statue needs. But must they locate themselves so far away from where I live? Not very neighborly of them. But at least I have fulfilled my obligation for this weekend.

As soon as I got home, I sat down with some of my skeleton friends. Now that the temperatures are actually cooling down, they prefer to sit outside and study their books. I think they also go for walks at night or so they tell me. Luckily they are in a spot where they are protected from the rain.

Now of course the two friends who are not necessarily protected by the rain are Mr. Gargoyle and his friend, Skelly. One day I asked them why they chose their current spot and Mr. Gargoyle said that it was the spot where he could best protect my home. Since he feels like this is his primary function, I decided he could stay there. He assured me a little rain wouldn’t hurt him. Also his friend, Skelly, knows how to hold on real tight in case the wind starts blowing. I feel very safe knowing that these critters are in charge of the safety of my home. Of course, when I leave and go somewhere else (like Highway 6), I am pretty much on my own. That’s why I stay close to home.

But I will attend Authorpalooza this weekend! It is much closer to me than Crown Trophy. Thanks to the Houston Writers Guild for pulling this wonderful weekend together!

Until next time.….….

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AUTUMNAL EQUINOX 2023

I’d like to wish you a Happy Autumnal Equinox!  For those of you who are not familiar with celestial terms, then I will wish you a Happy First Day of Fall. According to many pictures on Social Media and television commercials we can now expect colorful leaves, the nip of coolness in the air and Pumpkin Spice everywhere we go. What difference does this make in Southeast Texas? Apparently, not a damn thing. As I write this, it is 97 degrees outside with lots of humidity. The only real sign I have of the arrival of fall, is the appearance of the Spirit Halloween Store! I was there this morning and purchased another skeleton, because obviously seven are just not enough.

I have enjoyed sweating through the early stages of decorating my home. Of course it is always decorated on the inside, but this time of year is when I let all my neighbors know for sure what kind of neighbor they have. The best comment I have gotten so far is that folks are happy that I am finding enough chairs for all of the skeletons and witches to sit down. Yet, please understand, I am only getting started. I have plans. Lots of plans. There will be bats added into the mix this year and even a gargoyle. I like to start out small so as not to scare the villagers too quickly; however, once October 1st arrives everything is fair game.

I have extra space to decorate this year and I plan to cover every inch possible. I even have extra doors, so I don’t have to decide which wreath to use. I just have to make sure that I follow current fire regulations by keeping walkways clear. Now that’s a funny thought, because the ghosts already know to get out of the way whenever there is a fire or medical emergency. Even the goblins have that basic knowledge. Humans are so weird sometimes with their various rules and regulations as if they are in charge of things.

The only thing left for me to do, in addition to decorating, is to write haunted, scary stories. All of my standard characters show up during the fall. Willow, the Grim Reaper, is already present and accounted for, and I’ve lost track of all the ghosts and goblins who are showing up to get a good spot in the next plot.

After presenting AuthorPalooza in early October, the Houston Writers Guild and Women in the Visual and Literary Arts will once again join literary forces for a night of Haunted Holidays stories at Brazos Bookstore. All of the original stories, essays and poetry are written by members of those two illustrious organizations. I hope you will join us for the fun and frolic!!!

Until next time.….…..