The Good Thing Is…

There are a lot of things about this pandemic that can make you sad. Now’s the time to look for what makes you happy. For me, it’s spending a lot of time with my dogs.

Guinness the Therapy Dog usually lays nearby while I work on my laptop at the dining table.

Lucy the Anxious One is typically in her crate that is within arm’s reach.

So, looking for the silver lining of sheltering-in-place or self-isolation is that I get to spend time with my dogs and my family-maybe not in that order. Family first! And I get to binge my favorite shows while I work. Yay!

It can be difficult to focus on the good and not on the bad, but it’s worth the effort.

Keep your eyes on the prize! Sonja

Hmm, I Don’t Have Employees-

Photo by Pablo Varela on Unsplash

I am a small business. So small, in fact, that I am the only person. Writing can be a lonely business. When I lean against the virtual water cooler to gossip, I talk to my dogs, including Guinness the Therapy Dog. They listen but don’t have any gossip of their own.

On the plus side, I am always the employee of the month!

I generally sit at the dining table to write. It is my designated writing space and gives me full access to my dogs, my tea, and my DVD player. I think my time in the newsroom made it necessary to have noise when I write. I usually stream Netflix or Amazon Prime or have one of my many movies playing. I don’t watch much, just hear the dialogue. Generally, I don’t even listen very closely, I just seem to need the noise.

Why don’t I listen to music?

It’s too distracting! Who’d have thought?

As I said, I think it goes back to my days in broadcasting when three or four police and fire scanners were blaring behind me, reporters were scanning their video or talking, and there was general ‘stuff’ going on around me.

Editing is a different story, and I need quiet. But during the initial creation (the icky first draft), I need the background noise.

I know. Don’t judge! Sonja

Today Is Earth Hour

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

What exactly is Earth Hour? It’s a grassroots movement (one of the largest in the world) that began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. It is observed every year on the last Saturday of March and encourages people to switch off their lights at 5:30 CT.

This is hoped to focus the attention of the people and their governments on the environment.

When Earth Hour was begun by the World Wildlife Federation, it was meant to show support for our planet. Since then, the movement has morphed to include the environment, including nature and biodiversity.

Support our planet and switch off your lights. Sonja

Guinness is Expecting You!

Have you read my first two Guinness the Therapy Dog books?

They are illustrated by a talented artist from England. The covers give you a glimpse of the inside illustrations. Aren’t they wonderful?

The first book tells of Guinness’s work to become a therapy dog-and what he needed to do to become certified.

The second book tells of one of his favorite therapy activities: the Read-to-a-Dog program at one of our local libraries.

He loves to listen to the kids read their books, loves the pictures, and loves having them pet him as he lays at their feet while they read.

You’ll even find out about one of his special dog powers!!!

You can access the books by using the links on the left margin of this web page, or search for my name, ‘Sonja Danielson’, to see all my titles.

Enjoy learning about Guinness the Therapy Dog! Sonja

How’s Your Grammar?

I am a comma fiend. I love them and use them indiscriminately. So, why does my writing have such great grammar?

I use a grammar app called Grammarly.

Part of it is free and there is premium content as well. I paid for the premium since it works better for me and keeps my writing appropriate.

This isn’t an ad, I promise. Hey, see those commas. Totally appropriate!

I also have a grammar book that I kept from college writing classes and another one I bought several years ago. But I still can’t get a handle on commas. They are my Achilles’ Heel.

I know commas should be used like salt and sprinkled conservatively. But I love them and use them like sugar in a cookie. Lots of them and blended through everything!

I hope you have an app or two that help you. Sonja

What’s the best restaurant in your city? Tag it!

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

With most restaurants looking like this during the quarantine, it’s important to support your local businesses.

Most offer take out and delivery, so make sure your favorites are able to stay in business. Order a meal and go pick it up, or have it delivered.

Lots of people rely on tips to make ends meet, so be sure to take care of that as well.

Stay well! Sonja

Did You Get a Copy?

A couple of weekends ago I offered the ebook versions of these titles for free. So many downloads! I hope you were one of those who took advantage of the offer.

If not, you can order the ebook or the paperback using the direct links in the left margin of this website. You can also find my entire book catalog at Amazon.com. Just search for my name, ‘Sonja Danielson’, and all my titles will come up.

“The Voyage” is a true history of one of the founding families of the American Colonies. I happen to be a member of that family. Doing the research was fun and I learned so much about the patriarch who instigated the family’s move from England and Europe to the American colonies.

He didn’t live long enough to move to Plymouth Colony, but his wife and sons booked passage on a ship and arrived in Boston, along with his father-in-law and sister-in-law. The story of his father-in-law, Stephen Bachiler, is very interesting and I plan to research and write about it.

So many stories float through my head and I want to write them all!

Please leave a review on Amazon.com or Good Reads if you have read one of my books. I would love to see what you think! Sonja

Here’s the Thing-

(c) 2020

I was on a hike yesterday with a good friend and her son and we came across this heart-shaped cactus. Isn’t it cute?

You can find love in the weirdest places.

I didn’t love spilling an entire pot of tea all over my writing desk just now. But things are dried and other things are in the washing machine, so all is good. Back to what I was talking about…

Love is everywhere, you just need to be open to it.

I’m taking an online course on mindfulness right now, and it is a good reminder to live in the present. I have so many things that try to pull me into the future-that increase my anxiety-and practicing mindfulness brings me back to the present. It isn’t healthy to sit in an anxious state and that’s what I do unless I work to live in the moment.

I want to enjoy the present, not worry about the future. And that’s what mindfulness encourages.

With all this time at home, I encourage you to take an online class in whatever sparks your particular interests.

Don’t let this time slip by. Sonja