Tag: #writing
Posted on December 3, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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Exhausted. Euphoric. Somewhat crippled. Grateful. At peace. These are my emotions as I wait to board the plane at JFK, bound for the Southland and in a few days the Central Coast of California. I’ve been here for a little more than two weeks,… Continue Reading “Hot Cocoa Blessings”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #christmas, #grandchildren, #grandparents, #hotcocoa, #littlekids, #love, #newyorkcity, #sentimental, #writing, family, life, love, memories
Posted on November 14, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m on location. In a setting I thought of visiting, someday—maybe—but nixed the notion because it’s dusty and desert-y and HOT and DRY and really not my vibe at all. But here I am with more than 100 sisters from another mother, celebrating resiliency, growth, adventure, new… Continue Reading “For a week I camped in the desert”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #arizona, #butterflytracks, #camping, #campinglife, #campingwithfriends, #grandmascamping, #growth, #lulusway, #quartzite, #solowomencampers, #takingachance, #takingchances, #womencamping, #womenfriends, #womensmeetups, #writing, book-review, books, desertadventures, fiction, finding-your-tribe, love, quartsize
Posted on September 24, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m a silly girl. A woman-girl growing inside her own womb, punching, kicking, absorbing nutrients, feeling excited, worried, and at peace, trusting that my caretaker-self won’t let her little girl down, has her best interest at heart, and would do anything to support, heal, comfort and… Continue Reading “The Flying Machine”
Category: #beachcamping, #camping, #hope, #lifeizgoodTags: #camping, #coastalcampiong, #fear, #grandparent, #iloveliterature, #iloveoregon, #journaling, #oregon, #pacficnorthwest, #raybradbury, #retirededucator, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #solowomencamping, #writing, facingfear, family, life, life-lessons, love, mental-health, pacificnorthwest
Posted on September 11, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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“The Secret Garden” “Tom Sawyer” “A Present for the Princess” “My Side of the Mountain” Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”, “Snow White”, “The Wizard of Oz” and Dad’s soothing, animated voice lulling me to sleep, assuring me that all is well in the world and that… Continue Reading “My Side of the Mountain”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #camping, #fall, #hiking, #Nature, #pleasureway, #retiredteacher, #solowomencamping, #travel, #travelinggrandma, #writing, @retirement, life, pacific-northwest, prairie-creek-state-and-national-park
Posted on May 23, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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“Every time my surroundings change, I feel enormous sadness. It’s not greater when I leave a place tied to memories, grief or happiness. It’s the change itself that unsettles me, just as liquid in a jar turns cloudy when you shake it.” ~ Italo Svevo… Continue Reading “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”
Category: #central coastTags: #cambria, #centralcoast, #classof2025, #faith, #grace, #graduation, #hope, #mindset, #ohtheplacesyoullgo, #passages, #peace, #retirement, #sansimeonbeach, #travelinggrandma, #writerslife, #writing, @retirement, blog, life, love, mental-health
It’s been a long while since I blogged. I have so much to share and don’t really know where or how to begin. It’s all good. No worries there. But it’s been a jumble, a rumble, an unfolding, a sorting out—-literally—-of my entire life… Continue Reading “I Wrote a Poem”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #art, #beachlife, #cambria, #cambriacenterforthearts, #centralcoast, #dogs, #gratitude, #kauai #grandhyattkauai #summer #summervacation #georgeclooney #thedesendants #fullmoon #retirement #blessings #hawaii #advanture #lifeizgood #love #blessings #maitai, #livinglifetothefullest, #lovinglife, #maryoliver, #poetry, #poets, #retiredteacher, #thewritinglife, #writing, family, fiction, grandparent, life, love
I’ve finally figured out my problem; the reason it’s hard to forge on, dig deep, actually do the thing I need to do, which is figuring out how to write this novel I’ve been pecking away at on and off for months: Drum roll….my problem is….I… Continue Reading “Who do you think you are?”
Category: #central coast, #centralcoast, #lifeizgood, #teachingTags: #almartinez, #California, #cambria, #cambriacolony, #centralcoastcalifornia, #centralcoastwriters, #creativity, #ilovecalifornia, #losangelestimes, #love, #mayaangelou, #procrastination, #rainbows, #raybradbury, #theartistsway, #writerslife, #writing, books, creative-writing, fiction, life
Posted on February 24, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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For those who have never lived on their own, might be afraid, anxious about silence, worried about fixing things, the idea of cooking for one, being responsible for paying one’s bills—-don’t be. You can do it. You can handle it. I know because not… Continue Reading “The Three Bears”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #California, #cambria, #faith, #grandmother, #hope, #livingmybestlife, #peace, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #roomofmyown, #thelittlethings, #vanlife, #writerslife, #writing, @retirement, blog, coastal-california, family, life, love, mental-health, retired-teacher, san-luis-obispo-county, tiny-home
Posted on February 21, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m in my Enya phase—-again. A wispy, cloudy, bubbly, dream state of being. Honestly. Honestly. Honestly. I am living my dream, a dream I’ve held onto through all, the ups and downs, the beginnings and endings and now I’m in the Now. The Now I’ve… Continue Reading “Mermaid Cove”
Category: UncategorizedTags: #bucketlist, #cambria, #centralcoastcalifornia, #coastalcalifornia, #dreamcometrue, #fulfillingadream, #grandparent, #hope, #lifeizgood, #love, #writersresidency, #writing, family, life, livingthedream, love, mental-health
Posted on January 8, 2025
by JANET L BARKER
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I’m leaving. Again. I’m melancholy. Again. I don’t want to leave. Again. But I do. Again and again. Everywhere I leave I love. Same goes for the people I leave. Like my visit with Julie and Ken two days ago or my Littles in… Continue Reading “Simplicity vs. Elaboration”
Category: #beachcamping, #californiastateparks, #camping, #central coast, #centralcoast, #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #ilovecalifornia, #lifeizgood, #pismobeach, #pleasureway, #solowomencamping, #vanlife, #wintercampingalongthecoastTags: #camping, #campingfriends, #faith, #findinghope, #findinglove, #friendship, #godswhispers, #pismobeach, #pismobeachstatepark, #solocamping, #travelinggrandma, #trust, #vanlife, #writing, campingsolo, family, life, love, lovethyneighbor, mental-health, womencampingsolo
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