a-jones-girl-blog

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Two Monsters

New blog post - Two Monsters

The picture above is The Love Monster. My daughter drew it, and named it. It hangs on the wall of my bedroom, and it makes me smile. This week it’s giving me comfort in a way nothing tangible seems to be able to. I’m going to talk out of my ass for a minute, about something I don’t know anything about, and then I’m going to compare it to something I know about more than I’d like. If I was a…

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Out of My Comfort Zone, Still in My Wheelhouse

Out of My Comfort Zone, Still in My Wheelhouse

It’s been one month. One-half of the trial period I set for myself to see what I think of this side gig. And I have to say, I’m happy I’m still in. For those of you who don’t know, my side gig is Rodan + Fields – a skincare company founded by the dermatologists who created Proactiv. It’s turn-key entrepreneurship, network marketing, and much to my surprise, full of genuinely cool people. I mean,…

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Shift

New blog post: Shift

So, I’ve decided to take on a side gig slash new business. Those of you who have known me the longest will either cheer me on or roll your eyes, just as you’ve done every other time I’ve started something new – something that seems completely disconnected from what I’ve been doing prior. Hopefully by now, whether you’re excited to hear what my latest adventure is, or you’re reading this in…

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Back in the Saddle Again...

Back in the Saddle Again...#mondaymotivation #amwriting

I used to have this dream that I’d just received a large sum of money – enough that I’d be able to quit whatever horrible, soul-sucking job I was doing at the time and live large if I wanted to. In the dream I’d be flooded with a feeling of relief and joy, knowing that suddenly my time was my own. The endless hours I was spending every day doing data entry, or talking to angry bank customers, or…

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We Are More Alike, My Friends, Than We Are Unalike

We Are More Alike, My Friends, Than We Are Unalike #ContraryToPopularOpinion #alternativefacts

Remember during the election, when we first started hearing the term ‘fake news’? Remember when that fake news was primarily aimed at conservatives and Trump supporters, because they were more inclined to believe it? They were upset with how the country was being run, unhappy with their president, and afraid for their children’s future. They were primed for fake news, because they didn’t trust…

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Yes We Will

Yes We Will #WomensMarch #icantkeepquiet #blacklivesmatter

I’ve never really been the marching type. In high school I let my boyfriend drag me to an anti-war protest, but it felt more like nostalgia for a time when most of us at the rally weren’t even born yet. I’m unapologetically loud and open about my opinion among my friends, but that doesn’t really count as being political, because my friends usually agree with me. So what was different on January…

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Lessons From A Six-Year-Old

My daughter just turned seven, and loves to play pretend. She also loves to build things out of stuff she finds in the recycling bin – her room and our kitchen table is regularly covered in tin cans, empty cereal boxes, and toilet paper rolls, and I haven’t seen the scotch tape in months. I predict an unhealthy relationship with Pinterest in her near future. One of the more awesome things she has…

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Waxes and Wanes

New blog post - Waxes and Wanes

I disappeared for a bit there. Nothing dramatic, don’t worry. I guess I just…I have periods when the thoughts in my head are so loud and feel so important that I’m likely to spill them all to an unsuspecting produce clerk at the grocery store. Blogging helps to save those poor produce clerks – I put it all up here, and folks can choose whether they want in. You get to choose between my petulant…

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The House We Build

Change what you can change, and do it out of love.

Okay. I don’t have a huge amount to say this morning (a rarity, I know), but I do want to pass on a little something I’ve been chewing on. It’s a quote by Michael Bernard Beckwith, and it goes like this: ““If this experience were to last forever, what quality would have to emerge for me to have peace of mind?” I remembered it yesterday, and found it this morning as I pondered what I wanted my day…

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A Small Reprieve

Love and light to you all. #safetypin

My emotions have been all over the map this week. One minute I’m angry, the next I’m determined, then I’m heartbroken. I have times when I feel willing to listen to the other side, but then I stupidly read the comments and become angry and scared all over again. I have a feeling a whole lot of you know what I’m talking about. I think it’s time for a little self care. The numbness is setting in –…

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I Will Not 'Get Over It', and Neither Should You

This is the moment when everything changes.

“We humans don’t take kindly to being knocked off our planned paths into unfamiliar territory. Our first reaction is to get back to the path we were on as soon as possible. But a good inciting event makes it impossible to immediately get back – first the character has to fix the problem. Then, she hopes, things can return to ‘normal’.” This quote is from a book about writing, but today it feels…

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I Will Stay, and I Will Fight

Hate wins this round. #Election2016 #NotMyPresident

It’s 5:15am. In a little over an hour I have to wake my kids up and explain to them why hate won yesterday. I have to look my little girl in the eye and tell her that a man who thinks nothing of assaulting women and girls is our next president. I’m feeling so many things right now – in truth, the last time I felt like this was after being told I had cancer. I’m angry…so angry. I’m angry at the…

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Sad Puppy

I’m sad lately. Not quite sad enough to declare a state of emergency or anything, but when I’m left to myself I’m just…sad. The voices in my head are full of politics. Most days I can’t wait until this stupid election is over, but then I realize that the venom and vitriol everyone is spewing all over regular and social media isn’t going to go away on November 9th. If anything, it has the…

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Panic, Despair, & Apathy…Oh My!

Panic, Despair, & Apathy…Oh My!

I’ve self-published enough books to recognize what’s going on in my head right now, but not enough books to have figured out what to do to get through it. First off, I want to take a moment and give a giant shout-out to the folks who have posted reviews of The Pointy Hat Brigade. I’m categorically not allowed to offer anything in response except my undying gratitude, so that’s what you get. I’m…

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Because Trump Doesn’t Speak for Me

New blog post: Because Trump Doesn’t Speak for Me

It’s becoming a hard year to be a human. The world is so polarized; I can’t offer support to one group without offending another. For instance, I made a pledge to myself that I would limit my personal Facebook posts to positive subjects – or at least the positive spin on things or events which are negative – as best I could. That I wouldn’t contribute to the hate and vitriol being spewed…

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Humbled

New blog post - Humbled #wisdomwednesday

I ordered ten copies of my novel to bring to the launch party last Sunday. And I was certain – absolutely certain – that I’d have a bunch left over to use for giveaways or whatnot. When I told the host of the party that I’d ordered ten copies, her eyebrow hit the ceiling as she replied, “Only ten?” So I ordered ten more, freaking out a little at how much I was spending on this launch, but hopeful…

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42

New blog post - 42

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory mentioned, which states that this has already happened.” I’m 42 today. According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I’ve reached the Answer to the Ultimate…