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Blog
Weekly blog by author and writing instructor, Gail Thorell Schilling, shares slice-of-life memoir posts and prompts to invite women of a certain âge to write their memoirs alone or in her workshops. Her travel memoirs and spiritual writing posts, both mainstays, provide motivational examples.
Walking the Walk, Holding Hands
A few days ago, Mr. Wonderful and I walked through a residential neighborhood to the grocery store. We held hands as we always do and...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Mar 233 min read
Engaged at 76
“Love is no respecter of age.” -- Tchaikovsky Imagine! I’m wearing an engagement ring! At 76 years old! It’s a plot twist I never saw...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Feb 193 min read
Finding Love, At Last!
Kitty finds her new home... Some months ago, I posted a plea for a new home for Mitzi, my dear kitty who needed more companionship than I...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jan 53 min read
Looking for Love
My kitty needs a new home. True confession: I am no longer a good cat mom – I travel too much. When I took in Miss Mitzi, my dainty...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Aug 8, 20242 min read
The Conundrum of Mother’s Old Curls
Do mementos have a “best by” date? While recently deep cleaning to amass a load for Goodwill, I discovered a box containing my mother’s...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jul 11, 20242 min read
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jul 2, 20240 min read
Plum Island: A Tranquil Getaway
Parker Wildlife Preserve in Newburyport, MA, offers natural refreshment. A native of New Hampshire, I grew up in its countryside close to...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jun 3, 20242 min read
Mud Season Loses to Singapore
On getting lost, getting oriented -- and getting up to speed When I had to choose between Mud Season in New Hampshire and a few weeks in...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Mar 18, 20242 min read
Once More to Singapore
A few tips for long-haul travelers of a certain age This is what happens when you let your kids play with maps: Globetrotting becomes...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Mar 9, 20242 min read
Save the Date! August 13-15, 2024
"Write Your Memoir: Cherish Your Story" retreat led by Gail. Online registration opens Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Refresh yourself and...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Feb 16, 20241 min read
Frozen in Time
Ice skating memoir evokes childhood freedom, security. This week I invited my memoir class to write about a favorite childhood memory of...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jan 6, 20243 min read
Buffalo in a Row: An All Souls' Day Reflection
"... What is life? It is a flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime..." -- Chief Crowfoot Perhaps...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Nov 11, 20233 min read
Stopped Clock Shock
How I overcame S.A.D. writer's block and redeemed my Gift My folk art clock stands still. Last week without provocation, it fell off the...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Mar 24, 20233 min read
Shades of Meaning
Autumn foliage prompts memoir on my writing craft For the past two days I've been trying to think of the exact words to describe the last...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Nov 7, 20223 min read
The Worth of Weeds
A fallow season can refresh the soul... As you can see, my garden didn’t flourish this summer. Neither did I. Some years are like this....
Gail Thorell Schilling
Oct 31, 20222 min read
Spiritual Refreshment at the Shaker Village
What is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days… --James Russell Lowell My memoir group and I shared spiritual writing...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Jun 20, 20223 min read
Wearing a Mattress and Other First Jobs
Memoir need a boost? Remember those first jobs! While driving the other day, I spied a young woman on the sidewalk wearing a mattress....
Gail Thorell Schilling
May 11, 20223 min read
A Child’s Memoir of War
Ghostwriting memoir for a child of war -- a painful privilege. This morning a photo of a child refugee in Ukraine triggered memory of...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Mar 20, 20223 min read
A Cure for Cabin Fever
Even inspirational writers wrestle mid-winter blues Shortly before winter solstice, when plants die and darkness falls far too early, I...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Feb 5, 20222 min read
Still Learning from Saint Nicholas
In the spirit of the season, I'm challenged to find a need and fill it -- in secret. Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a...
Gail Thorell Schilling
Dec 6, 20213 min read
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