I received my first Barbie doll for my sixth birthday. She was a Miss America doll, complete with short brunette hair in an up-do, a gold bodice on a white chiffon skirt, a red velvet cape trimmed in white fur, plus a tiara, bouquet of roses, silver …
Deborah Munro
The Cost of Yes
I’ll admit it. I absolutely adore saying yes. There’s nothing more gratifying to me than helping others—that look of relief on their face, the respect they have for me, the pride I take in doing a job well—it’s more seductive and addictive than …
What 2 Broken Wrists Have Taught Me
Feeling lonely and bored after the holidays, I jumped at the chance to play volleyball with some work colleagues during lunch. I hadn’t played in years, but it was fun to be out on the court, laughing and trying to get Wilson the Volleyball over the …
Kiwi Diary – Hiking in Paradise
30 September 2018 Let's Take a Hike! One popular Kiwi pastime is “tramping”, what I would call hiking. There are more hikes in New Zealand than I have time to do in a lifetime, but I’m game to try! I’ve joined a Meetup called Christchurch Women’s …
Kiwi Diary – How to Speak Kiwi
September 5, 2018 “It used to have a different name.” “Excuse me?” I set down my knitting so I can focus. The Kiwi accent is hard enough for me to understand under normal circumstances, but this craft group, amazingly, meets in a noisy pub in …
Success with Social Media – Facebook
Over 2.7 million books are published each year in English. Of these, over 227,000 (8.2%) are fiction novels—otherwise known as my competition for readership. Even if I am one of these books on the shelf, the odds of someone finding my book are …
Kiwi Diary – Finding Community
Alone Versus Lonely There’s a huge difference between being alone and being lonely. Alone is a perfectly natural state and can be quite enjoyable. I’ve become used to my restorative solitariness, and I look forward to my quiet times of reflection. …
Kiwi Diary – A City Reborn
Aug 12, 2018 On September 4, 2010 at 4:35am, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand. It was followed by 98 aftershocks that day and thousands in the weeks and months to follow. In spite of its magnitude, no one was killed, and …
Kiwi Diary — Getting a Work Visa
August 11, 2018 One thing I can say about immigration for New Zealand is that it's thorough--painstakingly so. On the plus side, I can now say with utmost confidence that my innards are in pristine condition! I've had physical exams, blood draws, …
