The Book The Trip Her Speech and Her Poser

To calm your post election day stress? To quiet your hamster wheel mind? READ THIS BOOK!

From the viral New York Times post, Olga crafts a well researched guide on how to niks in every part of your life. From her new brown couch, she interviews experts from all over the world about how to niks, how not to niks, and when to deploy niks to save your sanity.

A MUST READ FOR THESE CRAZY TIMES. GET YOURS HERE.

➡️ I purchase every new book featured with my own funds. I do not offer endorsements in exchange for a feature. My opinions are honest assessments of books I read, enjoy, and believe worthy of your time. Creators cannot create if people fail to support their work with actual money. I am doing my part to support worthy writers in many genres and career stages.

For years decades most of my adult life, I crammed my schedule to keep from facing my issues.

Deep profound unshakeable co-dependence. Unreasonable expectations of others. Staggering impatience. Suffocating insecurity.

August 2019. I grieved a loss alone in my condo. And I finally realized being a functional human is up to me. I cannot look to others to fill holes, chink cracks, prop walls, build rooms. Maintenance of this vessel is my responsibility. If I’m missing tools, I have to locate and learn to use them.

Ask MTM: I REALLY don’t like the hardware store.

But I’ve spent more than a year in the hardware store of the soul. Figuring out what tools I’m missing helped me understand others. “Oh, this is how she stays so calm!” Or “Wow, I never knew this thingy took so much energy!”

I’m grateful for the understanding that comes from knowing myself.

Is this one of humanity’s most controversial symbols?

I grew up in an evangelical church. Trios of crosses were displayed everywhere – on the buildings, in the sanctuary, in classrooms. Empty crosses were considered “correct,” because Jesus didn’t remain on the cross (as implied by a crucifix.) He arose and ascended into heaven.

See what I did there? I highlighted a main faith difference between evangelical Protestants and evangelical Catholics. Some members of each group argue hotly about which version of the cross is “correct” and assert the other version is “incorrect” or “wrong.”

So many who claim the cross as their faith symbol turn it into a bludgeon, a spear, a sword, a weapon of false correctness. In my upcoming book, The Evangelicals: A Novel, you’ll encounter plenty of them. But you’ll also meet a few people who understand what faith is and embody a humble faith journey.

I hope The Evangelicals: A Novel gives everyone new ways to appreciate faith.

I love Christmas decorations. Every December (or November if I get my way), I spew lights tinsel baubles spangles in every cranny of our condo. MTM calls it “Christmas vomit.”

Before I decorated our main tree, I rolled out my yoga mat and practiced. I struggle with balance in forward-facing poses like this low lunge. (Though MTM would say I struggle with balance when limiting Christmas decorations. More is ALWAYS better.)

This low lunge put me in the tree-decorating mood! Forevermore, I’ll call low lunge “tree worshipping pose.”

I began 2020 with not ONE but TWO competitive writing residencies.

It took a lot of flexibility and wrangling, but I was able to fulfill my responsibilities as writer-in-residence at NES Artist Residency. I spent much of August and September 2020 in Skagastrond, Iceland.

But because of travel restrictions, I wasn’t able to enter Ireland for my residency at Cill Rialiag. We agreed to bump my two weeks in Ballinskelligs from May 2020 to April 2021.

Ireland allows Americans to enter but they still require a fourteen day quarantine. I don’t believe that will change by April 2021. A few days ago, I moved my Cill Rialiag residency to April 2022.

I can’t WAIT to slurp up these gorgeous views!

I won’t be residency-less in 2021. I’m headed back to NES during February and March 2021.

Both sides in our dysfunctional dystopia LOVE to call each other sheep. I’m guilty. It is maddening to present well-researched and sourced data, go through it meticulously, and have the other person scoff and say, “I don’t believe that!”

Question EVERYTHING.

I don’t automatically believe anything I read. Especially online.

By challenging what we see, even from our favorite outlets, we can stem the tide of misinformation and propaganda.

Let’s make 2021 Sheep-Free!!

The best speakers always try to grab audience attention at the beginning. Leave it to me to talk about SEX in the first three minutes!

Have a listen.

If you need a speaker, send us a query. We’re booking virtual appearances for 2021. We’d love to send you my list of topics and fee schedule and get you on my calendar!