On Jess Montgomery’s “Tea with Jess” podcast, author, educator and motivational speaker Katrina Kittle shares inspiration and encouragement for anyone who wants to write and create in the new year (or any time!)
Dear Reader: Christmas Pageant Brings Joy After All
Note: This is a "throw-back" column to my years as humor columnist ("Sanity Check") for the Dayton Daily News. I wrote it 20 years ago (!!!) but it is still, I believe, relevant today. I read this on my weekly "Tea with Jess," which I host every...
Dear Reader: Check and Adjust
A marching band mantra becomes a life-hack metaphor.
Happy Independent Bookstore Day!
Of course every day can be Independent Bookstore Day, but hurrah for independent bookstores having a special celebration day! Independent bookstore owners and workers deserve a big thank you for all they do to connect authors and readers. You can learn more...
Dear Reader: Gone Fishin’, and Wishin’ for a Happy, Healthy 2021
I originally shared this in my December email newsletter, but I wanted to share this with you here, as well: I’m certainly not the first to make this comment, and I know I won’t be the last, but… 2020. Wow. What a year. I have so much to be thankful for,...
Dear Reader: Fireworks for Christmas
Recently on my "Tea with Jess" Facebook Live video (I do these every Monday at 3 p.m. EST),I chatted about fireworks and grace. You can watch the video on Facebook. As part of my chat, I read a favorite Sanity Check column (originally published in the...
Dear Reader: Gratitude for Gifts
I have a dear friend, Katrina Kittle, who is an amazing gardener. (She is also an incredible novelist. Find out about her books on her website. And a supremely inspiring teacher of creative writing. Find out about her classes here.) Now, Katrina has no idea I'm...
Dear Reader: A Sanity Check Throwback–On Making A Gratitude List
Please note that this is a throwback to my Sanity Check humor column that I wrote for the Dayton Daily News. And, well, the photo is a throwback, too! Just a few days ago, my 11-year-old overheard me muttering: "I have this to do... and that to do... and...
Dear Reader: Community Matters
A few weeks ago, on a Saturday morning, I was about to hop into the shower. It was still warm enough that I had our bedroom window cracked. My ears perked up at the sound of... was that, music? The marching band? We live near the high school from which...
Dear Reader: A Sanity Check Throwback–On Getting Lost on a Writer’s Retreat
Please note that this is a throwback to my Sanity Check humor column that I wrote for the Dayton Daily News. Since I wrote it several years ago, please note that this writing retreat did NOT take place during the past six months of COVID-19! But,...