I said there were two problems selling the first version of my book. The first I wrote about in the last blog. The title and cover did not appeal to the right audience. The second was similar. The paperback price was not acceptable to potential readers. It was way too high priced (almost $30). And […]
We composition teachers talk a lot about audience. If one doesn’t know who his audience is—even if he writes a persuasive argument—he will fail. Why? Because the audience may not understand or, even worse, may not care. Which is what happened on my first attempt to publish this book. It was titled Walking through Retirement: […]
I originally wrote this as a retirement book. Now, I’ve decided it’s more of a work on aging and fitness. Last month I turned 77, and I’m still walking five miles most days in the week. When I have to be indoors, I’m on a spinner bike that helps build cardio endurance for longer walks. […]
Four days till Book Launching—In today’s blog I look at the benefits of walking and the research question that created this book. The advantages of walking (especially for those over 60) are well documented and include everything from heart and longevity benefits to increased mobility, better brain and emotional health and prevention of chronic diseases. […]
Hiked the Lighthouse trail in Palo Duro Canyon last week. At six miles out and back (five and one half if you, like me, skip the final ascent) it was my first long hike of the season. I consider the Lighthouse my home trail. It’s the one I do most often and the one I […]
Here’s the new cover. In addition to showing it to you, in this blog I want to tell you why I wrote the book. If you’ve followed my writing, you know walking has been a passion for some time. What you may not know is about three years ago I decided to research the subject. […]
Hey Facebook and blog friends, I need your help. I’m revamping and re-launching my walking book as a work on fitness for the aging (that’s the category Amazon says is selling). Can you take a look at these titles and tell me which one(s) you like? Maybe rate the top three. The Art of Walking […]
First Note: Today is her birthday so I’m sharing something I wrote over 25 years ago. All still true–Charlotte, you are the love of my life. Note: This column appeared first on November 28, 1998 with the following note: Thirty years ago today I married the 1967 Homecoming Queen of Claude (Texas) High School. Today’s […]
Pictured in my latest blog post are my friends and I on Atalaya Mountain above Santa Fe. It was my first hike of the summer, and I decided to, once again, take my favorite trail. I guess it’s my favorite because of all the memories. I’ve traveled the 5 mile, out-and-back path dozens of times […]
“There’s no better place to find yourself than sitting by a waterfall and listening to its music,” wrote nature photographer Roland Kemler. I couldn’t agree more. In my recent update to 1001 Fun Things To Do in Retirement, I added 64 fun walks and day hikes. I didn’t do it on purpose, but 13 of […]