Tiffany Painter

Hanging with Friends
I love going to a friend’s place and talking about books. It’s even better when friends share books with me. I get the same feeling when I go to an independent bookstore. Denver almost lost a beloved indie this summer, but happily The Bookies was able to find a new owner and stay open. Sue Lubeck opened this literary treasure in 1972 and ownership transferred to Nicole Sullivan in 2021 after Lubeck died. The newest owner, Kirstin Gulling, is living out a dream many of us have of giving up “grown-up” work – for her being a lawyer – to opening a little bookstore. Go ahead a sigh, you know you want to. I had been to The Bookies at its current location under previous ownership and knew how the furniture was arranged and where the different genres were located. When I went this time it was like going into the neighbor’s house with new neighbors. The layout of the furniture was different, but I still knew we were going to be friends. The books may not be in the same places, but they are still there. When you get a new book from an indie, it feels like you’re getting a book from a friend. An independent bookstore is the best place to go when you are feeling tired and overwhelmed with corporate America and everything in the news. It represents hope for the future. A place where people want to be helpful, kind, and well-read. I can’t remember ever walking into an indie and not being met with a smile from someone ready to welcome me. On this particular visit it was even better because a debut author was there to share her new book. Being at an author event is the ultimate friendship ritual. Everyone gathers around to hear from someone who is sharing something so personal (writing a book is being willing to put your heart out there for everyone to see). The smiles are contagious. I hope Abby White’s new book D.J. Rosenbaum Becomes the G.O.A.T. finds many new friends and leads to many more books from Abby. When it was time to leave the store, something difficult for me to do, I had Abby’s new book tucked under my arm and happy to have made a new friend. I’ll be back soon, The Bookies.
8/6

setting sun’s waning light
still pushing through smoky clouds
scorching day closing
8/9

lookout on duty
keeping eye out for danger
bright spot of color
8/13

mornings together
devoted friend by my side
there’s nothing better
8/14

day is winding down
soft hues lighten evening walk
last gift from above
8/16

just waiting to play
me and my ball will be here
ready when you are
August 16, 2025

Abby White, books, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, independent bookstores, reading, The Bookies
If I’d Only Made the Light
Sometimes when I’m approaching an intersection and the light suddenly changes, for or against me, I wonder what would have happened if it hadn’t changed. Would I have gotten in an accident? Did I avoid an accident? Did the change for me ripple out and change something for someone else? You can see when you start down this rabbit hole, you can be here for a while. The idea of a parallel life where subtle changes could lead you someplace completely different intrigues me. I’ve seen movies (Sliding Doors) and musicals (If/Then) about this, but now I’ve read a book that shows three completely different lives if one change is made. The Names by Florence Knapp is the perfect book if you ever get stuck down the hole wondering ‘what if.’ It starts out with a woman registering the name of her new born son and what happens to the boy and his family based on the name he is given. I was worried going in that the story would be rather flat and just the name itself would change everything, but it isn’t. Rather than focusing on the what, it’s about the why. That always makes a more interesting discussion. Cora has to decide if she is going to follow her husband’s expectation that the child be named after him, her daughter’s desire to give her baby brother a name that describes him, or a name that she likes that offers her son hope for a better future. The reader needs to be warned the husband is abusive to Cora. This puts additional pressure on her decision. The book is told in sections that jump every seven years. Each section has three chapters told from the storyline of each name. The reader gets to see how Cora’s decision plays out over 35 years. That one moment impacted the lives of so many characters. I hope you can find a copy of this book and get lost in the what ifs Knapp has so brilliantly created. I’m going to be happy with my decision and not wonder what I’d be thinking about if I had picked up a different book to read.
7/23

someone has their ducks
all in a row on the dash
directing the ride
7/26

peeking around trees
morning light beckons me
through the wispy clouds
8/1

giant wish waiting
to take flight with secret hopes
carried in the breeze
8/2

devoted to change
hard work combined with sharp teeth
shifting river’s flow
August 3, 2025

books, Florence Knapp, haiga, haiku, TBR, wondering
Annotating Life
I’m reading a book. That in itself is not newsworthy. I read a lot of books. But this book is different. This book came out last November and I had planned on reading it right away but life got in the way. Ann Patchett, one of my favorites, went back to a book she had published in 2001, Bel Canto, and annotated it. Her handwritten notes are in the margins and words are crossed out or underlined throughout. It’s like being in a critique group with Ann Patchett herself. She points out times when she overwrote and less would have been better, when she used the same word too many times in a short period, when sentences should have been reworked, and when she made mistakes with the topic. I especially love the added personal notes when she loved something or used her own life to add elements to the storytelling. I have already learned from her mistakes in my own writing and find myself cutting out words when fewer will suffice. But writing aside, what I love most about reading this is the idea of looking back on our lives and being able to critique ourselves. How often would less words have served a situation better? When did we repeat ourselves, in action or words, and not for the better? How did we feel when we misunderstood something and only learned the truth later? Everyone is guilty of indiscretions like these, but Patchett also reminds us to take notice of the things we not only got right, but did so amazingly well. Really look at the times when we added something positive to a situation. The missteps are easy to see, but take the time to accept the victories. They are there, too.
7/10

under speckled sky
stuffing shaken from dog toy
splendid summer day
7/12

hidden behind clouds
concealed sunlight staying strong
still seeks to shine down
7/15

little thin on top
even the trees have to ask
time for leaf implants?
7/17

sunshine from above
is all it takes to flourish
no matter the base
7/19

lounging together
in the coolness of the shade
best buds united
July 19, 2025

Ann Patchett, books, change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Parnassus Books, reading, scbwi, wondering
The Halfway Point
We are halfway through the year! And what a year it’s been. When I was a teacher this is when I would get sad that summer was halfway over and it would be time to go back to work soon. But now I can use this as a time to reflect. I am halfway through the quilt I’m working on – but I’ve been working on this for well over a year. I’m halfway through an amazing book – you should run to your nearest indie bookstore and get Fredrik Backman’s latest book, My Friends. I’m halfway (hopefully) through a renovation – this has caused me to wake halfway through the night many, many times. I’m halfway through the latest rounds of revisions/edits on my manuscript – I’m determined this will be the last time I make big changes. So many things I’m halfway through. It’s nice to look back to the beginning and see where I started – skeins of yarn, stacks of books, old carpet, story not told – and then see how much closer I am to the finish line. But as I look at that finish line getting closer, I stop and think about what it will be like when I reach it. Is crossing that line really what’s most important? When I finish making the blanket what will happen then. I will go get more yarn and start a new blanket. When I finish the book, I will start a new one. When I finish my manuscript – and start the heartbreaking process of querying it – I will think of another story that wants to be told. The only finish line I am racing towards and will NEVER start again is the remodel – I highly recommend moving instead. All of these halfway projects remind me that the journey really is what it’s all about. The process of doing is what’s most important. Finish lines are just rest stops along the way, unless it’s a remodel.
6/24

air heavy today
full of possibilities
lurking all around
6/28

nature at its best
picture worthy of hanging
best seen from outdoors
7/1

ready to support
providing inspiration
blank pages waiting
7/2

like rings on a tree
my body feels each year pass
but still moving strong
7/5

dog bed begs for use
soft grass beckons from nearby
yet, rocky path wins
July 6, 2025

change, haiga, haiku, joyful, seasons, summer
Nonfiction in the Summer?!?
Summer is here and the reading is in full swing. I read a lot year round, but there is something special about summer reading. Sitting in the shade with a good book is the best! Most of my reading is fiction, and some gives off complete beach read vibes, but recently I picked up a nonfiction book that was getting recommended everywhere. The author is someone who is known for his YA books like The Fault in Our Stars, so I was skeptical when his book Everything Is Tuberculosis was getting such high praise. I can tell you after reading John Green’s book, I am won over. I admit I got the book with some reservations. Did I really want to read a book about the deadliest infection? That seems like a bit of a summer downer. I can tell you if all history books were written by John Green, there would be more history majors. Green humanized the topic by introducing us to Henry who has spent most of his life fighting a curable and preventative disease. We are talking about a child born in this century, or at least near. Tuberculosis is not some terrible disease from the past. Over a million people died from it in 2023. The book highlights worldwide healthcare inequalities and that because of the desire for profit over lives we have chosen to live in a world with tuberculosis when we don’t have to. The book is not all about the modern day issues, but also looks at the history of this disease. When it was called consumption it was romanticized more and accepted. By the time it became known as tuberculosis there was a stigma attached to it and people who were fighting the disease were often shunned. SAME ILLNESS! When you read this book, don’t skip the footnotes. Green gives extra information with just the right amount of sarcasm. If I had footnotes I would add that John Green is brothers with Hank Green and the two are behind the fun science YouTube videos Crash Course that I often used when I was teaching. Before this book I had no idea he was the same John Green. I guess nonfiction isn’t so bad after all.
6/11

sun shines from above
weight of winter pulls away
feel myself grow tall
6/14

silence of the day
broken with the melody
turtle swims in breeze
6/17

don’t let her fool you
instigator of trouble
sweet little kitten
6/19

defying nature
afternoon storm did its best
couldn’t quell the bloom
6/21

best part of the walk
sitting in the shade after
enjoying summer
June 21, 2025

haiga, haiku, John Green, reading, summer
Be Like Tina
If anyone were to ask me what my favorite things are I would answer my pets (really all cats and dogs) and books. My son hit the jackpot with the last gift he got me. He found a book about a man who has made it his life’s mission to help the dogs in Thailand. Tina The Dog Who Changed The World by Niall Harbison is the inspiring tale of a dog who Niall found chained up in really bad shape. Tina had been treated horribly by humans and suffered greatly, but her ability to find joy in the short time she had with Niall stirred passion in the people who helped her to keep her spirit alive. It would be easy to get weighed down by the horrible shape so many of the dogs Niall rescued were in, but as an animal lover, I was touched by the spirit of these animals. For a dog to be treated so cruelly and left to die and then be able to still wag its tale and find joy in a tennis ball, that is powerful. So often people face hardships that don’t even compare to what these dogs faced and come out bitter and resentful and only manage to continue spreading evil. These animals can teach their two-legged counter-parts a thing or two about kindness and giving to others. When I look around at the way people treat each other and go about their daily lives full of bitterness because of wrongs they feel have been done to them, wrongs that can’t even compare to what happened to Tina, it makes me really appreciate the spirit of dogs. I know I have a pretty great life, but I’m going to try to be more like Tina and find joy whenever and wherever I can.
5/27

new transportation
waiting for driver to show
morning mystery
6/1

rooted to the ground
strong foundation spread out wide
now reach for the sky
6/4

not invited here
crashing the garden party
bringing all the joy
6/6

round and round we go
avoiding troublesome storms
waiting in the sky
6/7

stepped in a painting
surprise view along my path
picture perfect day
June 7, 2025

haiga, haiku, joyful, pets
Slow Days and Fast Years
Graduation season is upon us. The time of year when we celebrate a person who has completed a course of study. I attending the party for my childhood friend’s son last night. As we stood in front of the collection of pictures she had collected of her son’s life from infancy through the eighteen years that got us to this point, it became clear, more than a course of study had been completed. Her family puts the rest of us to shame with their ability to document everything, so there were a lot of pictures. Seeing ample evidence of this person’s growth from being a sweet, energetic little boy to a serious young man ready to start his next journey, reminded me of the changes my own children went through when we marked the passage of time for them. Graduations are bittersweet. Parents stand by with pride at each milestone their children make, grinning from ear to ear. It is an amazing feeling to see your child accomplish something they worked hard for, from learning to walk, to starting kindergarten, to graduating high school. But with each celebration comes the realization that something is lost. The little child that once needed to be tucked in at night, the five year old who squealed with delight running through the sprinklers, the third grader who wanted your help learning their multiplication facts, even the grumpy teenager that needed additional wake up calls on school mornings are all gone. I know the young person standing there in their graduation gown came about from all the layers of growing up, but each additional layer covers up that younger version more and more. See why there are tears mixed with those grins when parents cheer on their children when they walk across the stage to collect their diplomas? That is when the full meaning of the days are slow but the years are fast hits home.
5/8

waiting for wishes
that can be carried away
secrets in the breeze
5/10

another lake walk
turquoise sky mirrored below
start of sunny day
5/19

not a bird in sight
completely parched and idle
waiting to be filled
5/22

swimming all alone
disrupting morning calmness
searching for others
5/24

kickoff to summer
swimsuit and flip-flops ready
but where is the sun
May 24, 2025

haiga, haiku, seasons
Living With Purpose
Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m constantly fighting against the current of society rather than embracing life and really living in this world. This restless feeling got me to pick up a book off my TBR (to be read) pile that had been waiting for the perfect moment to be read. Now was that moment. The book by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is called How We Learn to Be Brave – Decisive Moments in Life and Faith. I am still reading so can’t give you a review of the whole book, but the first three chapters shared great messages. Chapter one is about deciding to go. In this chapter Budde reminds the reader that taking a leap into the unknown is often scary, but when done with purpose when we feel summoned to go, can lead to amazing things. She referenced something called a “Lifequake.” This is something so big it changes our meaning, direction, or purpose. I experienced a Lifequake when I made the difficult decision to leave teaching. I knew I was giving up something I had worked hard for and had poured my whole self into, but I also knew education had changed so much and wasn’t something I wanted to continue making my family sacrifice for. It took a couple of years to really feel like I had an identity separate from that of teacher. The second chapter is about deciding to stay. This decision is often seen as no action, but sometimes staying can be harder than going. This can refer to relationships (friends, family, and romantic), location, jobs, etc. Staying is capable of providing stability when that is what is needed. Budde wrote that “choosing stability in an area can give those who depend on us opportunity to thrive and grow.” She did not mean we are expected to sacrifice ourselves for someone else’s happiness, but when we make the choice to stay for ourselves, we might find we are the ones thriving and growing, When we stay we have to commit; we have to be all in, even if just for a set amount of time. When I left teaching, I made the decision only a few months after the year started. I considered leaving mid-year because it was such a bad situation for me. My children told me to consider the entire class and if my being there helped just a couple kids, then I should stay for the rest of the school year. I could immediately picture the faces of the students that relied on me to continue their personal education journey and knew staying was the right thing. That meant I had to be all in though. I know some of the adults will say I wasn’t all in, but for the kids I was. I set the end date and then buckled down to finish the year with them. The third chapter is about deciding to start. For me, this chapter was about putting the first two chapters together. Sometimes we need to stay and get ready for going. As I ended one part of my life by leaving education, I had to start preparing for the next step. I used the rest of the year to think about how I wanted the next part of living to look like. It’s been three years now that I can’t call myself a teacher anymore, and that took some adjustment. In this quieter phase of my life, I now call myself a writer. I made that decision to start and have been learning and practicing and working on my craft. And for anyone else who is walking this path as well, it does not take finding an agent or editor and getting a book deal to call yourself a writer, it just takes putting ideas down on paper (or screen). For me, I’ve made the decision to start living with purpose.
4/24

raised for confinement
like animals at the zoo
flowers in a vase
4/26

books divided by type
sign of too many waiting
yet drawn back for more
4/27

sneaks across the path
wrapping soft arms around us
foggy morning walk
5/2

winter’s last holdout
defiantly standing tall
waving bare branches
5/3

after snowy months
before sweltering season
perfect lilac days
May 3, 2025

books, change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Walks with Zephyr
A True Love Story
I just finished a book and would love to tell you what I thought about it, but I am still deciding. I started out reading This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer thinking it would be just that, a love story. I knew it would have a sad ending because the wife is dying. It was described as a celebration of great love at the end of the fifty years Abe and Jane spent together going to Central Park first as young lovers, then as exhausted parents, and now to remember a life together. The story is told from multiple points of view, including the park itself. I think I went into it thinking it would be a sweet story about a long marriage and the difficulties of saying goodbye. I was wrong, This book showed how messy life and marriage is and how it’s not even the same for everybody involved, including the children. Jane was an artist and carried her own baggage into motherhood after losing her mother at a young age. Abe is conflicted between fulfilling his parents’ desires for him and his own longing to be an author. Max, their son, struggles with his own identity after being raised by a mother who couldn’t find her way as a new mother weighed down with depression and a father who didn’t really know how to help her. By the time I finished the book I felt the exhaustion of the characters. This was anything but a simple love story. Life is messy, so so messy. There is no such thing as happily ever after. People say and do the wrong thing all the time, and it usually has nothing to do with you. Everyday is just a new chance to try to figure it all out and do the right thing. But everyday is a new day with new opportunities to make mistakes. It really is amazing that people latch on to each other and try to get through life together. When you add children to the mix, that just adds more parts to the mess. But really, for most people, isn’t it nice to have these people to anchor to? Even though they will say or do the wrong thing on their own journey, when it comes right down to it, these are the people that will also help dig you out when life gets hard and lift you up when they can. Blunders and all, I’m happy to have my people helping me through my love story, and I think I liked the book after all.
4/9

sunny company
two friends walking together
dog and his shadow
4/12

oh, to be a tree
exfoliate what is old
and start fresh again
4/13

with every new bloom
I feel my soul burst free
shedding winter’s weight
4/18

there’s always that one
willing to be different
secretly revered
4/19

spring has sprung a leak
leftover winter seeped in
sun fixing problem
April 20, 2025

books, haiga, haiku, reading, Walks with Zephyr
A Day for Celebrating
Yesterday was a big day of celebrating. I took my mom to the 94th birthday party of my childhood friend’s mother. When you live next door to your BFF, her mother becomes your second mother. You are expected to follow her rules at her house the way her daughter needs to follow your mom’s rules at your house. All of my friend’s siblings were there with many of their children, now mostly grown as well. You can imagine the reminiscing that went on. The younger generation laughed at the stories their grandmother shared as well as those told by their parents, aunts, uncles, and family friends. One of the birthday girl’s favorite memories from childhood was having tea parties with her miniature tea set. This provided the background for yesterday’s tea party complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones, and miniature sugar cookies. Everyone completed sentences about her life trying to figure out the best or correct answers to a time we weren’t present for. The dutiful daughters tried their best to remember the stories their mother told them, but the grandkids had more fun making up outlandish tales about their beloved grandmother. Some of these stories earned them sharp looks from their parents shocked by what was being said in front of their elder who sat laughing and soaking up the love from her devoted fans. I was aware these festivities were taking place while thousands of people were gathering around the country to protest so many things happening right now. But being at this particular celebration reminded me that life is never traveled in a straight line. The 94 years this remarkable woman has been alive has been filled with so many ups and downs, both on a world level and a personal level. I’m sure when life was filled to capacity with hardships it felt like the end, but here we were enjoying a tea party and laughing together. On the drive back home through a few cities and towns, I was filled with hope. Seeing all the pictures shared by the people who came together at events around the country to bring about change now and seeing the proof that we can live through hard days and still find happiness celebrating with friends and family gives me hope that there will be better days again. Happy birthday, Betty!
3/28

easy day for me
only job is looking cute
soaking up the warmth
3/29

brothers united
looking out for each other
enough treats for all
4/2

distracted by view
outside my window because
Inside tasks are drab
4/4

moral support friend
gives feedback on downward dog
but prefers sphinx pose
4/6

blue skies overhead
mirrored in water below
place to sit and think
April 6, 2025

change, haiga, haiku, joyful