go small, think big & be happy

Hi friend, Welcome to my archived blog—formerly RowdyKittens.com! I blogged regularly on this website from 2007 to 2021. In 2021, I archived 99% of my blog posts because it was time for a f...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/archive

Today, I have sad news to share. Earlier this week, Logan and I said goodbye to our furry family member Christie the Cat. During the last month, Christie's health started to decline at a steady...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/beautifulgoodbye

Last week, I read and listened to a lot of reporting about the siege at the Capitol, the Presidential transition, and updates on COVID-19. I went way too deep into the news. I also received sad n...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/journals2021

Today, I was going to share a list of the ten best books I read in 2020. When I reviewed my reading list, I knew that was an impossible task. Last year, I read over 80 books, and it was too chall...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/books2020

During 2019, Logan and I started planning a trip to the UK. We were going to visit England and Scotland during the summer of 2020. However, we canceled our trip because of COVID, and we won't be ...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/cozy

A few weeks ago, Christie the cat was very ill. She was on antibiotics for 10 days, and the medication seemed to help her. Earlier this week, I took Christie to our veterinarian for a follow up a...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/mochamonday

As I write these words, my notebook computer is balanced on my lap and I'm sitting outside on my blue camp chair. It feels like a gift to sit outside, see the blue sky, and breathe fresh air. And...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/reflection

Overall, my mental health has been good throughout the COVID crisis. Not last week, though. I got caught in a spiral of incessant thinking. The news about the fires—and the thick smoke—in Nor...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/thinking

I love to read books because they are a source of continuing inspiration and education. Books also allow me to travel to other places without leaving my home. Interestingly, the COVID-19 crisis...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/read

When I attended the Creative Writing Workshop at the Paris American Academy a few years ago, I learned about the craft of writing. One of our teachers—Rolf Potts—offered lots of practical wri...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/elaina

The specifics of my fight with Logan are unclear. I remember that it revolved around him working too many hours on my birthday. At the time, we’d been married for about 5 months. Logan was in a...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/catandmarriage

When life is stressful, I try to savor tiny moments of joy. And something that brings me an incredible amount of joy is making coffee every morning. It’s also a joy that I shared with my step-d...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/coffee

Recently, I've received a few questions on the topic of starting a newsletter. Today, I thought it would be helpful to do a Q & A on this topic. If you aren't interested in starting a newsletter,...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/newsletters

Last weekend, we received sad news. Our sweet Grandma Pat passed away in her sleep. She was 96-years-old, and she was many things: classy, kind, hard-working, and humble. We knew Pat's death was ...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/seescandy

Happy New Year! It feels good to write this letter because I've been struggling to get words onto the page/screen. I'd write a 1000 words, then delete all my words, then start the process all o...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/micro

It’s been over two months since I sent you a newsletter, and I haven’t posted words or photos on the blog since the end of July. I’m still writing, but my recent writing hasn't been for pub...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/2019/10/rest

Last weekend, I went back to Table Mountain in Butte County, CA to see the wildflowers. The flowers are in full bloom, and gorgeous. I felt like I was walking through a Vincent van Gogh paint...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/2019/4/tablemountainpart2

On March 23, 2018, I finally quit social media because I wanted my time and attention back. Then I disabled or deleted the following accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Sla...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/2019/2/on-digital-minimalism

> Instructions for living a life:  >  > Pay attention.  >  > Be astonished.  >  > Tell about it.  >  > — Sometimes >  > by Mary Oliver (RIP > ) View fullsize View...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/2019/1/a-photo-essay-white

On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Logan and I said goodbye to one of our best friends, Elaina . Letting her go was one of the hardest things we've done. She was our friend and companion for over 14 ...

https://tstrobel.com/blog/2018/11/goodbyes-are-hard