Amber McClain Shaw

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After the Erma Workshop: Insights, Laughter and Lessons Learned

After the Erma Workshop: Insights, Laughter and Lessons Learned
Apr 18, 2024 by Amber McClain Shaw

Essential take-aways from my second Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop in Dayton, Ohio.

Confessions of a Reluctant Recipe Tester

Confessions of a Reluctant Recipe Tester
Jan 22, 2024 by Amber McClain Shaw

I thought it would be fun. It's not. OK, it's not that bad.

The Gifts of Moving

Jan 22, 2024 by Amber McClain Shaw
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. —Benjamin Franklin
 

Murder in the Neighborhood

Murder in the Neighborhood
Jan 13, 2024 by Amber McClain Shaw

I have a neighbor who rides his bike every day past my house. It’s not your usual daily ride. There is something rather magical and murderous about it.
 

2024's Word of the Year Is . . .

Dec 31, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

My word of the year for 2023 was Yes. It didn't always work out.

I Know People Who Buy Art

I Know People Who Buy Art
Dec 13, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

I Know People Who Buy Art

Come With Me

Come With Me
Dec 08, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

Come with me to a winter session of beach yoga. Don't mind the weather or that guy over there rolling around in the water. He's not in your class.

Notes on Camp

Notes on Camp
Nov 16, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

A series of notes on and after Life is A Verb Camp, 2023 hosted by Patti Digh. My notes include stories, poems, math, and what it's like to re-enter the real world after such an intense creative experience.

Hey Barbie! She's So Cool, All Dolled Up

Hey Barbie! She's So Cool, All Dolled Up
Jul 27, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

From childhood play to artistic endeavors and unconventional decorations, Barbie has been a constant thread in my life, a source of inspiration that continues to spark joy and creativity. Even if you are not a fan of Barbie (I know there are lots of you), read on, maybe I can convince you she's pretty great. And if you have old Barbies lying around, save them for me!

Cookie Crumbs, Booty Lifts and Unexpected Encounters: A Tour of Senior Living Facilities

Jul 21, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw

Join me on a fact-finding tour of senior living facilities through a series of informational tours. Though I have no immediate need to move myself or my loved ones into senior living, I want to be prepared for the future. As I toured a few of these communities, I encountered eccentric tour guides, quirky amenities, and some surprises that senior living has to offer. These tours also had me pondering what kind of community I'd want (and someday I do plan to live in some kind of community). Definitely more touring necessary, but this was a good start.

Where Are My People At?

Where Are My People At?
Jan 25, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw
When the kids were younger we knew where to find each other. Carpool, volunteering at school, the sidelines of all kinds of sports matches or at one of the kid-friendly restaurants in the area. But now that they are off to college and beyond, we no longer have a connection through our children. How do we find each other? Now that, in theory, we have more time for ourselves and our own interests, I’m wondering where everyone went.
 

I Have Not Loved a Car for 26 Years. Until Now.

I Have Not Loved a Car for 26 Years. Until Now.
Jan 18, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw
I have loved convertibles since I was a kid and my dad had several that were so fun to ride around in; an MG and a Fiat. When I bought my first car, it was a convertible, a Miata. I loved that car and only gave it up when I absolutely had to; I was a week away from my due date and I realized a stroller would not fit in the trunk. I have not loved another car for the last 26 years. Until now.

How to Eat Cereal

How to Eat Cereal
Jan 06, 2023 by Amber McClain Shaw
My boys left me with a Costco-sized box of Frosted Mini Wheats that they opened but didn’t finish. It’s making me question my sanity.
​​​​I don’t consider myself a particularly fussy person, but Frosted Mini Wheats bring out an intense desire for order, organization and doing things the RIGHT WAY.

Connection Was My Word of 2022: How It Went, And Why Social Media Got In the Way

Connection Was My Word of 2022: How It Went, And Why Social Media Got In the Way
Dec 07, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
At the start of a new year, I choose a word of the year. More than eleven months into this year, my word is still going strong. I find it more interesting and powerful than a resolution. A word has a way of echoing back to you in a song, in something you read, in a conversation with a friend, and asks you to pay attention. This year I chose the word connection.

What Can You Let Go Of? Comfort is the Enemy of Progress

What Can You Let Go Of? Comfort is the Enemy of Progress
Nov 09, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
In the fall, my yoga teacher asks her class to consider, “What can you let go of?” This question echoed around in my head, and I knew there were some things I wanted--needed--to let go of. What has gotten too comfortable, too habitual? I wanted to examine some of my routines, habits, and thought patterns and determine whether they serve my overall wellness.

Comfort is the enemy of progress. --PT Barnum

A Comfort Zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there. --Robert Stevenson

My Neighbor Wrote an Amazing Autobiography and I Helped to Publish It

My Neighbor Wrote an Amazing Autobiography and I Helped to Publish It
Aug 19, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
I’m excited to announce that my neighbor Dr. Werner Stamm has published a book! And I am honored to have been a part of the process, helping him to self-publish it.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Night Market

Choose Your Own Adventure: Night Market
Aug 16, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
Are you ready for a fun food adventure? Go check out a Night Market! Here are ten things to know before you go so you can have a great time.
 

I'm at the Book Fair!

I'm at the Book Fair!
Jul 06, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
The Tiny Book Fair is all summer long. I'm a participating author. Please go check it out!

Some Things Don't Change

Some Things Don't Change
Jun 23, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
As a young child, Kieran loved mud. I was delighted to see this vacation photo he sent. Some things don't change!

Another School Shooting

Another School Shooting
May 25, 2022 by Amber McClain Shaw
In high school, in the early 1980s, a boy I didn’t know very well looked at me through his long fringe of bangs and asked me to come to see something in his locker. He stared at me, eyes mostly hidden. We were not friends. I went, I don’t know why. His locker was near mine.

Inside he had a gun.
 

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