Category Archives: writing

Black Lives Matter

Posted on June 5, 2020 by PB Rippey

6/5/2020 Last Wednesday rumors circulated via my Next Door app and local FB community pages that Valencia was going to be overrun by thugs from nearby Palmdale intent on looting our stores, destroying our mall, and terrorizing neighborhoods. No one … Continue reading →

Posted in Me and Us, writing | Tagged #blacklivesmatter, 2020, Black Lives Matter, George Floyd, life, peaceful protests, Santa Clarita, Valencia | Leave a comment

Morning Essentials

Posted on May 15, 2020 by PB Rippey

6:28a.m. 2 minutes until I need to fill the dogs’ bowls with food, walk them, walk myself for 2.43 miles, feed the tween (I like doing this), review his academic schedule from Google Classroom (Just make a list! But Mom. … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged #quarantinelife, #staysafe, 2020, COVID-19, Quarantine, Stay home, stay safe, writing | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day 2020

Posted on May 10, 2020 by PB Rippey

I’ve been having too much fun creating Instagram stories (@pbrippey1), hence the little video below, but then again it is the time of quarantine, so why not? Also, hunting for butterfly gifs is so much better for my blood pressure … Continue reading →

Posted in Me and Us, writing | Tagged 2020, Butterflies, May, Mother's Day 2020, Poppies, Songbirds, spring, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Spring Heralds

Posted on May 5, 2020 by PB Rippey

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ― Anne Bradstreet

Posted in Poetry, writing | Tagged 2020, Anne Bradstreet, art, books, covid19, hope, Inspiration, life, Literature, poetry, Poetry in a dark time, Poppies, Spring quotes, writing | Leave a comment

Poem for the Last Day of April

Posted on April 30, 2020 by PB Rippey

And just like that, poetry month is at an end, but Tracy K. Smith will still send us a poem each weekday via The Slowdown, or we can visit the site and listen to her read and perhaps we’ll springboard into: … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2020, April Poetry Month, books, Inspiration, Literature, poetry, spring, The Slowdown, Tracy K Smith, wild birds, writing | Leave a comment

Spring Clean (April Edition)

Posted on April 28, 2020 by PB Rippey

Despite being homebound for over a month, a month’s worth of house cleaning occurred on 1 sunny April day, a spontaneous, madly executed group effort by myself, my husband and our tween, as though houseguests were arriving, when really we … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, writing | Tagged #quarantinelife, 2020, Angeles National Forest, back pain, COVID-19, hawks, Independence Day, nature, tweens, Valencia, wild birds | 3 Comments

Did I Or Didn’t I

Posted on April 23, 2020 by PB Rippey

UPDATE: Coupled with new findings this week in Santa Clara County, where the medical examiner confirmed that California had the earliest deaths from COVID-19 — on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 — the new information suggests a national epidemic was … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, writing | Tagged #quarantinelife, 2020, books, Bosch, covid19, fiction, heatwave, Pandemic, Quarantine, writer's block | Leave a comment

April Poem

Posted on April 15, 2020 by PB Rippey

I post this poem every spring. From my chapbook Nightmares With Moons (Pudding House Press). Happy Stay-At-Home-Wednesday. Full Flower Moon May (mostly), the petticoat swirl of rising pink meadow, petite showers, buds. I say: rose, peony, phlox. And I say: petal- shorn, … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, writing | Tagged 2020, April poetry, books, covid19, full flower moon, full moon, full pink moon, life, poetry, poetry chapbooks, Poetry Month, Pudding Houe Press, spring poetry, writing | Leave a comment

Easter Sunday

Posted on April 12, 2020 by PB Rippey

Wishing you a poetic day.

Posted in writing | Tagged 2020, bunnies, Easter, Easter eggs, Inspiration, life | 2 Comments

Never Forget (Fav Coffee Mug Edition)

Posted on April 9, 2020 by PB Rippey

Yours in coping, PB

Posted in writing | Tagged #stayhome, #staysafe, 2020, books, coffee, coping, covid19, faction, fiction, Inspiration, life, Self-quarantine, survival, writing | Leave a comment

Learning in the Time of Covid

Posted on April 8, 2020 by PB Rippey

Like you, I knew on Friday March whatever it was that on the following Monday schools would close. Closure wasn’t formally announced yet, but schools had already shut down in other states and I could tell our district was eager … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2020, 6th grade, cats, covid19, Crime dramas, distance learning, FaceTime group chats, Family quarantine, Finland, MSNBC, Pet care, piano lessons, Quarantine, Roblox, SAHM, Star Trek, tweens, West World, Zoom time | 3 Comments

The New Living

Posted on April 5, 2020 by PB Rippey

I didn’t blog at all in March. Instead, I read blogs: Claire, Word By Word The Bloggess Poetry: The Slowdown with Tracy K. Smith (as you already know, you can subscribe to receive a poem a day) Books: Love Warrior, … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2020, coping, coronavirus, covid19, distance learning, family pets, Family quarantine, Self-quarantine | 4 Comments

SCBWI WRITERS DAY 2020

Posted on February 4, 2020 by PB Rippey

UPDATE: EVENT CANCELED (but you probably already know this) Stay safe, self-quarantine as much as you can, take deep breaths, don’t watch too much news, CALM is a great meditation app, hydrate, catch up on reading the tower of books … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, books, Children's Books, writing | Tagged 2020, books, COVID-19, kidlit, Literature, Noah's Ark Skirball, SCBWI, SCBWI Writers Day 2020, Skirball Cultural Center, tweens | 1 Comment

AUSTRALIA BURNS

Posted on January 3, 2020 by PB Rippey

Please: Pay. Attention.

Posted in writing | Tagged 2020, Australia fires, Australia wildlife, Koala deaths | Leave a comment

Winter Busy

Posted on December 29, 2019 by PB Rippey

As the countdown to 2020 begins, I wonder how it is I forgot how busy the holiday season is. VERY busy. We’ve: been to Santa Barbara and back, hosted relatives and their little dogs, hosted a Christmas party, followed a vital … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Me and Us, writing | Tagged 2019, Christmas 2019, Elizabeth Lake, Hanukkah 2019, Inspiration, Joy, life, Los Angeles, New Year, Santa Barbara, Snow Day 2019, snowman, Valencia | 4 Comments

STARTING NOW

Posted on December 13, 2019 by PB Rippey

I mean, why wait? W.R.I.T.I.N.G.

Posted in writing | Tagged 2019, 2020, art, books, happy new year, Inspiration, Let it snow, life, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, middle grade writing, Resolutions, Thanks, Wow, writer, writing | 1 Comment

Happy Rainsgiving

Posted on November 29, 2019 by PB Rippey

‘Tis the season to remember how to get cozy and not because the A/C is running. At least–I hope ’tis… Happy Thanksgiving Holiday

Posted in writing | Tagged 2019, Inspiration, kids, life, Pets, rain, Thanksgiving | Leave a comment

Poem

Posted on November 13, 2019 by PB Rippey

Flawbag There is the girl, woman this 3:02p.m., midway on twinkling crosswalk. Her voice thumps her hip, tucked in a dropped- bottom bag working on its 5th shoulder strap. Walk-lope: she doesn’t like you, though it is doubtful she could … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Poetry, writing | Tagged 2019, books, humanity, Inspiration, life, poetry, whothefuckcares, WTF | Leave a comment

O First Pages (Retreat Edition)

Posted on November 8, 2019 by PB Rippey

The last event of the SCBWI Working Writer’s retreat consisted of 3 minutes allotted to each attendee to read aloud their first page of a manuscript. Professional critique was squeezed into that 3 minutes from a panel comprised of 4 … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2019, books, Cornelia Funke, E. Nesbit, First pages, Gary Schmidt, kidlit, life, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, Philip Pullman, Rebecca Stead, Roal Dahl, SCBWI, SCBWI Working Writers Retreat, writing, Writing retreats | 3 Comments

O JOKE! (Popsicle Stick Edition)

Posted on October 24, 2019 by PB Rippey

And here is a popsicle stick I recently uncovered. In all my many now-I’m-older-than-absolutely-everyone-even-Paul-Rudd years, I had no idea such joke sticks existed. Very nice! As long as it’s just a joke and not a fortune. 🙂

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, writing | Tagged 2019, books, Fortune telling, good jokes, Literature, Paul Rudd, poetry, popsicles, Wow, writing | Leave a comment

Retreat!

Posted on September 26, 2019 by PB Rippey

Heading to the SCBWI Working Writers Retreat tomorrow. This will be my second time attending this annual event. The workshops are small and focused. I learn tons about my work (my middle grade novels) and it’s a joy to read … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2019, books, Inspiration, Middle Grade Fiction, Pets, SCBWI, SCBWI Working Writers Retreat | Leave a comment

Now Reading

Posted on August 29, 2019 by PB Rippey

Her latest Gamache installment has come along at the perfect time. Because after a death in the family, what better reading than a crime thriller as I deal with a myriad of petty family crimes in the wake of tragedy? … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, writing | Tagged 2019, Crime Thrillers, Death, Inspector Gamache, life, Louise Penny, love, Mysteries, O Canada | 3 Comments

Whoa, Bess!

Posted on August 27, 2019 by PB Rippey

I continue to navigate ‘ancient’ family history in the wake of my mother’s passing. And I look forward to sharing strictly family revelations over beachwalks. Because the beach fixes everything. Ha! That simple. For me. More often than not… Yours … Continue reading →

Posted in Me and Us, writing | Tagged 2019, books, death of a parent, Dysfuntion, Family angst, Help, Kindness, She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain, Ted Talks, The amazon, vegetarian cooking | Leave a comment

Death Poem

Posted on August 22, 2019 by PB Rippey

Orphan We are the children. Cream to curse. In- structed: here ya go, go, here ya, here ya go, go, go fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck Did you say that? Well. I did. Finally: where were you … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, writing | Tagged 2019, bullshit, chaos, Death, death of parents, fun, innocents, life, poetry | Leave a comment

Washing My Inheritance

Posted on August 15, 2019 by PB Rippey

My then soon-to-be-husband stated (3rd date, my Echo Park, Los Angeles apartment with the spectacular view I couldn’t afford without working 2 jobs, the last apartment I ever lived in alone): You have a lot of rocks. My Echo Park … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged 2019, Big Sur, Decorative rocks, Domestic Zoo, Echo Park, faction, fiction writing, Laguna Beach, life, Lockheed, Mesas, moving, nature, Pets, quail, rocks of all sizes, Valencia, wild birds, writing inspiration | Leave a comment