Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

From Practice to Mastery: 10 Quick Insights for Writers

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Notes from a novel writing practice workshop on achieving mastery: 1. Writing is a practice. Do it every day. 2. Writing is failure and rejections. It can be a painful dig to find what glimmers. 3. Writing is endurance. It is a beloved commitment. It means saying, "Yes, I'm still writing." 4. Writing is personal. You have questions you are trying to answer. 5. Writing is reading to … [Read more...]

Unraveling the Mystery of a Glug in Cooking

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How much really is a glug? Here I am, in the middle of prepping, reading the above recipe. I'm not particularly fond of cooking to start with. I don't have time nor the desire to research what a glug is, other than I know the sound oil makes when you pour it from a great big bottle. Are all bottles the same size though? Do all oils glug at the same rate? And please define "a few." I'm sure … [Read more...]

This is 70: Grateful, Grounded and Ready for the Next Chapter

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Embracing life Today is my birthday. I never expected to be so happy at 70. Dare I say happy? What is happiness anyway? Okay, I'll say I never expected to still feel good, to feel on top of my game, to be exploring opportunities and making new connections. To feel as if I have value and I am valued. I know someone my age who calls herself a dinosaur. "Oh, woe is me, I'm so behind the times," … [Read more...]

Why Linda Lives Forever in Baby Name History

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How often do you think of Linda? Not as often as I do, I'll bet. It's a relic as far as feminine baby names go. A few years ago, I learned of a club for Lindas. I saw a photograph of a recent club gathering, a gaggle of Lindas in matching shirts posed at a Rainforest Cafe, on their website. I thought "Good grief, they're all old." Oof. I'd fit right in. I didn't like my name when … [Read more...]

Family Recipe: a Finnish pancake with three ingredients

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But what's it called? My Finnish grandmother made an oven pancake that I loved, and now my grandkids enjoy it whenever they visit. My mom often made it for dinner, too, because who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? For years, I knew how to say it, but didn't know how to spell it. In my family, we called it KRUP-sue-AH, and I thought it was spelled krupse. I recently shared a picture on … [Read more...]