Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Simple beliefs that hold true

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A journaling exercise When cleaning a deep, dark and very dusty closet recently, I found a little blue notebook that I wrote in when my friend Rebecca Vlasic and I conducted journaling workshops at a women's shelter in Pontiac, sometime around 2000. In the workshop, we discussed the value of keeping a personal journal of goals, aspirations, accomplishments, likes and dislikes, and good … [Read more...]

Adjustments: Do dogs grieve?

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Life without Clementine: I’ve been watching our 3-year old corgi Cowboy carefully since his buddy Clementine traveled over the rainbow bridge on February 8th, 2024. After all, she was there since the first day we brought him home. Now his morning routine has changed. His walk routine changed. Feeding routine, bedtime, playtime.... all changed. I tried not to project my own feelings of loss … [Read more...]

How do you hang up the phone?

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Hang ups: We end phone calls with the mere tap of a finger. When I was young, it was exciting to hang up on someone by slamming the receiver down. Slam your cell phone down and you might shatter the screen. I still hang up on solicitors. I hang up on political calls, too. What do you say? End the call, or hang up? Some of us remember when we used to dial a number. A recent WaPo … [Read more...]

THE WATERS: Spellbinding and brutal fiction

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Fiction to lean into, to absorb, to take your time reading Author Bonnie Jo Campbell's newest novel, "The Waters," is not to be missed if you like dense, provocative fiction. My review is currently up on MER Motherhood Literature and Art magazine. “There were herbs in the Waters of Massasauga swamp that could be rendered into medicines for just about every affliction: yarrow and … [Read more...]

Queen Clementine: a Dog Story

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The gift of dogs Dogs bring so much into our lives that I sometimes wonder how we can ever repay them. Clementine was like a gift. When our kids were growing up, we had a wonderful chocolate Lab. When she developed diabetes in her later years, we gave her insulin injections twice daily. It was a challenge, but we loved her. After she died, we spent 7 years debating what kind of dog we … [Read more...]