July 29, 2009 – Hot, sticky. The dogs are all inside, gathered around my computer, out of the sun. I’m getting ready to bear down on the novel, thinking about the importance of encouragement. Sometimes, those who are fortunate have people who will encourage us, support us in our lives. Sometimes, we need to encourage ourselves to free the inner spirits, to liberate the stories, paintings, poems and photos that want to come out. Encourage yourself. It’s your life, and you are the only person who really knows how you ought to live it, even though many people may think they know what you should do.