Cinema Gets Small.

I like to watch. In the dark. With strangers.

Although I'm a devoted Netflix subscriber, I still love to see movies in the theatre. Especially when it comes to the cult films and classics that used to play in repertory houses.

But the rise of on-demand viewing has left the formerly flourishing indie cinema owners cash-strapped. Many once-thriving theatres have shuttered.

Still, small, devoted audience are experiencing film in so-called "microcinemas" across the U.S.

Which means we can gather for a communal viewing with other like-minded movie buffs.

Read more at: http://www.microcinema.com/newsflashes/cinemas_of_the_future.html. And www.wayfaring.com can point you to a microcinema in your community.

The Perfect Read(s) for the Road.

Need a holiday gift for someone who loves reading and traveling?

New York's Idlewild Books will custom create a "destination kit" with specially selected guidebooks and novels.

So whether you dream of Timbuktu or visit Texas all time, this free service is just the ticket.

Check it out: http://www.idlewildbooks.com/destination.

Play Misty for Me.

I recently read that the word nostalgia is Greek for "pain from an old wound."

So what's the difference between memory and something that is nostalgic?

Something nostalgic stings...a little.

Interesting to keep the distinction in mind during the coming weeks, full of both memories and nostalgia.

Don't Shop. Do Listen.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is typically a shopping day.

But why not acquire something truly priceless: the audio memory of a loved one?

November 27 is National Day of Listening. Teaming with StoryCorps, the nonprofit oral-history prject, you can capture a one-hour conversation for posterity.

And you don't need fancy equipment to do it.

Log onto http://www.nationaldayoflistening.org and you'll find a free downloadable DIY guide.

Guaranteed: no post-shopping hangover. Just great memories.

Outsmarting Writer's Block.

I get asked a lot about writer's block.

Yes, I get it. Yes, it is frustrating and unpredictable.

And yes, I have some tips for working around it.

1. Respect it as part of the creative process. Don't fight it; that's counterproductive and energy-sucking.

2. Distract yourself. I find that losing myself in someone else's artistry helps spark my own creativity. I like to enjoy a leisurely and beautifully plated meal or take a walk in nature. Visting an art gallery or museum or escaping to a movie are also good for my soul.

3. Trust that it's temporary. Sometimes I'm "dry" for a few hours, sometimes a few days. In Godforsaken times, a week or more. But eventually, it ends.

4. Write like mad when the block disappears. Regaining fluency is incredibly satisfying. It reminds me why I write.

Shopping for Religion?

Master Hsin Tao, a Buddhist monk, has built a "spiritual supermarket" in Taiwan.

Opened in 2001, the Museum of World Religions is located in a department store outside of Taipei City. On display are history, ritual, beliefs and sacred buildings of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judiasm.

Check out www.mwr.org.tw.

Autumnal Poem.

I was watching birds in formation fly south this weekend. I love this time of year, but it can be a bit...melancholy.

Then I remembered this poem.

Mary Oliver captures the human experience with candor and grace. If someone you know is going through a rough patch, send it to them.

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
. . . . . . . . . .
'Dream Work'
by Mary Oliver

Kaizen: Stepping Stones for Change.

The Humanity Healing Network has produced a short, beautiful video on Kaizen.

The message: embrace change with small, positive steps, will resonate both in the workplace and in your personal life.

If you've got a chnge-based presentation to make, you'll find powerful ideas here.

Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx3wYnKLfFU&feature=sub.

Does Intentional Chocolate Taste Good?

I adore chocolate, eating it every day.

But I am cynical about its value promises such as increased energy, focus and calmness.

But hey, a square of the good dark stuff still tastes good. And yes, it elevates a girl's mood.

Check it out for yourself at: http://www.intentionalchocolate.com/?gclid=CLTN1NKE0Z0CFdpb2goddTxdqQ.

Knockout Sentence.

Talk about a tactile description:

"Sleepiness furred my senses," writes Allegra Huston in her memoir Love Child.