Category: Memoir

Peristalsis, Pioneers, and Posting Late

by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Journals, Memoir, Small Joys, Soft Goals, Uncategorized, Writing
An ink pen and a blank book for writing

About a year ago, I committed to posting a blog post every Monday. I have missed a few weeks here and there. This week was one that I missed posting on Monday but am posting on Tuesday. So there’s that. Owned it!

My dilemma is how to make this blog post useful to you, dear reader.

I spent yesterday thinking about AI. Are you team AI or team NO AI? I am all for AI. I am beginning to understand it’s limitations. I have spent the last year or so learning what ChatGPT and other writing AIs can do. It has been an interesting learning experience. After a year, I am learning how limited AI’s imagination is. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything to be afraid of. Perhaps I am being naive. I am prone to that anyway. Naivety, I mean.

Finding Rhythm in AI and Tai Chi

I am also learning from some tech and financial savvy women on YouTube – Sabrina Ramonov and Arlan Hamilton. Arlan says, (and Sabrina would probably agree) that people are using AI to ask questions the way we used to ask Google. Sounds reasonable. That’s how I have found myself using it. You?


I have also started using YouTube to “do” Tai Chi. Tai Chi & Mountains has surfaced as my favorite. Here’s a link to a video that I have done for the last two days.

Ok, enough about YouTube. Although I am really enjoying it. And learning a lot. I mean A. LOT.

During a Tai Chi video, the teacher/master mentioned peristalsis. I looked that up this am. It is defined as “the involuntary, wave-like contraction and relaxation of muscles in the digestive tract that propels food, liquids, and waste through the body.” The twisting motions of Tai Chi massage the organs and muscles of our digestive tract to help move waste along. I love learning and seem to learn something new everyday.

That is what has been on my mind so far this week. I still haven’t come up with a helpful blog topic, helpful to you I mean, this week. I probably won’t. Anything that I come up with, I will use next week. I love how that works.

Thank you for reading this! I really appreciate it. With the state of the world today, ChatGPT (my preferred writing assistant) recommended I speak from the heart. Since I’m not a historian, and I am writing from my heart rather than a textbook, this is my musings so far this week.

I am privileged and I readily admit that.


Daily Prompt Nov 17th

by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Gratitude, Healthy Lifestyle, Memoir, Small Joys, Writing

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

Excellent question!

My favorite place to go in my small town (rural north east Missouri) is the Mississippi River front. There’s a huge parking lot, a boat ramp, and an area with shade trees and picnic tables. (Also easy parking there.) There’s even two gazebos, perfect for chatting, storytelling, socializing, etc.

We enjoy stopping by there to see the moon rise over the water, and watching birds and barge traffic.

It’s easy to see the river as a support system for nature, i.e. plants and animals. Especially trees. The driftwood is amazing!

It’s also easy to see the transportation route the river creates. There’s train tracks running along, and across, it. The barge traffic also showcases the trade route.

I love imagining the original people of the area using canoes or handmade rafts to visit and trade with family, friends, and community members.

The Mississippi River front park is my favorite place to go in my small town.

Down a rabbit hole again

by Suzanne Horrocks Wellness, posted in Growth & Expansion, Memoir, Writing
Hello. I am Suzanne Horrocks

I am finally writing a memoir!!

It’s about a widow (me) determined to get through the grief process with her mental health intact.

I haven’t written a book before and am finding it quite difficult. I see why it’s called a craft. It’s takes a lot of trial and error to “craft” a good sentence, paragraph, or chapter.

I finally created an outline that feels right. One of the chapters is about selling our house.

It’s the first chapter I have really started digging in to and DAMN it’s hard!!

I knew it was going to be therapeutic for me to write it. But trying to keep a reader in mind or to keep the story flowing takes a lot more work than what you see in a book.

I’m going into some rather deep rabbit holes. For one, because the hole opens and I dive right in. I do that because writing this memoir is as much for me as it is for the readers.

So anyway, the advice I have heard says 30,000 to 40,000 words is a good size. With ten chapters, that’s 4,000 words each. I have ten chapters in my outline. I’m going for 4,000 words each.

I hand wrote most of this chapter first.

Then I typed the notes in to a computer file. The word count was just over 2,000 and I have only written about packing up the house. So, yay!!!!

Now I’m beginning to write about the real estate agent and the whole process I went through. I plunged head first into a rabbit hole about judgement, self confidence, and creativity. One just lead seamlessly into the next.

I can see why writing a memoir is therapeutic!! I’m diving deep. Or am I procrastinating? Ohhhhh, another rabbit hole I can distract myself with.

Ok now. I’m going back to the chapter. Thank you for reading this.

A pretty picture for no real reason.