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Retire in Kalamazoo?
In this article Brian says why Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a favorable place to retire and describes the retirement experiences of some in-law relations and some acquaintances as well as of his wife and himself.
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Writing Creatively with Mind-Mapping, WorkFlowy and Spiral-Writing
Using the tools and techniques of mind-mapping, WorkFlowy, and spiral-writing is helping me to write even more and even better fiction, essays, articles, correspondence, and posts.
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Before Sending Phone Texts Edit Mortifying Typos and Autocorrects
Smart phones make it easy to write text messages. They anticipate what people type or dictate, and they (and people) sometimes make mistakes. Edit before you send. This true story shows why.
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How to Get Story Ideas for Fiction Writing: a Memories Graph
While my wife and I were living in Marquette, Michigan in the early 2000s, I took a creative writing class in the Arts and Culture Center in the public library. In one class, the instructor taught us this memories graph...
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Using the Enneagram of Personality to Create Characters
Choosing from the characteristic traits of the nine personality types of the enneagram helps create characters in a story, the enneagram type of each influencing attitudes, reactions and motivations.
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Where Did the Enneagram Come From? 6 Trailblazers and Innovators
There are many online articles on the origins of the enneagram of personality, but most have a school of thought bias. Focusing on 6 pivotal innovators, I've aimed to provide an evenhanded overview of the early history.
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On the book Start With Why by Simon Sinek
In this essay Brian Leekley gives a brief overview of the thought-provoking, inspiring book START WITH WHY: HOW GREAT LEADERS INSPIRE EVERYONE TO TAKE ACTION by Simon Sinek and then shares three of his reflections on...
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How to Host a Monthly Poetry Wine and Chocolate Party
Some years ago in a previous location I often participated in a monthly poetry party. Here is what I learned by observation about hosting such a gathering.
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Dragon Naturally Speaking Review: Versions 9 to 13
I began with version 9 and am now using version 13 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and am very pleased now with its accuracy. Several factors have helped to achieve that.
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Why People Love Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a small city, but the largest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a university town, a Great Lakes port, and a regional hub of commerce, culture, and recreation.
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Live in the Moment: 10 Ways to Instantly Be Present
Here are 10 easy techniques to help you be attentively aware of the now-passing moment. The tips are as simple as observing your breathing and as fun as pretending you are acting for a movie director.
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Move to and Live in Kalamazoo, Michigan? I'm Glad I Did and Do
In Kalamazoo, my wife and I have experienced satisfying work, enjoyable and meaningful activities, and a good life on modest incomes.
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How to Describe the Condition of a Used Book
Novice book collectors and sellers want to learn the meanings of the jargon antiquarian booksellers use in their quotes and catalogs to describe the physical condition of books. Here is a glossary.
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I retired in 2005 from used book selling. My hobby is creative writing. My wife and I live in a small apartment in Kalamazoo. I am active in a Unitarian Universalist church.